Living on the Edge of Fanaticism?

LIVING ON THE EDGE OF FANATICISM?

I am not sure anyone can truly be following Jesus in this culture without living on the very edge of fanaticism. In fact, in this day and age it may require falling off the edge. But the word fanaticism is a relative term which gets its definition from a comparison to the norm. If the normal Christian life and experience is so diluted and compromised as to be little more than a reflection of the common western lifestyle with a few religious words sprinkled on top, then any authentic discipleship which is defined through the New Testament must be considered fanatical.

The Webster’s definition of fanatical is “marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion”. I would add that it also entails a profound and uncommon dedication to something. And given those definitions just how fanatical are we? Is the culture feeding us to lions? Are we being led to the gallows? Are we being incarcerated for Jesus? Are we at least being shunned? Ok, last try, are we having an impact upon the kingdom of darkness?

Now realize this fact. We are not even fanatical when compared with the people who do not know Christ. How can that be? I mean let us just read a section from Luke’s gospel.

Lk.14: ²⁵ And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

²⁶ If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
²⁷ And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
²⁹ Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
³⁰ Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
³² Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
³³ So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
³⁴ Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
³⁵ It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Bear his cross? What cross do we bear? Forsake all? What do we forsake? We are not even distinctive much less fanatical. We blend in like camouflage. But we are afraid of the word “fanaticism” unless it applies to sports, Hollywood stars, music icons, or politicians. And one of the reasons that the word frightens us is because of the implications that may surface and that might place upon us some inconvenient demands. But what are the implications of being fully surrendered to Jesus Christ and being a fanatical disciple? Would not that person be absolutely remarkable within a culture of absolute darkness?

But another problem is that the church does not see the culture for what it is. We define evil in extreme terms. We all loudly proclaim that the acts of 9/11 were evil and so they were. But did we realize that most of what was transpiring on a daily basis inside the Twin Towers was evil as well? You see the entire wicked mess called the world lies in the wicked one and all that is in the world is fallen and evil. But if you say that in mixed company, or even share it with most believers, you will be seen as, yes, fanatical. You see, in order to understand what it means to be a fanatical disciple we must also understand how God sees this present evil world. But so many have made peace with this world and even joined hands with the kingdom of darkness in order to address this issue or that issue. And after you have walked with evil for a while it begins to seem not so evil and eventually it may seem friendly and a little misunderstood. And even though you might maintain what seems to be a safe distance from evil, it begins to have an effect upon your heart and mind and most grievous of all upon the way you see your faith.

That kind of life not only cannot be labeled as fanatical, but it cannot even be called Christian. But look at verse 33 where our Lord speaks of forsaking all. How easily those words flow from our tongues and how easily we can gloss over them and actually ignore them while reading or listening to them. That kind of deception has not only taken hold of us all, but it is practiced and embraced in the church. If we took just Jn.3:16 and Lk.14:33 and made them our template for life just what would that mean? I know, if we even took those words in a partial literal sense it would demand a level of fanaticism unwelcomed in this present evangelical climate.

This entire subject should not be easily dismissed or seen as something about which to just ponder. This cuts at the very fabric of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The word “Christian” has been so bandied about that it no longer has any teeth. It is an innocuous religious term which is a collective for everyone and anyone who isn’t of some other religion or even considers themselves a “Christian” simply by default. And if you stretch out your arms and gather together any church that calls themselves Christian and gather them all in one place, that is what people believe is Christianity. The word itself has become a deception.

And people consider Muslims and white supremacists and Hasidic Jews and North Koreans as “fanatics” while they consider Christians as a multi-sected religion which fits in nicely within the culture with a few morality obsessed exceptions. But even the moralists glady join hands with non-Jesus moralists. And just a cursory reading of the Book of Acts reveals just how far the church has drifted. Paul is brought before Agrippa and instead of invoking his Constitutional rights and demanding counsel he gives his personal testimony. And when Paul was sent to prison with Silas instead of contacting Fox News to protest his treatment he and Silas pray and sing praises to God. Yes, there were fanatics in those days.

And do we think the secular culture has improved in these days? Do we believe the culture has moved closer to Christ or that the church has moved closer to the culture? And like Samson the church does not even realize, much less care, that our power is gone. No salt, no light, no city on a hill. Fanatical? Who could even pretend to lie like that?

So where do we go from here? I mean we have become so adept at minimizing the problem and setting forth the journey with no real sacrifice or self denial, so how can we even stop to address that which we cannot see and which we deny? Well each individual must allow the Spirit to take an inventory of his own life and reveal to him a substantive, albeit painful, progress report. Now we should not seek to be immobilized and retreat into a spiritual depression, but we should desire the most clear and comprehensive conviction about what is truth and what we have come to believe as truth.

And if we are honest about the teachings of Jesus and the entire teaching scope of the New Testament then we must admit that they are radical in nature and in substance. They are incompatible with the present culture and with anything that demands our earthly rights or incorporates greed or violence. And if we understand the depth of these radical teachings then we are faced with this proposition: To seek to obey them and live by them can be nothing short of fanatical. And to be honest you would not only be looked upon as fanatical by the world, but within the church as well.        

So the choice is oh so clear. We can remain within acceptable parameters in our faith which requires very little and raises no eyebrows and is generally compatible with the rest of the community of faith, or we can become aware that something is very wrong. And if and when we come to that enlightenment, then the journey has once again taken on a more significant challenge than we have previously thought. At that point we may realize that we have been processed through the wringer of a culturalized Christianity which through a system of clandestine demands has molded us into a narcissistic discipleship which enjoys all the fruit of Eden’s forbidden tree while rejecting the fruit of Golgotha. And like men in a police lineup, we all pretty much look the same. The sirens have sung and we have heard and sailed right into the rocks. However these rocks are comfortable and offer an expression of the faith which has just enough Biblical verbiage to provide a shallow defense but not enough to be considered fanatical. Instead of praying to extricate ourselves from these rocks we just placed a steeple among them, took up an offering, and called them church.

Yes, sit back and enjoy the show and do not worry. We need not call for help, and we don’t need a guide since we are nowhere near the edge of fanaticism. We have found warmth and safety within the rocks. And just remember, when Jesus said we must forsake all He was engaging in some religious hyperbole which makes for some great reading but about which no one should attempt to live.

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Yea, right.