EDUCATION
SERVING OURSELVES OR OTHERS? Richard Mee, Head of Ethics, Philosophy and Religious Studies at Cornerstone Institute, delves into the question of what it means to live a good Christian life. One common misconception about the good Christian life, is that it is all about personal piety, often guided by being religious and reverent. We may continue to suffer from Pharisee-ism in the church – a “heart of stone” disease with a don’tbreak-the-rules approach to a faithful life. However, by just not doing anything wrong, are we achieving “life in all its fullness”, “peace that passes understanding” and the “joy in the Holy Spirit”? Even the word ‘peace’ suggests that Christianity is about more than private piety. While we often see peace as merely not fighting, a Hebrew understanding of peace is more about positive, or right, relationship. It forces us outside of our ‘self’ and into the public.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE GIFT THAT IS PLACED INSIDE OF US BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ORIENTATED TOWARDS THE BLESSING OF THOSE OUTSIDE OF US THROUGH WHATEVER IT IS THAT GOD PLACES IN OUR HAND TO DO.
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Our brain chemistry and social processes seem designed by God in a way that often rewards us for a life lived in love of others. This is Jeremiah’s call to “seek the prosperity of the city” because through it we will prosper. Generosity towards those around us results in others being generous towards us. Caring for the health and prosperity of our neighbours is essential for our own health and prosperity.
ACTING FROM LOVE In all of this we see that we are created for public service and that loving actions result in personal piety. In our efforts to live a good Christian life, let us take our eyes off ourselves and ask what it is that love would have us do for those around
IN SERVICE OF SOCIETY John Wesley, in addressing a society with clear moral dilemmas, clearly linked individual piety to service of society, and the poor in particular. Karl Barth said that the Christian minister should have a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other, clearly suggesting that Christian life is always responding to what is happening around us. What this leads us towards is the old truth that our faith, as James wrote, is always seen in the works that it produces, and Jesus said that a good tree will bear good fruit, but a diseased tree will bear bad fruit. True piety is seen in the fruit of what we do, not what we don’t do. It is active. Personal faith must always drive public action. Personal piety is always seen in service of society.
places in our hand to do.
us. Maybe we will discover what so many others have discovered before us, that we grow more spiritually when we serve others than when we
BLESSING OTHERS We have seen students who have taken their Theology studies into church ministry, while others have gone, in the power of the same spirit, into community development, counselling and psychology. One student has very intentionally continued their work of the Gospel in the financial industry and others have
are consumed by ourselves. Maybe the best path to piety is to discover ourselves in community, to allow the Holy Spirit to turn our hearts and our hands towards those around us. In this way we will discover a greater depth of relationship with God, as we love and care for others, than we could ever discover in seeking Him on our own. Is a good Christian life public or
found their way into government
private? Should we look for piety
work. The important thing is that
or for service? A truly personal
the gift that is placed inside of us by
Christian faith is always in some way
the Holy Spirit is orientated towards
public. Piety cannot be separated
the blessing of those outside of
from service, and is, in fact, often
us through whatever it is that God
discovered through service.