Vive la difference?
Within my Christian religious and social experience, there are certain categories of stories that are told, albeit genuinely but still easily categorizable.

First is the genre of the testimony, within which there are two extremes, one more dramatic and one more common. The majority of testimonies (personal stories of one's coming to the Christian faith) follow some variation of the "I grew up in a Christian home and my faith was shaped by pastor A, parent B, sibling C and/or Christian friend D." That's roughly my story, and there is nothing wrong with it, it's just not entertaining. Those stories affirm parents, churches and communities, but are rather boring. The famous testimonies are the more dramatic ones, involving a lifestyle of rebellion and radical conversion, turning from a life of drugs, sex, self-indulgence, dancing, addiction to reality TV, etc. to Christianity through a certain book, movie/TV show, or newfound Christian friend. These stories reaffirm the evils of the outside world, the powers of its various vices, and most importantly, the power of faith and the viability of (that church's view of) Christianity in the present context.

The second genre, and the one I've been thinking about a lot lately, is what I call the testimony compliment, the testimony through the eyes of the Christian friend who provided the critical spiritual influence. What's interesting is that in theory, we should never hear these stories. It seems in most Christian understandings that individual people are only channels by which God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit actually does the inspiring. In short, no Christian can take credit for the conversion of another Christian. While few people will admit to doing that in the telling of their testimony compliment, they are still huge sources of unhealthy Christian pride and envy. People start counting their jewels on their heavenly crown before they even get there.

The key phrase in a testimony compliment is "There's something different about you." It's almost as though that moment affirms their Christianity. These stories are told to encourage others to continue "evangelizing" and living the Christian life. What can happen as a result instead, is that it creates a dualism of Christians that win souls and Christians that don't. Too often the focus is on winning more souls rather than more souls being won. I do think that Christians are called to be different, and I take it as a compliment when I've been told that I am different in that way. I can't help thinking though that "you're different from other Christians" is as much an insult to other Christians as it is a compliment, and it could mean, "you're not a good Christian." in the institutional sense of the word

I have no problem with evangelism, but I have a big problem with pride, especially in a Christian context. If you've been influenced by someone else, thank them and tell other people. If you've influenced others, keep doing it, don't brag about it.

   [ posted by William @ 11:52 AM ]