Cryptic Story
The architecture is amazing. Located in small town in Italy, the massive Basilica of St Francis of Assisi is a destination for thousands of pilgrims each year. In the lower basilica, off the main corridor, you walk down a double stairway which leads into what appears to be a large vault. The lighting is warm and subdued and the air smells kind of musty. You pass under a stone archway and then you’re in a dome-shaped chapel which serves as a crypt. Directly ahead, you can see an ancient stone coffin that rests above the altar. The coffin holds the bodily remains of St. Francis of Assisi. He was a remarkable man and his life has impacted millions over the centuries. When St Francis died in 1226, his body was hidden to ensure invaders would not steal it and spread his relics spread across medieval Europe. His burial site remained secret until discovered in1818. Now it’s a tourist attraction. There’s even a web cam in the crypt that offers the faithful a live stream.
Hiding a Body
To our modern minds this story seems very strange. Who does this? In the 21st century we don’t hide bodies in church buildings, but for many large churches live streaming video has become the norm. In the Chicago suburbs where I live there are several mega churches that stream their Sunday messages to multiple satellite campuses. Sadly, a couple of these mega churches and their leaders have become mired in scandal and controversy over the past year. There have been numerous broadcast news stories, talk shows and blog posts followed by leadership resignations. As I’ve reflected on all this it seems to me there’s a deeper problem that people are not talking about. Maybe our modern day churches are also hiding a body. Not the remains of a venerated saint, but something much bigger. I believe that many churches today are actually hiding the Body of Jesus. Let me explain.
People not Property
I know some folks aren’t familiar with Christian jargon so I’ll try to make sense of it. Back in first century when the church was really young, things were much simpler. People who shared faith in Jesus met in homes and in public places, not church buildings. The book of Acts describes their lifestyle and when you read it, you get the sense they were really happy. This is remarkable given they lived with the constant threat of persecution. The early church shared meals, possessions and generally enjoyed close, committed relationships. A guy named Paul who was once a persecutor of the church actually joined it. Throughout his NT writings he described the church as a body and he said that Jesus was the head. (See 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4.) Just think about it. What a perfect way to explain how people are dependent on each other and truly need each other to thrive and survive. Think of friendship, nurturing and all the benefits of a shared lifestyle. In the beginning, people were the church. The church has always been about people, not buildings or property.
Budgets, Buildings and Boards
So what happened? The church got into the real estate business pretty early. In the middle of the third century we find the earliest record of a building used for corporate worship. Once Emperor Constantine recognized Christianity as a legal religion in the fourth century, the building boom started. During the medieval period, a wave of cathedrals and smaller parishes were built across Western Europe. Gradually, churches and leaders began to shift their focus and resources to better organize themselves and to maintain their property. It’s easy to see how people would start to see growth and expansion of ministry as closely aligned with physical buildings and properties. Budgets, buildings and governing boards became a normal part of church life. As the reach and influence of churches grew, so did the complexity of their organizations. There’s no problem with a church owning stuff or taking care of their stuff. The problem starts when all our stuff becomes a distraction from what’s really important. The church is an organism, not an organization. It’s a body, not a building. And the body is alive just like it’s head—Jesus!
Mega Millions Garage Sale
What’s the solution? Should the church have a mega garage sale to get rid of all the stuff that distracts us? If it were only that easy. First, church leaders would never go for that idea. And second, the buildings and the stuff is only part of the problem. Whether it’s gold-plated everything in Rome or high tech, state-of-the-art auditoriums in Chicago, the problem is we’ve lost sight of what’s important. Basically, Jesus was a homeless, itinerant rabbi and teacher. People were attracted to him because of his great love and compassion. How about we start there? Instead of convincing people to come to our building to hear a message about bad they are, why not meet them on their terms and show them love and acceptance? They already know they have problems. What they want is to know that someone cares. Instead of giving more money to the church building program, why not make a donation to a charity or cause that actually helps people. It doesn’t make sense to spend millions to build a high-tech facility to worship a Savior who was homeless. Do we really need state-of-the-art theatrical lighting, video and fog machines to make Jesus more exciting? Where does it end?
Organic Love
It ends with leaders and pastors who run their churches like a corporation. They hire fundraising and public relations consultants. When they can’t handle their “ministry success,” some engage in abusive behavior, sexual or otherwise. Some make bad financial decisions or even misuse church funds. When the consequences catch up with them, there are tearful apologies and disgrace followed by resignations. But that’s not the worst part. The most serious consequence is the permanent damage done to the body of Jesus. People become disillusioned with church and even with God. When someone sees enough religious carnage, they will question their faith. That’s sad. Not every church follows this trajectory. There are good churches with good leaders. But it’s easy to see how our modern approach to doing church can distract us from what’s most important. Jesus said that loving God and loving our neighbor is the greatest good. Period. Everything else flows from that truth. If your church is amazing, I’m happy for you. Being part a loving, supportive community is how the Christian life should be lived. I don’t go to a building, but I do share my life with likeminded friends. I try to share my faith with people I meet and work with. But this happens organically. Let’s stop hiding the body of Jesus inside a building. Life and love are meant to shared by real people every day, everywhere.
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