Greetings in Christ,
"In New York, they preach about virtually everything; only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ... So what stands in place of the Christian message? An ethical and social idealism borne by a faith in progress that – who knows how? – claims the right to call itself 'Christian'. Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Bonhoeffer attended Union Seminary in 1930-1931 when he made this observation about the Church's witness. I suspect he would make a similar observation today about Christianity as it exists in many places.
There is nothing particularly wrong with seeking justice, equality, and the blessings of life for all. These can be the product of a life lived in Christ. When such concerns take the place of the Gospel of Jesus's death and resurrection, they divert us from the purpose of the Church.
The heart of Christian proclamation is first, middle, and last: Jesus has brought salvation into the world, and there is no other Name by which we must be saved. We begin in Christ to live in this world. We ask the Holy Spirit to shape our lives so that we love the Lord above all else. We ask the Holy Spirit to motivate us so that our every action is one of the love of Jesus at work in the world through us.
In Christ,
Pr. Hatcher