Shortcut Christianity
"I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Robert Frost
All of us are faced with the dilemma of which road to take. One is rough and narrow; an uphill strenuous climb. The other broad and inviting; a gentle downhill slope, smooth and unhindered by barriers of any kind. The choice of the crowd is clear. The mass of humanity jostles its way along Broad Street. As Christians, like Mr. Frost, in his poem, we have chosen the road less traveled. We have headed, as C. S. Lewis put it in his Narnian Chronicles; "Further up and further in." We follow that far-off vision of the New Jerusalem, the city whose builder and maker is God. And yet… something happens along the way.
Maybe the road is a bit rockier than we expected. Maybe the going is too slow to suit us. Perhaps the bloodstained footprints which we follow seem to take us forward in an awfully roundabout fashion. Whatever the reason, we begin looking for the fabled Shortcut. We have heard whispers of it from fellow-travelers. 'Reliable' rumors. A detour, a sidepath, a hidden trail which will ease the rugged pace. Certain trail guides drop tantalizing hints, or even make bold-faced claims.
Certainly the idea appeals to us. After all, much of our society revolves around it. "Save Your Marriage In Seven Easy Steps." "Lose Weight Eating Nothing But Chocolate." Cliff's Notes. Reader's Digest Condensed Books. Minute Rice. Why shouldn't this carry over into the spiritual realm?!
Step right up and take your pick:
Subliminal Bible tapes (renew your mind while you sleep).
Positive confession (blab it and grab it).
Deliverance from demons of nailbiting and overeating.
The One-Minute Bible (great for those with a short attention span).
Learn how to fall in love with yourself, and boost your self-esteem.
Break the spirit of poverty by sending your best offering to a TV evangelist.
Read about the hidden codes in the Bible.
Make the pilgrimage to Toronto or Pensacola.
Battle demons hovering over your city or country.
You get the idea. One small problem. After the dust settles, these magic fixes end up stacked in our basement, like the Butt-er-cizer and Flex-master contraptions which we ordered from the TV infomercial. They take our time energy, and money, and they fail to deliver on their promises.
Let's face it. In Christianity, there are no shortcuts. Discipleship is a slow and sometimes painful process. The process produces the growth. Shortcuts will never produce what God desires in our lives. We hate going through it at the time, but looking back, we see how God has molded and shaped us.
Years ago, I was shown a mailing from Robert Tilton. It had a garish painting of a fetus in the womb, with a space to write your name in on it. If you sent it back to him (with your best offering) then he promised to "prophecy you into total spiritual maturity. " Well, I didn't sign my name and send it in to Bob. Now I'm kind of glad. Last I heard, Bob was on drunken binges, and screaming about rats biting him. I wonder if he's been to Toronto yet?
Oh well, enough detours. Time to get the walking shoes on, and hit the trail!
"Be patient then brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." 1 Peter 5:7-8.
Reproduction of this article for free distribution is permitted. John Green, azgreens@hotmail.comJohn Green's new site is at http://members.tripod.com/~Aslan_777/articles.html.
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