A look at baptism

"The church of today lives in an ethically debilitating climate.  Where did we go wrong? Was it the urbane self-centeredness of Peale's Power of Positive Thinking and its therapeutic successors? Was it the liberal, civic-club mentality of the heirs to the Social Gospel? Now we waver between TV triumphalism with its Madison Avenue values or live-and-let-live pluralism which urges open-mindedness as the supreme virtue.  And so a recent series of radio sermons on "the Protestant Hour" urged us to "Be Good to Yourself." This was followed by an even more innocuous series on 'Christianity as Conflict Management." Whatever the gospel means, we tell ourselves, it could not mean death.  Love, divine or human, could never exact something so costly.  After all, our culture is at least vestigially Christian and isn't that enough?

"(Christ's) message is not the simple one of (John) the Baptist, 'Be clean.'  Jesus' word is more painful - 'Be killed.'

"...We may come singing "Just as I Am," but we will not stay by being our same old selves.  The needs of the world are too great, the suffering and pain too extensive, the lures of the world too seductive for us to begin to change the world unless we are changed, unless conversion of life and morals becomes our pattern.  The status quo is too alluring.  It is the air we breathe, the food we eat, the six-thirty news, our institutions, theologies, and politics.  The only way we shall break its hold on us is to be transferred to another dominion, to be cut loose from our old certainties, to be thrust under the flood and then pulled forth fresh and new-born.  Baptism takes us there."

Christ, by His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension has made a way for us to enter into the Kingdom of His Father.  Do we joyfully and gratefully, but from a distance, so to speak, accept His wonderful gift.

Paul seems to think we have joined Him there on the cross, and now are seated with Him in heavenly places.

Do we allow the truth of that to influence our thoughts about everything from our bank account to how we participate with and in all of the platforms for living that this world system has to offer?

I propose that because of the Good News that we have died, we must live as citizens of the Kingdom, and that means that in many ways we are "displaced persons."  In but not of the same nature.

How?  Not by simply being "good".  We can't be good enough to qualify for that recommendation.  But because we identify with Him who died and rose again.

Have you (if you are a Christian) ever thought about the oddity that what we have in common (communion) with other believers is the fact that our reliance is on the broken body and shed blood of the God/Man Jesus the Christ?

I don't know about you, but every once in a while, that strikes me as something quite amazing.

Citation:
Willimon, William. "Repent" in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter. Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York. 2011. Pages 6-7.