Talk about hittin’ the flippin’ nail on the head.

Say what you will about Brian McLaren, but I like him. I’ve read several of his books and I don’t agree with everything he says, but he certianly challenges me to think.

In his new book Finding Our Way Again he recounts an interview he conducted at a pastors conference with Dr. Peter Senge. It went something like this:

Dr. Senge was saying that in any given bookstore, the best selling books are first, “how to get rich” and second, books on Buddhism.

“Why are books on Buddhism so popular, and not books on Christianity,” McLaren asked.

Senge replied, “I think it’s because Buddhism presents itself as a way of life, Christianity presents itself as a system of belief. I would want to get Christian ministers thinking about how to rediscover their own faith as a way of life, because that’s what people are searching for today. That’s what they need most.”

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NtgjNLNpao]

[ht: Beim]

We can see the walk of a Christian in two ways:

1) Jesus died for us and the world is depraved. Someday when I die, I’ll escape this evil world and be with God for eternity. With my heart set on heaven, I will live a holy life and make sure others do so too.

2) Jesus died for us and the Kingdom is here and now. It is our job to ransom, rescue and love the lost and hurting people. We are compelled to live a life of hope and compassion that shows Christ’s love to the broken people of this world.

One way has our eyes set far beyond this world and beyond the horizon. The other has it’s eyes set on the suffering here and now. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We forget this. Or omit this. Or over look this. The call of Christ and his Kingdom is a here and now one.

And our view on this colors which path we walk.