One Problem with Me ‘n Jesus Christianity…

…apart from the New Testament bearing absolutely no resemblance to it, is that it can be extremely toxic instead of healing.

Case in point:

Now don’t get me wrong. I believe in the forgiveness of sins and one of the most blessed things I have ever heard is, “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his son has reconciled the world to himself and poured out the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the church may God grant you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The joy of being able to leave some awful thing I have done in the pierced hands of Christ and walk away from the fruitless shame and accusations of Satan is a glorious thing.

But (and hear me out), what if my victims still do live in the past–are trapped there–because of trauma I inflicted on them? Forgiveness of our sins is a glorious thing and I praise God for it. But what goes with it is the grace to, as far as it lies in our power, make things right for those we hurt. To walk away from those we hurt saying, “La di dah! My sins are forgiven. I don’t live in the past. Too bad for you!” is not repentance, contrition, or a firm purpose of amendment, but simply feckless narcissism. It’s a way of telling my victim that God is on the side of their abusers and is, in the final analysis, a form of taking the Name of God in vain.

That’s the problem with Me ‘n Jesus Christianity: The Faith not just about My Personal Relationship with Jesus. To be baptized into Christ is to enter into a relationship, not just with Jesus, but with all for whom he died and rose, both baptized and unbaptized. The Faith of the apostles is intrinsically, irrevocably, and eternally communal. What we do, both from the Spirit and from the flesh, sends out ripples to bless–and hurt–those around us. So the grace of God is about vastly more than merely getting the spiritual account balance out of the red. It’s about healing for our souls, which includes becoming sacraments of healing to those we have hurt.