The Great Option

A guy recently asked me what kind of church we were trying to be: to his mind, we could either be an outreach-oriented church, or we could decide to be a church that is more about spiritual growth and worship. He is not alone in his assessment: observation of churches in most communities could lead a person to that conclusion. Entire denominations of churches seem to have fallen into one or the other of those categories. I didn't have to think long before I answered him, though.

In our Simple Faith series, we move our focus this week from the first half of the Great Commandment, 'love God,' to the second half, 'love your neighbor.' Although it's not usually said this overtly, the question posed to me was basically which half of the Great Commandment we're interested in following--as if it's the Great Option. Do we want to pursue God or people? Do we want to invest in deep experiences of worship, prayer or Bible study to highlight our love for God, or do we want to orient everything around reaching people in our community to express our love for them? Will our lives be God-focused or people-focused? Many, many Christians and churches make this choice and make it clearly, and should not. There is no choice. The Great Commandment is one commandment in two inseparable parts. We must follow both, or we will follow neither.

The idea that we could dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of God and leave people behind is a dangerous and flawed idea. The closer we get to the heart of God, the more exposure we have to His passion for people--not just us, but also the people around us. The Scriptures are full of examples, from Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6 to the transfiguration in Matthew 17; from the vine and the branches in John 15 to Jesus' promise in Acts 1:8. True connection to God always leads to love for people. God never allows otherwise. Can we say that we've been effective in "spiritual growth" or "discipleship" if the primary results have been making us merely moral and knowledgeable?

On the other side of the fence, loving people without loving God is a tricky proposition. Loving God provides us with everything we need to truly love people. But without Him, we inevitably need more from people and can give less to them. This is as true in marriage and parenting as it is in the public square and the church. In a world where "I love you" really means "you meet my needs," people can smell this. How many people do you know who think the church only wants something from them? There is a reason.

By nature most of us prefer one side or the other of the Great Commandment. We're more comfortable with people, or we prefer the intimacy and security of worship or prayer. We're attracted to knowledge, or we're passionate about helping people in need. But under God's leadership, the lines between loving Him and loving our neighbor really start to blur: we find God in the faces of people in need, and are burdened for our neighbors in worship and prayer. Which side is more comfortable for you? Which side is more difficult? What do you think are the benefits--and the dangers--of your particular bent? What do you want to see God do in this regard in your life or through the church?