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Originally Posted by awareness
Isn't the experience of Christ all about "the least of these?"
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I think that this may be one of the problems that I have with the term. I can't conclude that it is "all about" anything as narrow as just any aspect of the Christian life.
But part of it is in actually loving others. Like Ohio said somewhat differently —how I relate to others. So the experience of Christ is at least partly about all aspects of how I relate to all others. Not just to LCM members. Not just to other Christians. Not just to "good material." Not just to those who are socially Christian in that they live outwardly according to a Christian ethic though having no confession of belief in Christ. It is also to the unlovely, the sinner in every sense of the word. Even to those who society (and I) think that are horribly opposed to the "right" way. Like . . . let's leave the list of people we might think of as "out" out of the discussion.
Recently a long-time friend who has moved away posted the following on facebook
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What Would Jesus Facebook?
Answer: I don’t know.
But let’s suggest some things he WOULDN’T facebook:
1. Jesus would not post endless streams of mocking pictures of and posts of NBC anchor Brian Williams failings. Or anyone else’s.
2. Jesus wouldn’t post hateful things about Barack Obama. Or George W. Bush. Or Mitt Romney. Or anyone. Ever.
3. I Don’t know what Jesus’ position would be on the 2nd Amendment. I suspect he wouldn’t (or doesn’t) have one. But even if he did, I don’t think he would celebrate and glorify guns on his facebook page. I just don’t.
4. Maybe Jesus would have some strong political opinions. I’m not sure. But if he did, he would never let his zeal to express those opinions lead him to post anything that would in any way compromise the values the he taught and lived.
To sum up, Jesus may have ridden into Jerusalem on an ass. But he would never have acted like one on facebook.
I have. And so have some of you. Let’s stop.
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But beyond this, I believe that what we might call the "experience of Christ" is way more than how we interact with other people. It is about how we live our entire lives. And while we might argue that all of it eventually becomes an aspect of interaction with others, even saying that allows us to overlook things that we do not see as part of that interaction.
At least at the time that we see it. But it is all part of the life of the Christian and is therefore either lived because of Christ or not.