One more reason I love Raymond Fung…
No, before you go getting any ideas, I’m not confessing some kind of crush. Raymond Fung, in case you haven’t noticed from past posts, is the author of The Isaiah Vision. My new favorite book (next to the big black one, of course).
We just started a new section of it during our adult Sunday school class yesterday and he spends a fair amount of time discussing some incredibly important topics. The one I want to point out this morning is that: Christians don’t help (he uses the word “share”) in order to evangelize, convert, etc. people. Christians help those in need because that’s part of being faithful.
I wish so-called Christian “helping” agencies would get this through their heads. There are few things that irk me more than “helping” people with strings attached. “I’ll give you some food…. after you sit through a sermon.” “We’ll help you if you come to our church.” “We have funds for that, but they can only be used for members.” What bullarky! Jesus didn’t expect conversion from everyone he helped. He never said anything like “when I was a hungry heathen, you gave me food and converted me.”
I’m sure it’s simply a natural outworking of the evangelical fetish with numbers and quantifiable results - a natural outworking of doing church like a business (i.e. if you’re going to give something, you need to get something… I’ll scratch yours if you scratch mine…etc.) But come on, we ought to know better (especially in the Reformed tradition where the scriptures and solid theological insight have historically had a place to call home).
In any case. Thank you again Raymond. I hope some day I get the chance to meet you.
Plug: If you still haven’t gotten a copy of the book, consider it… it’s a simple little work but well worth your time and $$.
Grace and Peace,
`tim
One Response to “One more reason I love Raymond Fung…”
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October 8th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
I read The Isaiah Vision years ago, and I agree with you. It’s especially clear in light of yesterday’s lections: it’s our job to serve because we are servants; the rest of it is up to God. Too bad this seems to be a minority view, in our congregations, in our classes, and in our synods. You’re right: this is what the RCA should be all about.