The irreverence of relevance

I’m reading a book right now (I will not mention the title or the author of the book because it does have some wonderful thoughts contained in it) by an author who loves to tag our relationship with God and the name of Jesus with the term “relevant.” I have put my feet in the author’s shoes just by reading his/her book to understand the message behind relevant Christianity, but I am offended by this relevant movement.

Now, I know there are many people in the U.S. and from around the world who need to be reached out to who have been told their whole lives that salvation is a combination of historic ritual and religion. I believe people need to be able to translate the Bible into heart issues that transcend time, but I don’t like terming that process of being touched by the living word of God as “relevant.”

Why do I hate the term relevant? Here are my two big reasons: firstly, I think relevancy encourages an egocentric world view, and secondly, have you noticed what else is relevant in our society? I’ll tell you as someone who has to read the news everyday and lives with 11 other young people in a big city: doing whatever you please for entertainment, sex before marriage, living without core values, people pleasing to get what you want, relativity. Of course the list is limitless, and if you look at the headlines of the news in the last week you can see that beauty, fame, money, popularity is no guard against depression or despair. Actually, it has been a pathway to a mental hospital for Britney Spears and death for Heath Ledger.

God is not something to add to our cool mix in life. He is not a poster to put on your wall next to your favorite actor or musician. He is to be held in the utmost highest esteem. When we come into His presence we are brought to our knees by his glory and we are spared by his grace. Honestly, that is not a relevant message. When I read People magazine or even Time, big egos and power is relevant. If you refer to “relevant” sources on how to be successful these days your answer will most likely include a 3, 5, or 10 step process of improving what you’ve got. God has no need to improve you, and as a Christian we should have no concern as to how good we are, or in Christian terms, how holy we are, but rather, we need to focus on loving justice and mercy and walking humbly with our God. (Refer to Romans 1, Micah 6:8, Romans 2:4)

When I hear the term relevant, there is a message communicated that tells me what ever it is, I can simply include it in MY plan. I can collage this relevant God in with all of my other passions and desires. When you invite God’s Spirit into your heart there is no room for your previous mosaic of life passions. They must be surrendered at the cross and left there so you can carry the cross and follow Him. I don’t endorse slandering or cutting off any person that uses this term, but I do think it is important to remember and to reflect on the nature of our God when hearing Him framed in a relevant way.

The only thing in this world that will sustain us is unseen. He is the whisper in our spirit. He is the peace that passes all understanding. He is the unending source of love that no other can compare to. He is more than enough, and that is why He is worth devoting our whole lives to… Amen.