Sunday, May 12, 2013

The Church as Existing for the Other

One theologian once said something to the effect that the Church was the only institution which exists for the other and not oneself. The reality of life is this is often not the case, but it is the Christian idea.

The world has often put the concept of "the good" into the category of competition. In Christianity the ultimate good is faith in Jesus. There is no limit to the ultimate good and we can all partake equally.

You cannot horde Jesus and if you have understood you should simply share Jesus. The good of Christianity is in fact a relation with God as our Father.

Heaven has been moved forward as the ultimate good in the modern church. This is not technically wrong, but the key aspect of heaven is always the relation with God that we will have there.

CS Lewis in the Chronicles of Narnia paints a picture of men in the next world after Narnia has ceased to exist. They are in paradise but they cannot see it - they are in a hellish barn.

I think the point Lewis is making is profound heaven is only a place one would enjoy if one enjoys God.

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