A New Path to Jesus
for This Generation?
About ten years ago, David Kinneman came out with a book
called Unchristian, which polled tens
of thousands of Americans, and found that their primary perception of
Christians was that they were hypocritical, judgmental, anti-gay, too
political, old fashioned, and just trying to convert people. NT Wright says that this comes from a version
of Christianity that has wrongly separated spiritual growth from social and
civic engagement. Today’s college
students have experienced a church that wants to save their souls without doing
anything to save the world…they’ve witnessed an impotent gospel.
Yet Jesus himself said that we shall know a tree by its
fruit.
The LA Urban Project is more than a place for Christian students
to gain God’s heart for the poor, but a place for non-believers to have an
authentic Christian experience that integrates faith into Christian activism
that heals our world. Students spent the
fall turning the LAUP house into a tutoring center and community garden for
South LA kids and families. As a result,
non-Christian students experienced the authentic gospel that has the power to
bring both inward and outward change.
One of them wrote me this message after her weekend:
“It
feels great to be part of something like LAUP, especially when I consider what
my Friday night/Saturday would have consisted of had I been here, on campus.
…Besides
that, it was also a really spiritual experience for me. I think I mentioned that I have never
considered myself a Christian or even a remotely religious or spiritual person,
but I can’t stop thinking about Friday night’s discussion. The idea that helping others could be a
spiritual experience has never resonated with me until that moment…I have
always been one of those people in the statistics you read us who stereotyped
Christians as having a certain political agenda or have historically used
Christianity as a means of imperial domination.
But, when we discussed Jesus as a leader of a grassroots movement, essentially,
who was concerned with helping the poor and marginalized members of society, I
was introduced to a more universal worldview of Christians.
…I
definitely broke into tears on more than one occasion this weekend. It was only two days but it definitely
affected my entire worldview in terms of my own relationship to others and the
way I think about my own spiritual purpose…It was really a transforming
experience and I’m so happy I took part.
I will definitely try to visit soon and see how the garden is doing and
work a little more on it!”
In your prayers and giving to the mission of LAUP, it is my
personal belief that you are not only compelling students to remember the poor,
but you are investing in the re-evangelization of America by restoring the
gospel to its full power, not only to change lives, but to change everything.
It is my honor and joy to partner with you in so critical a
mission. Thank you.
