To begin, I think the Bible is clear that individuals are morally responsible for their actions. Each person will have to give an answer for their actions. Philosophically and theologically, it seems clear in both the Jewish and Christian narrative (which should not be separated) that we find in the Bible that humans have a responsibility to choose how to live, to choose whether to obey the will of God or dismiss it. That makes us all free agents; we can choose whether to follow God or not. We are not simply pawns in a grand scheme of a divine mind. We are free agents of a personal God. In that sense...yes we are individuals.
However, we are buying into an illusion of individualism that is not only unhealthy but leaves us clinging to ourselves as our destiny. The idea of faith as an individual choice has its root in the 16th century Reformation ideas that gave birth to the scientific Enlightenment. Luther's emphasis on sola Scriptura and sola fida (Scripture as authority alone; justification by faith alone) along with the later Wesleyan movement of Piety eventually gave birth to the individualistic view of salvation that is not only prevalent but assumed in most North American churches. Hence, we have huge evangelistic crusades (an interesting word to use for evangelism) where we are taught that we all as individuals need to make a personal commitment to Christ. We don't realize that taken to its conclusion, this view results in what is commonly called the postmodern mindset: namely that truth is relative to me individually. And the church grieves because people are walking out the door claiming they have no need for the church any longer. And why should they need the church? Why, if faith is really about me and God, do I need those outdated, superstitious ceremonies or people to follow Jesus? Besides, most of them don't really live any different than anyone else anyway! I will follow Jesus on my own because ultimately thats what I will have to answer for right? whether I raised my hand and made that commitment?
That type of thinking is very common today. But maybe in this case, the church has dug its own grave. If faith in Christ, along with every other aspect of our lives, is really just about I do with it, if it's just about a personal commitment, then I believe we have no choice but to follow the relativism of postmodernity. I should clarify that I do not believe all aspects of postmodernity (whatever that even means) are negative or futile. However, we cannot be surprised to find many people today claiming that all that matters is how I interpret reality, faith, or anything else. This is the logical conclusion of the personalizing brought about by much Reformation theology and the elevation of humanism in the 14-19th centuries.
So, what's the point of all this? Well, frankly, maybe our view of what faith is, what Christ calls us to, and what the church's role is, have all been misguided. It is clear that in the teachings of Jesus, he points people away from themselves and toward others. Most people are familiar with the words of Jesus "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." So we automatically think, "If I love myself more, than I can love others more!" Wrong. Jesus never told anyone to love themself more. In fact, recent psychology shows that by far the majority of people are consumed with themselves; even those that appear to have absolutely no self-esteem. In fact, the ones that struggle the most with self obsession are the people that are arrogant and parading of their own abilities, and those that are socially awkward because they appear to have no "self-esteem". Both these kinds of people are so consumed by self that they need professional help! In Christ we see the heart of God, for he was God on earth. And in him we see a life committed to serving others, not self. Although Jesus addresses individuals, he never speaks to them as isolated. More clearly in Paul and the early church, we see that a commitment to Christ is a commitment to be part of a "called out" community, a community that is committed to the way of Christ.
What this means for us is that the church is not just a group of saved individuals. Again, if it is, then we simply have no very good reason to keep our churches open except maybe to pool our resources so we can "save more souls". But if that is how we view the Christian life and calling, then we should not be surprised or upset when Christianity does not change people and when people isolate themselves and still claim to be Christian. I guess the whole point is that following Jesus is not about ME! Being a Christian is not just a type of spiritualism that makes me a nicer or better person. That indeed is how many view Jesus (Look at Oprah and Eckhart Tolle or Deepak Chopra). To say that is to radically miss the entire point of Jesus teaching. To follow Jesus Christ is to make a commitment to be a part of a community called out to a different way of life; a life of love, peace, and self-sacrifice. This is radical. It requires a careful evaluation of the value system of our culture and many times, it takes a different route. If faith is really just a personal thing, then we are left with a hopeless cycle of relativism that taken to its conclusion leads only to despair for in it we are merely individual organisms thinking thoughts relevant to know one but self. That is not the world God created. Thanks for reading some of my scramblings!
