Missing the Point

I was in Boston this past week and came across a great illustration of how the modern church has missed the point.

This was my first trip to Boston, so I struck out on foot to explore this wonderful, historic city during some of my free time.

My journey took me from the Back Bay area through the Boston Public Garden's, Boston Common and along a good part of the Freedom Trail. (Now I have to go back because I didn't have time to finish the trail.)

As I was taken by the quaint beauty of the city, I wasn't surprised to enter Boston Public Garden to be greeted by several homeless individuals sleeping on benches and the ground with all their earthly possessions. Most had covered themselves up with what they could find as it was a bit cool on this particular June day in New England. I also noticed a number of panhandlers in the Public Garden. They were particularly polite. My favorite was an elderly gentleman who was singing (joyfully, mind you) "Change, does anyone have any change..."

I meandered along the Freedom Trail and then realized it was time to turn back to make my 2pm appointment. And this is when I realized that, maybe, just maybe, the modern church has missed the point.

On my way back through Boston Common, I decided to take a bit of a different route (to get more perspective). In the middle of a big field in the Common was a tent with a huge sign on the front: "Old Time Revival--All Are Welcome". Emminating from the tent was a recording of the great church hymn "Send a great revival in my soul..."

Under the tent were no less than 75 to 100 chairs. And then it struck me......

The chairs were all empty. The music was playing but the chairs were empty. The invitation was going out for people to "come under the tent" and experience "old time revival." But the chairs were empty. And out on the lawn of the Commons were the homeless people, snoozing.

It was the perfect picture of what may be wrong with the church today. In this post-modern age, we're expecting people to come into the tent. But with scandals and hypocrisy tarnishing the brand image of the Christian faith, many are more inclined to be repulsed rather than attracted.

And it struck me...maybe the church has missed the point. Maybe it is no longer effective to expect the world to come "into" the church. Maybe the calling of the church in a post-modern age is to go out from the tent, to love the homeless, and build the kingdom "in the world."

It may very well be that the tent was full later that day. It may very well be that the folks running the old-time revival went out and tended to the homeless folks I observed (that day I know I didn't have time to do so).

But the opportunity to observe the picture was too much to pass up.

Has the church today missed the point? If we were true to the real Jesus, what should the church look like in the 21st century?