I once watched the Oxford-Cambridge boat race. I have never seen athletes as exhausted by a race. They were absolutely broken by the sheer demands of the challenge, aggravated by the fact that for the entire course it was impossible for any one member to goof off or even lose rhythm - it was an all or nothing race, the price paid to even qualify for participation in the greatest eights' race in the world.
Well today I discovered why they were so tired. I, along with a number of my fellow church members, competed in a dragon boat race. It has pagan roots I suppose, but we just entered for the fun and fellowship. It was a relatively short course, yet the impact on arms and shoulders was amazing. Thanks to its resistence, it is very physically demanding to pull an oar through water, although I sense that the stroke used on a Dragon Boat is less natural than for a rowing eight.
Oh there probably were other factors that influenced the outcome of the race, such as the relative efficiency of each boat, tactics and the draw, which is something of a wild card that influences the effort and outcome of each race. However, time and again, coaches said that by far the greatest success factor in a dragon boat race, and it is true of all boat racing, is the ability of a team to work together.
Brute force and ignorance is a sure recipe for exhaustion and burn out, but a team that gets the secret of working in perfect rhythm will not only work more efficiently, it will also up the chances of winning.
It was interesting to me that two families left our fellowship because we dared to participate in this kind of event, even though our motive was to have good fellowship, whilst being seen to be part of what our community is doing. They left because of the pagan implications of dragon boating. Wow, not only is that a profound misinterpretation of Paul's teachings on offerings to idols, it also reflects a remarkeable lack of certainty about our position in Christ.
However, what pained me most was that, by implication, their action was pagan. The word "pagan" means rustic or "country dweller", a term that conveys a sense of being dislocated, out of rhythm with the heartbeat of a culture. In modern terms, it reflects a spirit of individualism and relativism; the roots of secular humanism, which is also the contemporary equivalent of paganism. It poses the greatest risk to modern society, as we know it, but it is as threatening to the sustainability of the church.
Believers will find it extremely difficult to survive the coming crises that are about to touch our world, if they choose to stick with individualistic, self-interest. I put it to you that God always gives people over to their own offences and, as such, individualism will leave a lot of people in a kind of hell where their own self-interest will be perpetually unfulfilled and unfulfillable. I also suggest that business people and employees will find themselves rowing against the tide until they see their daily efforts in the context of kingdom life.
The heartbeat of Christian culture, is not about doctrines, teaching or puffed up perspectives of our own ideas of right and wrong. God is relational first and we prove our discipleship by loving each other. God is love and we reveal His heart by loving each other.
Thus, a church full of individualists all doing their own thing, is not only at odds with God's will, but is potentially no better than than the pagans. However, believers who come together to share their faith, will find Christ in their midst. Add to that the fact that working together will help us achieve more without burning out, to extend the kingdom without relying on individual heroes - and you have something quite compelling.
(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net
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