USAmerican Evangelicalism: Ritalin* for the Soul
Mar 23rd, 2009 by John
ScienceDaily (Dec. 17, 2006) — Social stigma and feeling lifeless and/or alienated from one's peers are some of the reasons why children and adolescents stop taking prescription stimulant medications used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study published in the Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing.
"Social stigma" has produced the 'secret service' Christian…no one knows but God.
"Feeling lifeless" has produced the stimulate me on Sunday morning Christian. That's the church's job.
"Alienated from peers" has produced the tribal units–Calvinists don't like open theists, KJVers don't like TNIVers, Vineyard experiencers shy away from the dogma-driven, "feed me, feed me" whiners populate most pews and a myriad of other ghetto Christian groups exist in blissful isolation from the others.
Aaah, popular USAmerican evangelicalism. Ritalin* for the soul. No one gets too excited about the faith. No fanatics allowed. The term "extreme" must never be used of Jesus-followers, especially those dwelling in suburbs. The closest anyone gets to "fire in the belly" is a glass of warm milk at bed-time.
Evangelicalism in America is a "market" or an entertainment industry. God and Jesus and the Bible are products and worship services are shows. If I'm in the market for a solemn, sacred spirituality, I can go to the Episcopal service. If I'm shopping for the latest feel good, spiritual high, I can buy a ticket to the charismatic service. If I just want "the facts, M'am, just the facts," I can go to a good Bible-teaching church. If I want Starbucks and brie, I can go to the emerging church. Get it? Isn't it great to be an American Christian? But it's all Ritalin* for the soul. Just keep calm.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer explored "religionless Christianity;" popular USAmerican evangelicalism exports passionless Christianity. "Balance" is the mantra of the bored masses. We must live a "balanced" life. As if. Balance is just a code word for bland. Bland is beautiful. Bland doesn't rock the boat. Bland can sing about "the blood," but can't or won't shed a drop for another person. Bland likes to baaaaa like sheep.
Balanced, bland lives don't get crucified; they get homogenized and are remarkably self-absorbed…"Am I balanced? Am I balanced?" Balanced, bland lives are always looking for the boundary lines–can't get out of step with the herd. What are the rules? Am I keeping them?
The authentic individual zealous for God is an embarrassment to the balanced ones. I know, conformity to the world is absolutely taboo to the balanced ones. Yet, unquestioning conformity to their sheer balanced boredom is deemed really wise. Go figure.
Young people fleeing evangelicalism's "balanced" life like rats fleeing a sinking ship are considered misguided at best and rebellious at worst. But what if these youth have gotten in touch with the unbalanced Jesus of the Gospels and want to follow him even if it costs their lives? What if they have caught just a glimpse of the Jesus Who never heard of Ritalin*? These youth aren't drinking the kool-aid of nice, conformist evangelicalism.
A whole generation of USAmerican young people are seeking and finding and following a first century Jew named Jesus. They are discovering that this Second Temple Judaism prophet whose words and ways whipped his culture into a frenzy is breathtakingly magnetic. Jesus offers a life like no one else or nothing else offers. The backwoods nobody from Nazareth is a man on fire, a dynamo of love and truth, a grenade with its pin pulled. The last thing Jesus was, was balanced. God is Jesus, walking and talking, teaching and healing, provoking and troubling. They didn't have Ritalin* to deal with Jesus. They did, however, have a cross.
A whole generation of USAmerican young leaders are bearing the scorn of the boring wise ones, bearing the label "heretics" because they dare to be obedient to Jesus, bearing the rejection of those whose minds are petrified by a theology of the 1500s. These young leaders rather not mindlessly spout the blandness of the current, popular evangelical party line. There's no fire in it. It's cool…really cool, and it's brought the USAmerican evangelical church to its weakest place in its brief history.
Ritalin* is one of many stimulants prescribed to help those who are diagnosed as ADD, ADHD, etc. With this post I do not intend to criticize those who need or use Ritalin or Adderall, etc.
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