Dilbert and the Call of Christian Community, Part I

In the recent issue of Fast Company (a business-creativity-trend magazine that I enjoy a great deal), Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert said this:

“Even in the office, there’s a growing preference to communicate solely
by email so you can ignore all human contact. That has a lot to with the
people who read Dilbert. A lot of my people would prefer not to have
any human contact, because they feel they work for and with idiots. I
can’t tell you how many people I’ve met recently who state, outright,
that they don’t like people. Some like animals. And now technology
gives them the option of avoiding all human contact.”
(Fast Company, March 2006, p. 29)

In my mind, a quote like this would be a gaffe if it were not the fact of many folks over the last few years saying things just like this to me. A few examples…“my job would be better if I did not have to deal with people” (a former coworker)… “the holidays would certainly be less stressful if I did not have to spend them with my family” (a schoolmate)…“I could never be a minister like you because of what you have to put up with in people.” (a variety of people over my last decade in ministry) Isn’t this a scary thing? When we come to believe that our lives would be easier with less or little human interaction?

Now, I can understand this reality coming about when we deal with people who do not share our same value systems. However, I have observed this reality exists just as well (or perhaps more so) in the church. In the very place where we are called to share community and life—in the context of serving and worshiping our Savior—the trail is strewn with bad relationships, bad attitudes and incredibly injured people. We expect the bully in a seventh grade class to cause trouble but it is troublesome when those actions continue to be practiced within the local Christian congregation.

Just for a reference point, let’s put the words of Scott Adams in juxtaposition with these words:

“I give you a new commandment: that you love one another. Just as I have
loved you, you should also love one another. By this all people will know
that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35

“This is what I command you: that you love one another.”
John 15:17

Now I recognize in our society love is often a misused word that does not always carry the type of meaning it should. But one thing becomes very clear when Jesus spoke these words to the ones who were closest to him. He wanted them to know there was something fundamentally important to way they related to one another. The truth was related to the fact that those on the outside of grace would know these men were really Jesus followers by the affection they held for one another. If this is the case, there is a great deal at stake when we begin talking about how we that make up the church feel about and act towards each other.

My fear is we tend to just minimalize this type of relationship between each other. However, it seems Jesus was not just talking about some sentimental ooziness here. The heart of his words strike at what it means for us to be in relationship with one another and the impact that is to have on those outside salvation. It is more than just us feeling good about ourselves but this important relationship is very much tied up with our witness to those who need Christ. Do you ever think about why it is so important that we treat well and relate well to those with whom we worship on a regular basis?

I believe the reason Adams encounters so many people that do not really want to be around other people is because human relationships can be very messy. It is very difficult to get another person to see your point of view as well as it is to be gracious in order to see the point of view of someone else. Let’s face it, our culture believes it is much easier to just quit or divorce than it is to work it out. The culture certainly influences our church life and churches all around the country are gaining new transfer membership just because these folks could not work things out (or were not even willing to try) with the people at their last church. I am afraid our tolerance for real relationship is at a dangerous low in most local congregations. This does not bode well for those on the outside looking in for real discipleship and Jesus following.

So let us see if we might flesh this out a bit. This will be the journey over the next few posts. But one premise that we cannot dismiss is this: Loving my brethren (and sistern) is not optional discipleship, rather it lies at the very heart of it.