A Theology of Doing Good
This is admittedly a topic that is worthy of a good book, and has been the subject of books. Nonetheless, I've been musing on the subject of why we do the good things we do, and perhaps just as importantly, what we say about the good that we do. Having just returned from a Salkehatchie work project several weeks ago, this is a topic that is fresh on my mind.
Let's begin with the Biblical basis for doing good. Contrary to what many contemporary Christians may think, one can get an ear full about it without even cracking the New Testament. Look at the Holiness Code from Leviticus. Look at Amos. Look at portions of Isaiah. It is there repeatedly, you better not mistreat the poor or God's not going to be happy. You better take care of the folks who are unable to provide for themselves, the "widows, orphans, and aliens in your midst." The New Testament gives us the judgment of the sheep and goats from Matthew 25, we find the example of the early church in the opening chapters of Acts. We find James' reminder that faith without evidence for that faith amounts to little.
I'd like to offer a friendly critique now about what I hear and read frequently from well-intentioned Christians. First, we need to always remember that there is a difference between us and God. We cannot save people, nor can we fix their lives. The work crew at a Salkehatchie project can't change the homeowners' lives. We can make their lives a little better by providing a safe house with running water and a sound roof, but changing their lives is only the work of God. The closest we can come to changing their lives is to point them to the One who can do that. The lines get blurred a little by over-emphasizing the idea that we are the "hands and feet of Christ." Take this too far, and the logical conclusion is that there is precious little distinction between the church and God. If the church does it, God has ordained it.
Secondly, I think that some of what we say undermines the proclamation of the Word. I've heard gazillions of times the quote attributed to St. Francis of Assissi "preach at all times, and use words if necessary." The truth is that in doing some reading on the matter I discovered that he never said those words. It is no disservice to works of compassion to say that they are not the same as preaching. If a Christian and an atheist are working side by side fixing the dilapidated home of someone in poverty to say that the Christian is preaching through that work is also to say that the atheist is preaching atheism by that same work. I've also heard this corollary to it- "take a bath frequently, if necessary use water." In seminary I was introduced to the reformers' concept that the sacrament depended upon the Word to accompany it. If Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, established sacraments of the church are dependent upon the Word, then so must works of charity. By all means Christians should do what they can to alleviate others' physical sufferings. I simply state that this isn't the same thing as preaching the Word.
I confess that I am frequently convicted by the thought that much of what we do really glorifies us more than the God we say we serve. Speaking just for me, I don't want a camera anywhere around me when I'm actually working on a Salkehatchie house. I went and loved the experience and will go again, and I like to look at before and after pictures of the various houses. I don't care whether there's a picture of me in a slideshow. Likewise, a group of people organized to do a work project don't need cute, colorful matching t-shirts to wear while working together. This isn't an issue with Salkehatchie by any means, but I have been a part of some projects where it is, though. Who do we want to point to, ourselves or the Christ who redeems us? There's an important distinction between publicizing our work so that we can get the necessary support and backing to carry it out, and unwittingly saying, "here I am doing something good."
Lastly, my own opinion is that we need to emphasize far more the idea that we are doing our good because simply out of compassion, and we are obedient to the Biblical command. This would soft pedal the notion that it's God who's driving the nails and not me. Even better would be simply to do the work. The best of all work is done simply without thought of it, where it is a natural outgrowth of who we are. In this case we are living out Galatians 2:20, "it is Christ who lives within me." In so doing we live out the judgment of the sheep and goats, where the sheep had no idea that they had served Christ in what they had done for "the least of these." When we do good work with humility, simply because there is a need, without any thought of recognition or thanks, we are embodying the ideals and virtues of the Kingdom. Can we do any better than that?
Let's begin with the Biblical basis for doing good. Contrary to what many contemporary Christians may think, one can get an ear full about it without even cracking the New Testament. Look at the Holiness Code from Leviticus. Look at Amos. Look at portions of Isaiah. It is there repeatedly, you better not mistreat the poor or God's not going to be happy. You better take care of the folks who are unable to provide for themselves, the "widows, orphans, and aliens in your midst." The New Testament gives us the judgment of the sheep and goats from Matthew 25, we find the example of the early church in the opening chapters of Acts. We find James' reminder that faith without evidence for that faith amounts to little.
I'd like to offer a friendly critique now about what I hear and read frequently from well-intentioned Christians. First, we need to always remember that there is a difference between us and God. We cannot save people, nor can we fix their lives. The work crew at a Salkehatchie project can't change the homeowners' lives. We can make their lives a little better by providing a safe house with running water and a sound roof, but changing their lives is only the work of God. The closest we can come to changing their lives is to point them to the One who can do that. The lines get blurred a little by over-emphasizing the idea that we are the "hands and feet of Christ." Take this too far, and the logical conclusion is that there is precious little distinction between the church and God. If the church does it, God has ordained it.
Secondly, I think that some of what we say undermines the proclamation of the Word. I've heard gazillions of times the quote attributed to St. Francis of Assissi "preach at all times, and use words if necessary." The truth is that in doing some reading on the matter I discovered that he never said those words. It is no disservice to works of compassion to say that they are not the same as preaching. If a Christian and an atheist are working side by side fixing the dilapidated home of someone in poverty to say that the Christian is preaching through that work is also to say that the atheist is preaching atheism by that same work. I've also heard this corollary to it- "take a bath frequently, if necessary use water." In seminary I was introduced to the reformers' concept that the sacrament depended upon the Word to accompany it. If Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, established sacraments of the church are dependent upon the Word, then so must works of charity. By all means Christians should do what they can to alleviate others' physical sufferings. I simply state that this isn't the same thing as preaching the Word.
I confess that I am frequently convicted by the thought that much of what we do really glorifies us more than the God we say we serve. Speaking just for me, I don't want a camera anywhere around me when I'm actually working on a Salkehatchie house. I went and loved the experience and will go again, and I like to look at before and after pictures of the various houses. I don't care whether there's a picture of me in a slideshow. Likewise, a group of people organized to do a work project don't need cute, colorful matching t-shirts to wear while working together. This isn't an issue with Salkehatchie by any means, but I have been a part of some projects where it is, though. Who do we want to point to, ourselves or the Christ who redeems us? There's an important distinction between publicizing our work so that we can get the necessary support and backing to carry it out, and unwittingly saying, "here I am doing something good."
Lastly, my own opinion is that we need to emphasize far more the idea that we are doing our good because simply out of compassion, and we are obedient to the Biblical command. This would soft pedal the notion that it's God who's driving the nails and not me. Even better would be simply to do the work. The best of all work is done simply without thought of it, where it is a natural outgrowth of who we are. In this case we are living out Galatians 2:20, "it is Christ who lives within me." In so doing we live out the judgment of the sheep and goats, where the sheep had no idea that they had served Christ in what they had done for "the least of these." When we do good work with humility, simply because there is a need, without any thought of recognition or thanks, we are embodying the ideals and virtues of the Kingdom. Can we do any better than that?
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