The practice of Christianity in public

In the first week of first-year geometry I was introduced to the term “axiom.” An axiom is something that everyone accepts as true. It is a self-evident truth. It is a starting point to which everyone agrees. An example is “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” No arguments. All agree. The fun of geometry begins.

Among Christians there are such axioms. Jesus taught his disciples to pray “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Whether Jesus was a fool or a genius, Christians faithfully repeat his prayer. Jesus actually believed the reign of God and the doing of the will of God should and could be done on earth. The application of the will of God on this earth was and is an axiom of Christian faith. Jesus was murdered as he was attempting to do what he taught and preached.

Theological discussion, debate and argument are welcome among the followers of Jesus. I find no scandal among Christians who disagree about the particulars of creeds and confessions. The great scandal is the denial of the axioms of Christian behavior. Christians are to love mercy and do justice every day on this earth. These are as axiomatic to Christianity as “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line” is to geometry.

I participate every day in the public arena. I refuse to leave standards of Christian behavior behind. To leave mercy and justice behind is hypocrisy.

The locker room of the Miami Dolphins has been big-time news for the past several days. This is obviously important to the American public. Football is incredibly popular among Americans. I love the game.

I played a lot of football. I played four years of high-quality, small college football, first at Illinois State and later (after military service) at Wheaton College. I played on championship teams at both schools. The finest coach for whom I ever played was Harv Chrouser. He was a Christian gentleman. He taught football as a collision sport. We were good at winning the collisions and won almost every Saturday. Our locker room was a fun place of camaraderie. I do not recall a single disparaging word about a teammate.

I am not suggesting that the National Football League and small college football are an entirely good comparison. However, they are both a part of the world of sport that has a dominating influence on American life. Should not Christian football players carry their faith practices into the locker room and onto the playing field?

When the bounty scandal hit the New Orleans Saints football team, I was outraged and saddened. My beloved game had been corrupted by the practice of intent to injure. As an outcome of an investigation, the Saints’ coach was suspended and penalties were meted out to active participants in a scheme to turn a game into a crime scene.

As the story unfolded, I asked myself, “Were not at least a handful of Christians present on the Saints roster who understood the axioms of Christian behavior?” I suspect there were men in the know who consider themselves devout Christians. There must have been a Baptist or a Catholic or a Methodist or a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes around the crime scene. Is not silence duplicity? The New Orleans Saints. What a misnomer!

An ugly scene has emerged in Miami. Two members of the Miami Dolphins have had very good careers interrupted by bullying behavior in the locker room. Their behavior looks more like fourth-graders than a team of highly paid professionals. How could bullying play any constructive role in a team endeavor? Once again I have asked, “where were the followers of Jesus while this stuff was taking place in the Miami locker room?”

There will be no shortage of people seeking a just solution. Christian behavior demands that not simply justice, but also mercy be sought and practiced. Where are loving confrontation, confession, repentance, grace and restoration? These are the tools that Christians are to carry with them everywhere . In the real world, a lot of bad stuff happens when Christians remain silent and leave their axiomatic tools in their tote bag. If Christians took their potential seriously, Martin and Incognito could be playing side by side next Sunday for the Miami Dolphins.

Jesus knew he was not a part of any majority. In fact, he knew very well that his prophetic role was a lonely adventure. He called his followers salt, leaven and light. He maintained that when empowered by truth, his followers could and should exert influence far beyond their numbers.

I have used the football locker room only as an illustration. The dynamics that I have described ought to be made functional in the worlds of business, politics, education, religion and foreign affairs, as well the sports locker room. To bring a bit of the reign of God to our earth will not demand that we have more Christians. However, we are in desperate need of more Christians willing to act out the axioms of Christian ethics and behavior.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer, Alaska. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

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