I lived and worked in Colorado Springs, Colorado when it was inhabited mainly by cowboys, military people and the bankers, businesspeople and service and infrastructure workers who looked after the needs of a sleepy little town. I was at the time employed by one of a handful of non-profits that settled in the lap of Pikes Peak after the Second World War. This was before the invasion of dozens of self-described Christian Organizations—some for-profit and some not-for-profit—changed the complexion of Colorado Springs. That change was not for the better if you ask me. I’m afraid these organizations concentrated too much money and power in quasi-Christianinstitutions; too much certainty about matters left unsettled in the biblical text; too many people communicating a sense of spiritualized entitlement. A common local sentiment for a while graced a bumper sticker: “Jesus, Save Me From Your Followers.”
I haven’t often expressed my thoughts about this but one day I found myself emailing a friend who moved to the East Coast from Colorado Springs: “Boy, be glad you moved from there!”
“I AM glad I don’t live there,” he replied, “but I’m curious about why you think I should be.”
I wrote:
There are a lot of reason’s . . . really best discussed over a glass of wine. A lot of it was summed up in the May 2005 issue of Harpers magazine, in an article called Soldiers of Christ. There, among other things, you’ll find a spiritual leader defining Christian faith saying, “They’re pro-free markets, they’re pro-private property,” he said. “That’s what evangelical stands for.” I’m enthusasitic about the transformative potential of capital working from biblical worldview but I certainly do not define biblical spirituality in those terms. Look it up: The gospel Jesus preached was good news about the Kingdom of God . . . both present and to come . . . which means I am on this planet with a passport from the Kingdom of God . . . and a temporary worker visa for this kingdom.
Beyond the issues I think are patently spiritual, I wrote about what I take to be the resulting aesthetic and cultural residue.
The town has come to have a dis-organized look and feel . . . full of “clutter” . . . dirty . . . and unappealing to the senses. The “blandness” to everything leads me to speculate that there must not be much in the way of intellectual discussion, creative pursuits or unique thought.
I stopped, and typed, “Enough . . . before God strikes me down for my judging. I am just glad that I am ‘out of there.’”
This is still a strange thing to me—to be so disaffected with a place I once enjoyed quite a bit. More than a few of us who lived or still live in Colorado Springs have heard longtime residents bemoaning the arrival of all those Christians. Some complaints center on perceptions about how much the nonprofits take from the city and how little they return. Others criticize low wages and flaky management in businesses that refer to themselves as Christian. Still others are tinged with emotional injury. One of my colleagues listened while a downtown businessperson vented about how he’d lived in Colorado Springs since 1963 and how he was of late tempted to simply pull up roots and move away because the town had become so “mean-spirited.” My friend heard the man out until, running of steam, he concluded, “But I decided not to move, because that would mean the bastards had won.”
What an awful thing to say. What an awful feeling to have about neighbors who claim to know something about God. Not wrong; just awful.
There’s a remarkable letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the survivors of the exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Here it is in part:
This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD. — Jeremiah 29:4-10
Build.
Settle.
Plant.
Eat.
Marry.
Increase.
Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.
Had the exiles carried out those commands, I have trouble imagining the natives of Babylon complaining about what judgmental, unpleasant, stingy neighbors they were.
When that business owner declared that he had decided not to abandon Colorado Springs—to keep the bastards from winning—my colleague nodded sympathetically and replied, “I just have to keep reminding myself that Jesus wasn’t a Christian.” That took the edge off the conversation and led to an interesting exchange about what it means to need mercy so much that being judgmental is simply out of the question.
I’ve already admitted how capable I am of judging people, so you can see I don’t manage to live up to my own standard every day . . . just one of the many reasons I need mercy and one reason why on my best days I encourage people to believe that God finds us where we are—not where we’re supposed to be—and loves us in that condition (and loves us far too much to leave us there . . . but that’s another chapter in the story).
If we interviewed the businesspeople and regulatory agencies and generally sampled the individuals in your business ecology, what do you think they would say about your company, its leaders, employees and business practices (and what makes you believe that)? If we showed them the directives in Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon and then asked if they believe that you seek the peace and prosperity of the city, what do you imagine them saying?
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Fortunately this experience for Colorado Springs is changing, now some of these organizations are intentionally serving and doing good in the community with no strings attached. I know of one organization that uses it’s facility for events for unwed mothers, and the employees generously give to this group in a variety of ways. Other churches and groups are following the pace that Robert Lewis has set (Church of Irresistible Influence) in serving a city at it’s felt need level and not for the sake of recruiting to themselves – In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matt. 5:16 It sure has taken awhile to get to this point though, Christians can be so self-serving, so selfish, not behaving as we should being light and being salt.
I have lived in the Springs only since 2005. And yes, I have heard similar criticism before. However I think it is unrealistic, at least half the time to completely believe what you hear because those complaining are also biased against God. Of course they don’t like Christians, they hate God. I know there are problems in the modern evangelical community and worldly individuals hurting the cause of Christ. I know some waiters have have experienced rude and cheap Christians at their table for instance. But they also probably don’t consider their best tipper and most pleasant patron may also be a Christian.
You make this comment: "The town has come to have a dis-organized look and feel . . . full of “clutter” . . . dirty . . . and unappealing to the senses. The “blandness” to everything leads me to speculate that there must not be much in the way of intellectual discussion, creative pursuits or unique thought."
I don’t see this as true at all. And how is all of this because of the Christian ministries that have moved to town? I happen to know of a lot of good intellectual thought and creativity here I also know of some very close minded and mean spirited "progressive" thinkers.
You’re not looking at the ministries that feed the poor and take care of the homeless and seem to be overlooking the "dirty" areas of the city controlled by more of a welfare and liberal "let the government take care of us" world view.
And why assume the big ministries are taking and not giving when we have had big corp out source, pull out of town and the infamous land developer of the OTC give the city a black eye. And do you suppose none of the thousands who work in the ministry culture don’t pay their property taxes? And are not kind and caring neighbors trying to make this a great place to live for all by volunteering in the community?
I would also say I don’t follow your example of Hebrews in Babylonian exile. Those three young men + Daniel stood out but were also hated and persecuted. I don’t see where Christian moving in here to CSprings have not been doing what Jeremiah exhorted: Build, settle, plant,eat, marry, increase. Maybe the Hebrews didn’t do all that but know for sure, even if they had, that would not have made the Babylonians think they were a neat and swell bunch of neighbors.
People of all times and places hate the presence of God in their lives.
I would encourage you to remember your theology while listening to ungoldly people.
Cam, I’m the colleague in Allan’s post Exiles on Main Street, who had the conversation—actually several conversations—with the merchant who wouldn’t leave town because “that would mean the bastards had won.” He was no God-hater—he told me he’d always found Jesus quite appealing. He was repulsed by what he perceived as a wave of hatred flooding “his town” after the Christian organizations showed up. He was offended by the meanness of language he heard from self-described Christians when they talked about his neighbors. His business was singled-out by Christians who picketed his little store because he carried pop music they found objectionable—music that was also available at the K-Mart on North Nevada and the Target Stores on Academy Blvd. and Cheyenne Mountain Blvd. But it was his tiny venue outside which they carried signs and his customers at whom they wagged their fingers and him they called names. He found it hard not to take all that personally, especially as it was offered in Jesus’ name.
Thanks for the reply Jim. I’m sorry if I came across harsh. I should have made a comment about how we need to always strive to be salt and light.
I believe those antics are ridiculous. Please tell me that was in the 80’s. But my defense is not really with CSprings. I have heard this conversation many times in many different places. And I know that we Christians do extremely stupid things. We have tendency to go Pharasee. However I also believe we enable the lost to think they are better than they are and off the hook because it’s not their fault.
I’m not a confrontational person, more like Paul was accused of – "strong with pen, timid in person." But I know it is not love to leave men comfortable in their sin and under the wrath and curse of a holy God. Even those who are fond of Jesus need to confess that they have offended God and are enemies with him.
It’s just a point to consider along with the rebuke most of us Christian deserve. If you still live in the area I would be interested in meeting to pray for the spread of the gospel and God’s mercy on the people in this area and visit over a good cup of joe;~)
CMc