Beatnik Christianity Pops the Cloistered Bubble of Christian Culture

Jesus had a complex social life. Our Lord spent a lot of time hanging out with the twelve disciples. He went fishing, attended weddings, and visited the temple. Plus He spent quality time with his mother, his friends, his hosts, large crowds, reviled tax collectors, shamed prostitutes, and ritually unclean women and lepers. Oh, and He spent just enough time with the self-righteous religious leaders to drive ’em into a murderous rage. In light of those gospel stories, it’s tough trying to square the cloistered social phenomenon of the “Christian bubble” with The Way of Jesus.1

Anyone who has carefully read the New Testament will see some degree of tension on this issue. It’s true that Paul taught bad company corrupts good character in 1 Corinthians 15. It’s also true that Jesus taught His followers to be the salt and light of the world in Matthew 5. This presents a hermeneutical question but, as has been explored prior, my belief is we should read Paul through a Christocentric lens and not vice versa. Besides, how can we be the salt and light of the world if we’re not in the world? Paul isn’t exhorting fearful isolation. His wisdom here is to be cautious.

Shortly after my deacon ordination, I got in a bit of hot water with my bishop. I was brand new to Houston and everyone I knew was a professing Christian.2 That’s why I made the decision to cut back on standing social commitments. The explicit goal was to free up time to meet new people and build relationships with those of other faiths or no faith at all. Instead of encouraging this, my bishop expressed grave concerns about “an apparent lack of commitment to a lifestyle of ministry.” Unable to get a straight answer, it took years to decode the unstated social expectations.

Here’s what I finally deduced: Christian culture typically wants believers to largely exist within its protected bubble, and this social expectation is exponentially higher for the clergy. Within this spiritual paradigm, the minister’s role is mostly to teach, encourage, guide, and “fellowship” with fellow believers.3 Sound horrible to you? Me, too. I go the other way. I see it as a MASSIVE spiritual problem to spend all or most of your time around other believers. So, personally, I now refuse to spend less than a quarter or third of my time around people who don’t share my faith.

The original beatniks were an eclectic mash-up. They were a curious bunch who routinely hung out with people who had all sorts of life experiences, cultural values, political perspectives, and religious beliefs–many of whom were rough around the edges. Sound like a certain first century rabbi to anyone else? As for the whole corruption thing, I’ve rarely had trouble finding enough Christian fellowship and, at this point, I’m honestly far more concerned about Christian culture rubbing off and steering me away from Jesus than anything going on in secular culture.4