An Evolved Christianity Will Talk Less And Act More

"My hope is that an evolving Christianity will reflect the egalitarian spirit of Jesus, not the elitism of the entrenched church. It will no longer presume that having male genitalia uniquely equips someone for leadership. Nor will it assume heterosexuals are capable of ministry in a way homosexuals are not. It will listen carefully to its young people, letting their enthusiasm and yearning for authenticity inspire a passionate and relevant faith. It will console the brokenhearted, speak for the voiceless, befriend the weak, challenge the powerful, and call to leadership those who handle power well - not for selfish gain but for selfless service.

An evolved Christianity will not insist we believe the absurd, affirm the incredible, or support a theology that degrades humanity. It will be a friend of science, working joyfully alongside the best minds in the world on a common mission to embrace and enhance life. This Christianity will talk less and act more. I recently attended a church gathering in which a committee had been asked to draft a resolution against torture. They had spent an entire year writing a short paragraph on which everyone on the committee could finally agree but no one else would likely read. When a woman rose to suggest they actually do something to prevent torture rather than just write words against it, she was criticized for not cooperating. People no longer listen to the church's pronouncements. No one waits with bated breath for the church to wade in with its perspective. We craft missives, epistles, and minutes that are first ignored, then forgotten. Nor do governments change their policies because Christians have collected on a street corner to sing "We Shall Overcome." But when ministers are bold and prophetic, when Christians rise from their pews and work and sweat and invest their lives, people take notice and lives are changed."

~ Philip Gulley The Evolution of Faith: How God Is Creating A Better Christianity