Overselling Jesus

I think that sometimes we oversell.

I spent 23 years in Christian higher education. During that time I was regularly surprised by some of the complaints I heard from parents and students concerning their college experience. They complained about everything from the facilities to the food to the relationships (both not enough and too much) to the spiritual life to the academics to the cost. Especially the cost.

As I listened to their complaints, I realized that many of these concerns would not have been expressed if they were attending a public or private, secular school. While the reasons are more complex than what I am discussing here, I think one reason for their dissatisfaction is that we overpromised. Many students and parents thought the Christian college experience was going to be heaven on earth - hundreds of like-minded and like-hearted young people coming together to secure their faith and worldview in an environment combining the best of their adolescent experiences of teen camp, Christian concerts, youth group and retreats. All under the leadership of kindly, Godly professors and administrators who would care for them as if they were their own children or grandchildren. The end result would be a mature, spiritually passionate young adult with a degree that would guarantee a great job and, very likely, a Christian life partner. And the cost? Well, with that great job, there would be no problem paying off your loans.

Did any official college publication or representative make such explicit promises? Probably not, but they came close. I know, because I was one of those representatives.

Now, please understand - I do believe in Christian higher education. I believe that there is great benefit there, and I do believe that the education and environment offers many students a better place to receive a college education than can be received elsewhere. But it is not heaven on earth - nor should it be. It should be the most difficult, challenging environment of the students’ young life, with just enough support to help them succeed. But I think those trying to market Christian higher education market it in ways that indicate a lack of respect for the prospective students and their families. They don’t believe that folks can understand the nuanced benefits, so instead they sell emotion and a dream. And I think it often leads to a dissatisfied student/parent/consumer. And the truth is - the financial cost is too high.

But Christian higher education is not the only thing we oversell.

We have oversold the church, promising things we cannot guarantee when it comes to the quality of people and relationships that folks will find in our fellowship. We cannot guarantee that your marriage, family, kids, and life will be better if only you join us. My denomination once advertised “Our church can be your home.” Well, welcome to our dysfunctional family - if only because once I walk in the door, the church is not perfect anymore. The end result for many is church shopping, looking for the perfect faith community.

And some just walk away.

We have oversold sanctification. Once, a long time ago, someone called what happens in your life when you allow the Holy Spirit to transform you “sinless perfection.” And ever since the church has been backpedaling, redefining the terms and attempting to say that “well, we really didn’t mean that,” like the small print on the bottom of so many ads.

“Your mileage may vary.”

The result has been, for so many, that the term “sanctification” lost all meaning. When we oversold, and folks realized that what had been promised was not the reality, they then didn’t seek or realize the actual blessings of the experience. Like Christian higher education, with sanctification if we promised perfection and the reality wasn’t perfect, then the perception is that it isn’t worth anything at all. And that’s a shame, because both sanctification and Christian colleges are wonderful things - just not perfect.

I also think we’ve oversold Jesus.

In the hyperbole of our preaching, our songs, and our testimonies, we have led folks to believe that once they have a relationship with Christ everything in life will change, everything in life will be wonderful, and all of the dark clouds of life will part to reveal the glory of God. We will be happy, blessed, full of joy all the time, and our temporal concerns and worries, our problems and failures, will all melt away in the midst of the beauty of the Lord. Here is the quick, sure answer to every one of your problems.

Not for everyone, and certainly not all the time for anyone.

A few weeks ago, I heard a testimony from a believer who shared about the impact that one of my favorite authors, Brennan Manning, had on him, in giving him permission to admit his spiritual journey. “I know for some people their salvation is about complete joy in the Lord. But it was not that way for me. For me, the cross of Christ was like a small piece of wood, floating on an ocean of despair. I could survive as long as I held on to that small piece of wood. And holding on to it, I found that there were other hands holding onto to it who, like me, were holding on for dear life.”

When we oversell a relationship with Jesus, promising a happiness and perfection that is not the reality, we leave in our wake people who have found the life of faith as not all that perfect. Unfortunately, they then believe that something is wrong with them - something is wrong with their experience or their level of commitment. So, instead of trusting, they just keep trying harder, and continue their frustration that the reality is not as good as the promise.

Or, they just walk away.