On Religious Deserts and the Canaanite Woman

Last updated on: October 11, 2012 at 9:29 pm by Christian Piatt

On Religious Deserts and the Canaanite Woman 2012-10-11T21:29:09+00:00 Christian Piatt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A friend of mine forwarded a link to a recent Huffington Post article about the most and least religious cities in the United States. Interestingly – but hardly surprising – you have to scroll waaaay down the list to find my current city of Portland, Oregon.

“Looks like you have your work cut out for you,” he said. He’s right; I’ve met folks here who work in churches that tell people they work at a nonprofit when asked what they do, leaving the bit about the nonprofit being a church until they get to know each other better. And of course, we knew this when we came to the Pacific Northwest.

In fact, that’s part of what made me want to be here.

For some, there is great appeal in coming to an “unchurhced” community, mainly because of the notion that this means there are that many more people in need of saving. And while this may or may not be true, there’s a lot of presumption that goes into saving those without religion, while assuming those who claim a faith are the ones to do the “saving.”

Personally I tend to come from the perspective that we all have opportunities to enrich one another’s perspective, and when I have the opportunity to be in an environment where the majority of people around me don’t share my views, that’s a good thing. And not so much for them, as it is good for me. Such difference challenges me to really know what it is I believe, to be able to explain it in plain terms if asked, and also to be open to other ways of seeing the world.

Where we run into trouble as Christians, I think, is when we are determined that we have something the rest of the world needs, and that such need is necessarily a one-way street. Do I think I have a great opportunity to present the Christian faith to people in a fresh way who may have different understandings about what it means to follow the path of Jesus? I hope so. But to presume that, just because someone isn’t Christian – or isn’t even religious at all – they must not have anything worthwhile to teach me is culturally insensitive at best; at worst, it is a discredit to the faith we claim to represent.

Even Jesus was changed by people unlike him during the course of his ministry. I know some people believe the story of the Canaanite woman who comes to Jesus asking for healing for her daughter is actually a conscious test of faith Jesus is putting her through, but I don’t agree. Basically, he refuses to help her the first time she asks, because she is not a member of the “chosen people.” To add insult to injury, he basically calls her a dog. But in her persistence, his heart softens and he offers the help she requests.

I understand the appeal of arguing that Jesus simply was testing the woman. This keeps Jesus in the role of perfect teacher, which some desire to maintain for him. But for me, the exchange is an important glimpse into the utter humanity of Jesus who, as were his peers, a product of his culture. For me, the only context that helps me understand this situation at all is to imagine an Afghan Muslim coming to a Christian minister immediately after 9/11 and asking for help. I can understand why someone might be resistant to go out of their way in such a case, especially when there is so much need, already right in front of us. But the convergence of the woman’s faithfulness and Christ’s love for her as a human person (not just a Canaanite) was what changed the whole game.

If you’re into the prophetic nature of scripture, I think it’s a microcosm of the larger story told by the New Testament in particular, which is: LOVE WINS.

What does this have to do with me, a Christian author and church leader living in one of the most secular places in the nation? It would be easy for me to spend all of my time tending to the needs of those already within the walls of my church, or even extending that favor to those who showed some possible promise of coming to the church eventually. But what about those who will never darken the doors of the church? How about the ones who have spoken only with disdain about the faith I claim? Should I show any less regard or compassion for those who mock, ridicule or even attack my beliefs? Granted, there’s a degree of self-preservation that is a natural response to such negativity, but if someone honestly comes to me in need, with questions or simply seeking someone to listen, who am I to hold anything from the past against them?

In fact, given stories from the Gospel like the shepherd going out of his way to reach the one lost sheep, leaving the other ninety-nine behind, a case could be made that it’s the most important work I could be doing.

Will I change their hearts? Will they come to believe what I believe? will they attend my church? Maybe, and maybe not. But that’s not really the point. Despite prevailing sentiments about religion in Portland, I’ve already noticed a profound desire for meaning, community, justice and growth in the people I’ve met. I share those values, and in as much as my faith can help me get there, I believe it’s important to employ it. But what if my involvement in a religious institution actually gets in the way sometimes? What if it’s precisely the voice of an outside perspective that shakes me from my slumber, awakening me to the barriers I’ve been complicit in constructing between myself, others and God, all supposedly in the name of a faith that claims quite the opposite?

I know our church brought Amy and me here in large part to help reach out to people they’ve not been able to connect with in the ways they hope to. But unless and until I engage the culture around me with an equal degree of openness, trusting God’s spirit to move even within such unlikely relationships, I think I’m limiting the potential of faith to be so much bigger than religion ever can be.

Because of that, I can’t imagine a better place to be doing ministry than right here, where I am, today.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 10, 2012

Is Our Debt to China the Key to Global Peace?

Next Post

October 12, 2012 Where Does Faith Fit in Today's Politics?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category atonement belief bible Bill O'Reilly Buddhism CCM children christian piatt christianity Contemporary Christian Music current events derek flood Easter education Everyday Sunday faith faith and culture Frank Schaeffer great commission Haaz Sleiman Hobby Lobby Homebrewed Culture humor ISIS Jesus John Paul Lederach Killing Jesus LGBTQ marc driscoll Mission Year Music My Jesus Project Nat Geo parenting politics popular culture postChristian prison reform Ray rice religion republicans sacrifice sexuality theology Uncategorized video violence wild goose festival World Vision young adults

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

A hand wrote on the palace wall during a feast, and I interpreted the message: numbered, weighed, divided. What were these three Aramaic words?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ichabod, Ebenezer, Beulah Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin Holy, Holy, Holy Babylon, Media, Persia