Anesthesiological Heresy: How our American Gospel Segregates Us and then Keeps Us From Serving the Poor and the Powerless

Superficial, Shallow, and Individualistic cultures…

In a somewhat recent study, researchers discovered that the average churched youth was unable to properly articulate the gospel.

As they delved deeper into this, they came to realize that it’s not because of what their pastor taught, it was/is because of how those claiming to be Christian (including their pastors) lived.

Their words were overshadowed by their hypocrisies.

What we’re preaching (read: how pastors and those claiming to be Christians are living) isn’t representative of the Gospel.

It’s this anesthesiological heresy.

Jesus didn’t come to anesthetize his followers with empty platitudes; Jesus came to wake up the privileged and empower the oppressed persons.

It’s this superficial, shallow, and individualist form of ecclesiology.

It provides instantaneous gratification at the cost of anything meaningful.

It’s this traumatic realization that maybe the equality we see is nothing but a mirage, or an allusion of sorts, painted by coercive pastors only after a financial quota.

“Christianity isn’t a week-long missions trip, a Sunday morning service, or a Wednesday night small group. Jesus didn’t come to create a program people could attend. This is not the mission Christ intended for his followers. This is not a “model” of Church that nurtures individuals and breads love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23 read more of this here).