I believe it was Billy Graham who said (or something to the effect of), "A boat doesn't sink because it is in the water; it sinks because the water gets into it."
He used this in an analogy to explain how Christians tend to fail to live their lives as they should. He went on to say, "We don't fail to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit because we live in a sea of corruption; we fail because the sea of corruption has gotten into us." In other words, we fail not because we live in this world, but because this world has gotten into us
I would add that because this can and does happen to individual believers, even to the most devout of clergy, this analogy holds true for an entire church or a religious denomination as well. The Church / Individual, as the boat, is meant to go out into the waters of the World. And all is as it should be: the boat can participate and interact with the waves and the currents of the World, in meaningful harmony -- so long as the boat keeps the waters out. But once the boat allows the waters to enter it, it ceases to be.
The problem I (and many others) see with the Church of today is that it tries too hard to be all things to all people -- such that it loses its very purpose. Too often in today's world you hear Christian leaders fall for the thinking that the Church and the Faith needs to change to accomodate so-called modern issues, lest it become "out-dated". Sadly this often includes accomodating ideas and beliefs that are at direct odds with the core tenets of our faith.
That, I beleive, is the real problem with Religion today. I used to think rigidity of doctrine was what was causing the faith to stray from its purpose, but instead that is really only used as a means of proposing it be "modernized". Of course, there is a balance, and that balance is Christ Himself.
I once opposed Fundamentalism as stridently as Liberation Theology and so-called "Christian Socialism". I considered Leftists and and Right-wing extremists just as wrong as the other for twisting the purposes of God to their own petty ends. Whether they are conscious of it or not, the scandals and betrayals of faith, the disllusionment they foment in the lives of fledgling and other precarious believers, all serve the purposes of the Enemy. Likewise, the indiscretions of local leaders could be and have been just as damaging.
I have been the cynic among cynics for a great portion of my life, and I lapse into it all too easily even now. You won't hear my argue against you when you castigate the institutions of Man. Even religion of any faith is subject to moral entropy. I don't hold out a lot of long-term hope in any assemblage of human beings, especially where they stray from God's word.
Still, we are born into this sinful world with all its ills on every front -- and we have to play the hand we are dealt. God has taught me -- often in not quite so subtle ways -- that I am not allowed to simply cop-out on my fellow humans, like I did for over ten years. Instead He has shown me that I can indeed find meaningful fellowship with others of like faith and convictions -- and unsurprisingly, I find that more often in a Church setting than as not. The difference now is that I have been forced to learn patience for my fellow beleivers because we all struggle with the difficulties and temptations this life throws at us. No one, not even the most faithful, is immune to being subject to such distractions and diversions away from God's purposes. In fact, the Enemy makes Christians the primary target -- the closer your walk with God, the more the Enemy concentrates his fire.
But I truly believe that God wants us to continue to try to have communion with others. And for all it's ills, the Church is the first line of defence for believers to congregate and to rally around. I concede that it is not the only such front however.
When my WAW betrayed me and abandoned our M, I found my "boat" capsized. I got lost in the last few years leading up to this catastrophe, having sacrificed time with my spouse, my family and with my Lord to hold onto a thankless career. Frankly, I had allowed a dangerous amount of water into my boat by becoming so preoccupied with the things of this world rather than the things of Christ.
So, after my W left, having scuttled the marital union on the reef of infidelity, I found myself struggling to survive tsunami-sized waves in the midst of a great hurricane. This has been worse than anything I could have ever imagined. And yet instead of drowning, I found myself bouyed by the Holy Spirit. I somehow found God's grace was still there for me, and He wanted me to cling to Him as I weather out this storm and any to come. It hasn't been easy, but it I am continually amazed at how Providence has kept me afloat, despite the odds.
He led me to so many people who have helped me along the way. My C, my DivorceCare group, the friends I've made in church and various other support groups, this forum -- all have been a blessing. I'm not perfect by any stretch -- no way. I still have a long, difficult road ahead of me. I still feel the pangs of depression grasping to pull me down, and I get frustrated sometimes at the failings of my neighbor. But unlike in times past, I feel a great deal more compassion for my fellow man, knowing they too are struggling as hard as they can.
