Idealism vs. Realism

By Scott Wetzel

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”  John 14:12 (NIV)

One of the on going battles in the world we live in is the idealists vs. realists.  Sometimes it’s a political battle that results in name calling (socialists vs. capitalists, entitled vs. hard working), sometimes it’s a physical battle, but ultimately it’s a spiritual battle.

I’m battling that right now.

My wife and I were speaking to a pastor friend of ours and he sparked some inner turmoil.  We were talking about church planting and the subject of artsy churches vs. linear churches came up.  Obviously, it struck a chord with me.  You’d know that if you read my blog last week.  It’s still striking a chord with me.  But it’s becoming more and more personal. 

I’ve noticed something in American Christianity that is a bit frightening to me.  We’ve pared down the Holy Spirit and made Him be something that’s personal.  Now, I’m not saying the Holy Spirit isn’t a personal entity.  What I am saying is the Holy Spirit isn’t JUST there for us.  He’s there to alter the reality of the world.  Whenever that aspect of the Holy Spirit gets talked about, though, I notice people trailing off and squirming uncomfortably.  We are a little scared of the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives us.  We like to be filled with the Holy Spirit but don’t overflow or people will see.  We do the same thing with love a lot of the time.

Jesus didn’t die, rise and ascend just to show the power of God.  He did this so He could be a personal advocate for us to the Father.  When we pray in His name, for His glory, He will champion our cause.  We don’t need a priest anymore; we just need our friend, Jesus.   But that’s not all.  He sent His Holy Spirit to not just be our personal guide so we can make realistic decisions that will make us into good little middle class citizens.  He sent His Holy Spirit so we can be the hands and feet of Jesus.  That means that we’ll probably have to make some pretty uncomfortable decisions.

I’m there right now.  I don’t like making uncomfortable decisions.  In fact, I don’t know what the right decision is.  So I’m waiting for a minute.  But in the back of my mind I keep asking what I would do if I were ACTUALLY the hands and feet of Jesus.  I honestly don’t like the answer.  I’m not sure if that’s a denial of what God wants.  I’m not sure if the cynicism of American Christianity has caught up with me and I’m basing my decisions on realism and not on idealism. 

I’m pretty sure God really wants us to be idealists.  He set up His creation to be ideal.   We were created to know good and not evil.  The realists in the garden ruined that one by deciding they should tow the line.  He wanted us to be idealists on the road to the Promise Land but, again, the realists ruined that one.  He wanted us to be idealists when His Son came to earth but, one more time, the realists ruined it.  Are we doing that again?  If we are, are we ruining God’s plan for this earth?  Did Jesus pray “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” as a metaphor, or did He really intend for us to bring the ideal to this world?

Obviously these are all rhetorical questions.   In the end I can only come to this conclusion:  Idealism is what God desires and realism is what the enemy convinces us to accept.