It has been said that "dogs have owners, and cats have staff." Nothing epitomizes this maxim more vividly than watching my son Michael's voluntary servitude to whatever might be the kitten's pleasure. Bob Sjogren, in his book "Cat & Dog Theology" expands on the comparison between cats and dogs to describe the importance of adopting an accurate perpective on the meaning of life.
Bob argues that you get "dog" and "cat" people. Dog people view life as follows: "He loves me, died for me and he answers when I call his name, He must be God!" Cat people think differently: "He loves me, died for me and he answers when I call his name. I must be God!"
For Cat Christians, the ultimate reason behind all existence is their own benefit and blessing. Nothing makes sense or is worth fighting for if it doesn't ultimately promote my interests. Cat Christians will endure terrible hardship at times, but all with the understanding, that in the end, their endurance
will be vindicated with an even greater reward.Cat Christians will even wear the trendy "It's not about me." T-shirt if they believe it presents an opportunity for God to trust them with "next-level" blessing.
What if it pleases God's glory to throw you under the wheels of the truck instead? What if you are the martyr whose blood will become the seed of the church? What if your uncanny suffering is destined to stand as a testimony to unseen accusers as recorded in the book of Job?
What about the generations of Israelites that would die languishing under Eqyptian slavery waiting for Moses to be born? Where was their big redemption? How about the missionary who watches her children die of malaria before her own life expires after battling tubercolosis? Is her faith somehow deficient? Can every Christian expect to come back with a knock out punch in the 15th round after falling behind on points? Like ants crossing a stream, some have to die to build a bridge for others, and ensure that progress continues. How often has the kingdom of God been halted in it's expansion to indulge the comforts of a self serving Christian?
I know that insane leaders and cruel tyrants have used this very logic to motivate the sacrifice of followers to their corrupt ends. However, if our Savior's defining hour was the cross, why should we be such strangers to hardship if we claim to be His followers?
I suffer from a severe case of Cat Christianity. Like lymphoma, it keeps manifesting everywhere. Drilling down to the core of my motivations is harrowing. Why after so many years in God's kingdom do I lack nobility of spirit?
Emergent writer, Brian McLaren, wrote about a root cause of self serving Christianity. He says that many Christians have a fundamental flaw in their make-up. They got into this thing because they wanted to escape hell. T
his begs the question: at what point should " I don't want to burn in hell." evolve into " I want to lay my life down for God's glory, no matter the cost"? People who desperately want to escape the flames are the least willing to run into burning buildings to save others.Fear filled preaching about hell has triggered a self preservation motivation for getting saved. We need to saved from selfishness and self absorption. We aren't called to simply escape hell and go to heaven, we are called to be reconciled to our God, live for His glory, and serve others with the ministry of reconciliation, no matter the cost.
