Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Jesus Cropped from the Picture

As the SLIM prison walls creep in, a person empowered by the Holy Spirit desires to break out of the constraints and find a positive outlet for their energy. Substitute Centers are good things; but they are ends in themselves , distracting people from the main point of the Story. For example, some latch on to doctrinal and theological issues, spending enormous energy to get others to agree with their views. Others make eschatology their life’s passion, trying to determine times and dates the Lord specifically said would not be revealed (Matt. 24.36). Ethical, political, or moral causes (liberal or conservative) become an outlet for many, while others entrench themselves in marriage and family fulfillment. Substitute Centers explain why American Christians have a voracious appetite for the new and novel ; the latest book, seminar or fad. There have been “40 Days” of everything, Promise Keepers, small-groups, the prayer of Jabez, and the newest book or Bible study by popular authors. They are typically pursued with great zeal and quickly forgotten, leaving people hopeful that the next Substitute Center will fill their needs. None of them is wrong by themselves, but the manic pursuit of the next exciting development indicates an unhealthy dependence on the new and novel . This is one reason for the proliferation of books on various topics like marriage and family, eschatology, health and wellness, and personal finance. All of these topics are useful, but when they substitute for Christ and his Kingdom Story , and become the latest craze, they can be counter-productive, cropping Jesus from the picture.

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