Camus On Christianity

Professedly non-christians sometimes seem to understand more about what it means to be a christian than a lot of professed Christians do. Albert Camus (2013-1960) was a French philosopher who neither identified himself as a Christian or would have been mistaken for one. Far from it. But he had some ideas about Christianity that were pretty close to the mark. He wrote the following regarding the need for Christians to be clear and courageous in their witness:

“The world expects of Christians that they will raise their voices so loudly and clearly and so formulate their protest that not even the simplest man can have the slightest doubt about what they are saying. Further, the world expects of Christians that they will eschew all fuzzy abstractions and plant themselves squarely in front of the bloody face of history. We stand in need of folk who have determined to speak directly and unmistakably and come what may, to stand by what they have said.”

I think there’s a note of both desperation and disappointment in what Camus wrote. What the world “expects of Christians,” much of the time is not unreasonable. It’s what lost people in this world should see; what they need to see in Christians in order for them to take the Christian message seriously, and perhaps come to an experience of salvation themselves. Diluting the Gospel message (Acts 20:20, 21), dumbing down Christ’s standards for discipleship (Luke 9:23-26) and adapting our lifestyles and worship styles in accommodation to the worldly spirit of this age never has, and never will impact the minds and hearts of lost and dying sinners. What do you think?