Why is radical so rare?

As many of you probably know by now, our church is joining forces with another congregation in our community to become one, united church family this Sunday.  It’s a pretty amazing thing to see all that God has done in and through both congregations throughout the entire process.  God has clearly been at work from beginning to end. 

Over and over again, as we have gone through this process, I have spoken to other pastor-friends and Christians from all different backgrounds.  One thing that most everyone has in common is this question:  How did something like this happen? 

People seem to be genuinely amazed that two churches – especially two churches that are not dying, in great financial trouble or with some other big problem – would ever think of a move like this.

At one level questions like this make sense, but at another level I wonder if they reveal something really disappointing at the core of our Christian and church experience.  How often do we simply miss taking steps in our personal and corporate lives that would honor God and expand the Kingdom simply because they are too radical or too others-centered that they never even get on our radar?

I have always been moved by the attitude of John the Baptist when Jesus came on the scene and many people, including his own disciples, were leaving him to join Jesus.  His disciples raised the alarm bell to him.  Jesus was taking market share and his ministry spotlight was fading.  That NEVER concerned John.  He knew what his purpose was and he never forgot it.  In the Gospel of John, his words are recorded this way, “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’  The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.  He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:28-30).

I think that kind of selfless and sold out attitude should be the mark of every follower of Jesus and ever church that bears His name.  If it was, I think things would be markedly different in our personal lives and in churches across the world.  Would more mergers happen?  Probably.  Would more ministry partnerships occur?  Yes.  Would the spirit of self-centeredness and competition die off for good?  Absolutely!

Yes . . . a John the Baptist spirit is radical.  So is following Jesus.  It is also rare.  And maybe that's the problem we need to address.  A radical discipleship to Jesus is just too rare!

What do you think?  What tends to keep Christians and churches from thinking, speaking and acting in the spirit of John the Baptist?  What can be done – by us and by local churches – to change this norm into the exception rather than the rule?