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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – In the old television show The West Wing, there is a remarkable scene. It popped up in my social media feed this week, so I watched it again a few days ago.
The scene is this: A group of refugees from China have escaped from the communist regime there. The are applying for asylum in the United States. They claim to be Christians, and they say they are persecuted because of their faith. Verifying their claim is difficult. Surely they’ve been coached to make them appear to be religious. The president decides to meet with one of them personally.
The President asks the refugee questions that you or I might ask. “How do you practice your faith?” The answer, “we read the Bible, we sing hymns, we pray for a better world.” The refugee is asked “who is the head of your church?” He tells of an old man who is the leader of their parish. He has been arrested and beaten several times. And he adds, “the leader of our church is Jesus Christ.” The President asks, “Do you know the names of the apostles?” The refugee answers perfectly: “Simon-Peter, Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas.”
Then the refugee says something profound. “Mr. President,” he says, “Christianity is not demonstrated through a recitation of facts. We hold that man is justified by faith alone.”
And there is wisdom in that. I’ve been a Christ-follower for many years now. And yet my knowledge of my own faith is imperfect. I would have flunked the apostles quiz. (I think I’d have left out Thaddaeus or Bartholomew.) The way I practice my faith isn’t perfect. I grow frustrated too quickly. Foul language drips off my tongue too easily. I certainly don’t know everything about being a Christian, although I’d like to think my knowledge is growing. But I don’t pass or fail the Christianity test based on facts that are stuffed into my brain. You and I are justified by faith alone. We’re Christians based not on what’s in our head, but what’s in our hearts.
Chris Conley
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