This is a follow-up to the previous post, so the reader may want to review that one (below) before reading this one.
Actually, Part 2 was pretty much written for me as a brief comment on Part 1 by my cousin who loaned me Stuart Murray's book, The Naked Anabaptist. Dave Hollenbeck, says, "I believe our common identity is simple child like faith and love for God... it is so dangerous to try and form a common group of God lovers; we just are not similar enough to fit under one roof."
His comment summarizes two halves of a broader belief that I've arrived at when I've been pondering the phenomenon of denominationalism and how it affects the identity of the Body of Christ: The first half is that generally, Christ-followers are to be known for their love for God and for each other; this is the flag that should fly over all of us. The second is that because of our differences, we will never be able to agree on many of the secondary aspects of our identity - our doctrines, our dogmas, our various convictions and opinions; so there will always be a thousand denominations - or un-denominations, if you will - groups of believers with no organizational trademark.
Which means that neo-Anabaptism, or any other denomination-like identity, will represent some of us, and maybe a lot of us, but not all of us. And because of this truth, I believe it might be better for us to attempt to avoid making concrete generalizations about what our common identity will be, outside of our common love for each other and for the Lord. Or maybe we can make those generalizations, but avoid a label or title or name for our group. And especially I would like to avoid the committee meetings that are endemic to denominational structures! (Bake sales are okay, because one comes away with a good taste in his mouth!)
I am actually relieved at this. As I observe the grass-roots movement that is emerging in the Christian world today, I do not see a hierarchy or an organization rising to the top to take control or a champion ascending to become its leader.* Other than a smattering of unassuming spokesmen or authors, there is no organizer emerging, other than the Holy Spirit of Christ. Thank God! I am really happy about this and hope it stays this way.
But I'm also still happy about the general direction that the new Emergents are moving: away from legalism, toward freedom and mutual respect; away from militarism, toward non-violence; away from nationalism, toward a new allegiance to a greater Kingdom; away from lording-it-over-chain-of-command-style hierarchies, toward humble servanthood regardless of gender and economic status.
So I'll probably keep making generalizations as I describe this movement, but I'll resist any and every attempt to organize it, institutionalize it or otherwise damn it.
*What rises to the top in the pond next to my house is scum! (Oh, relax, it's just a bit of sarcasm.)
