Bring Christians to Know Christ?

We see what we are looking for when we read the Bible.  In other words, we bring our preconceived notions and biases to the text.  That can actually be a good thing if we have come to a relatively accurate understanding.  The peril comes when our understanding is skewed or our attitude is humdrum. 

Phil Yancey amplifies this thought in his book The Jesus I Never Knew.  Phil grew up in an ultra conservative, legalistic, racist church in the south.  Because of the distortions taught and the abuses encountered, he abandoned the faith.  Eventually he returned.   His brother never has.  In the book he seeks to remove our comfortable misconceptions and uncover the authentic transforming life of Christ. 

Os Guinness gives a similar challenge but with a different twist:

“Arthur F. Burns, the chairman of the United Sates Federal Reserve System and ambassador to West Germany, was a man of considerable gravity.  Medium in height, distinguished, with wavy silver hair and his signature pipe, he was economic counselor to numerous presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan.  When he spoke, his opinion carried weight and Washington listened.

“Arthur Burns was also Jewish, so when he began attending an informal White House group for prayer and fellowship in the 1970’s he was accorded special respect.  No one in fact knew quite how to involve him in the group and week after week when different people took turns to end the meeting in prayer, Burns was passed by–out of a mixture of respect and reticence. 

“One week, however, the group was led by a newcomer who did not know the unusual status Burns occupied.  As the meetings ended, the newcomer turned to Arthur Burns and asked him to close the time with a prayer.  Some of the old-timers glanced at each other in surprise and wondered what would happen.  But without missing a beat, Burns reached out, held hands with the others in the circle, and prayed this prayer, ‘Lord, I pray that you would bring Jews to know Jesus Christ.  I pray that you would bring Muslims to know Jesus Christ.  Finally, Lord, I pray that you would bring Christians to know Jesus Christ. Amen.’”

Such thoughts make us wonder if we are marred in a Christian subculture that knows all the correct terminology but denies Christ’s changing power.  Is it possible that those looking in from the outside see us living in a Christian ghetto that appears formal and dead?  Do we need to bring Christians to know Christ?