To say that popular culture in this country has not expressed unambiguous support for traditional religion in recent years would be no understatement. Christians have become so accustomed to the misrepresentation of their faith and of their churches that at this point, it merely seems par for the course. This makes it all the more remarkable when our culture actually hits on a grain of truth, even if entirely by accident. Take, for example, this clip from the show “Family Guy” created by Seth MacFarlane, who is himself an atheist.
MacFarlane, of course, plays this for laughs. For someone as heinous as Osama Bin Laden, a man responsible for much death, destruction, and pain, to attain his everlasting reward in heaven just appears absurd. God would not permit a man so wicked to enter paradise. Surely his grave sins prevent him from enjoying the glory of God forever more. “See, isn’t Christianity dumb? Why would it make sense for someone to go to heaven just for believing in God”
To think in this way, however, is to misunderstand completely how grace works. The merit we gain from Christ’s suffering we gain not by our own effort. The victory is His and His alone. Nothing you, nor I, nor anyone else does can earn salvation for anyone. The Lord knows his own, and counts them among his saints. If we all stood or fell on the basis of our own works in this life, we could well spend eternity experiencing torment within screaming distance of Osama himself.
It all seems so unfair. And it is. It is not fair that the most perfect man ever to live had not only to die, but to suffer so excessively. It is not fair that God himself had to bear the penalty for the sins of His people. And yet He did. Osama’s passage through the pearly gates would be unjust in the extreme, as would that of Hitler or of Stalin. But so would ours. We too, have sinned, hopefully not to the same degree, but we have sinned nonetheless, and we cannot earn entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The “Family Guy” clip make us laugh because it appeals to some of our most basic instincts. It just does not seem right that somebody who committed great sin could go to heaven without doing some good to earn it. This goes some way in explaining why some Christian traditions have developed elaborate penance systems, though that is a topic for another day. If you do some damage, you ought to pay a fine of some kind. The idea that somebody could improve themselves or be saved without the expectation that they perform some kind of good work strikes us as odd at a very visceral level.
Through this radical understanding of grace and redemption Christianity challenges the powers of this world. It calls upon us to show mercy in a world that shows none. There is something deeply unsatisfying about having to be merciful. To lash out and get one’s justice seems far more pleasing. Yet it is not ours to decide, for vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. We must ever and always acknowledge the brokenness of our world – that is why we have law courts and jails – but our fist impulse should not always or even frequently be the expression of wrath. Part of the Christian walk is learning to leave that to God even when taking it into our own hands would gratify us far more. Christianity is an unfair religion, yet for our own sake, we should rejoice in its unfairness. If the thief on the cross could enter heaven, there is no reason God’s mercy cannot include us, or even those we despise.