Our “Agonistic” Life in Christ
The Christian life, life with God, living in Christ, discipleship, following Jesus – whatever we call it, the overlooked, albeit unpleasant, aspect of this life, indeed its most salient aspect if the New Testament is to be believed, is that is “agonistic” all the way down. Struggle, suffering, conflict, spiritual warfare, attends our way all the way to death or Christ’s return, whatever comes first. In our officially optimistic and happy culture this “minor key” is seldom sounded or heard. Yet such struggle (“agon”) is the truth (again, if the New Testament is to be believed) and experience of the faithful through the ages. Such struggle is apparently the price of “costly discipleship” (Bonhoeffer). If sin has warped us to where our hearts are “curved in on themselves” (Luther), getting it curved outward to God and others again is a difficult and painful process. Our “agon” is three-headed. First, we struggle with and within ...