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Why would a person think that Christians wished to control a person’s thoughts or make them march lockstep in total conformity? Sadly, marching lockstep is a good example of how many people see Christianity and the local church in particular.
“The lockstep was a method of walking where each man walked with their arms locked under the man’s arms in front of them,” This method was devised by the penal system to keep tight control over large numbers of prisoners by restricting their movement and limiting their ability to communicate.[1]
Prisoners in lockstep
This gives the idea of confinement, control, and isolation. It is sad but true that many outside the church (and some inside) see us this way. They believe we are either the prisoners being controlled or wardens trying to get more prisoners.
Is this true? If we read Colossians chapter 2 (particularly verses 16-23), we see that even in the first century, the church was struggling with those who wished to have people march in lockstep to their ideas. However, while these people have been and still are with us, they are not the majority and they are not representative of how the people of the church relate to one another.
To be a follower of Christ is to be liberated from the artificial constraints that the world has placed on you. It is to be transformed into the truly unique individual that God made you to be. It is to be free to operate in that sweet zone that is yours alone. And the best part is that you are not alone. The church is not there to force fit you into an ill fitting mold, but to allow you to exercise your unique gifts in your unique way to build others up. The church is the gathering place for all the unique followers of Christ to fellowship together, to minister to each other, to worship God, and to reach outside to others and welcome them into the family of God (1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4).
In reality, the church is the freest place in the entire world.
Steve J.
[1] “Both Sides of the Wall: Auburn and Its Prison”, The Citizen, April 10, 2003 on Pages D8, D9, and D15, http://www.correctionhistory.org/auburn&osborne/artshow/citizenarticle.htm (accessed 9-Feb-2009)
