After watching “The Passion of Christ” I wondered why in the last few years, we have deemphasized the blood of Christ? I think part of the blame can be laid at the door of the seeker sensitive movement. Now let me say at the outset that I’m not against seeker sensitivity as a concept. We definitely need to relate our message to the people we’re talking too. Jesus did it, as did Paul and all the other apostles – we should too.

The problem with seeker sensitivity comes in when we mutate the message instead of explaining it in understandable terms. A further problem emerges when we think all seekers of all generations are the same. They are not. A seeker in the boomer generation is totally different from the one in the buster generation. Either way we are called to preach an undiluted message to an ever changing culture.

I can still remember my first exposure to seeker terminology. The case was made that if a person who has no background in the gospel hear or sing the lyrics, “I am washed in the blood of the lamb”, it would just plainly freak them out. I agree.

With the exception that I don’t think we should just avoid the subject then, we have the responsibility to explain the phrase to them and I think here’s where the seeker movements hobble on one leg and eventually falls over. We cannot remain seeker sensitive with people committed to Christ. This will only lead to the curse of perpetual infancy. A generation of consumer Christians with whom we are seeker sensitive.

We are called to engage with the symbols and types of the Old – and New Testament. The blood of Christ is one of the central symbols in our redemptive story. Without it we wouldn’t understand the overall themes and its interrelated parts.

Imagine a society in a few centuries who don’t wear rings. Now imagine with me a group of people presenting “The Lord of the Rings” in a seeker sensitive model by leaving the ring out of the overall story. That’s what we have done with the blood of Christ.

I’m taking some time today to look at the story and its interrelated parts. To return the ring to the King or the blood to the Christ.

Any comments?