My favourite philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, was a fervent disciple of Christ. He was born into a strict Lutheran family, at a time when almost everyone in his society was at least nominally Christian. He considered religion to be the meaning and purpose of his life. Yet, he was very cautious about identifying himself as a Christian. He always preferred to say that he was ‘becoming a Christian.’
Those who are Christians ‘as a matter of course’ are no true Christians. Becoming a Christian is a task of monumental significance and difficulty.
Christianity is a task that is never completed – at least not within this lifetime. According to Kierkegaard, the Christian life involves continual striving. From a personal point of view, this means renewing one’s relationship to God repeatedly, at every moment.
These are the words of Kierkegaard scholar Clare Carlisle who later in the same article recalls asking her friend, a priest, if he prays daily.
He seemed to be unsettled by the question, and then answered: “Yes, I pray every day. But whether I really pray or not is another matter.”
I think this represents a radical honesty and humility which the spiritual life, and certainly the Christian life, demands.
Without it, we are prone to end up worshipping ourselves, on our own terms, as we are the apertures through which we view God, and all is reflection. This narcissistic spirituality is typical of the new age way of thinking, so prevalent on the hippie island where I live. All is One, All is God, so I’m as much God as anything, and I’m already perfect no matter what I do. It’s perfectly sound, but it’s hollow. We should judge trees by their fruit - these people, who believe they’re already perfect, accomplish nothing. Christians, through humility and obedience, achieve greatness.