Dissident Reflections: Radical Attachment

Continuing in my reflections of Augsburger’s book, I showed in my last post the idea that there is a three dimensional spirituality in Christianity: The self transformative, God encountering and other embracing. This meant one can be nothing less than a fully involved participant in all three, and to participate with Christ is to be an imitator of Christ in a way that reflects him to the world. God made himself relationally dependant on us (at least to some degree) and us relationally dependant on him and each other (to every degree), so there is no aspect of our lives that is unavailable to God, nor does God desire to fulfill his work in the world unilaterally (as much as we might muck it up… let’s face it he didn’t come to invite those already perfect).

Imitation Deserts Grace?

Therefore, the first aspect of the Christian life that Augsburger points to is “radical attachment” to the one we follow.  Attachment is shown through willing discipleship, which in this case would be to Jesus, but such discipleship naturally begins with child-like imitation (mimesis).  Mimetic behavior, however, has long had its theological criticisms concerning what it does to the integrity of God’s grace. Such criticisms have ranged from suggesting that imitation of Christ would insinuate that our works/efforts are doing the transformative work— to it reduces Jesus’ status to exemplar instead of completely distinctive— to it suggesting that it renders Christ’s work as incomplete and in need of Christ’s disciples to continue the reconciling process.[1]

To further illustrate, years ago one of my favorite professors brought up his issue with mimesis when we were discussing Paul’s imitating Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).  He saw imitating Christ as insufficient for how we should view Paul’s sentiment rather we would do better to think of it as God reproducing Christ in us.  Christlike formation was part of God’s grace being internalized.  While his point was well taken (as I saw no reason to disagree at the time) I think we have largely misunderstood its importance.  My professor, along with other criticizing theologians, would be right if imitation really carried the illegitimate baggage that has been imposed on it, but imitation is much more central to our humanness and the formation of identity than we want it to have.

Importance of Imitation within Grace

Augsburger further opposes such criticisms. He shows that at one’s the earliest age the primary way in which we go about forming their identity always begins in identifying a significant person in their life and imitating them.  It is from those identifications that the internalization process begins and brings about fresh patterns of images, loyalties and commitments that define the person. “Imitation then matures to voluntary participation, but the correspondence of the internalized model to the external example remains as an enduring relationship that continues to guide the added layers of the personality.”[2]  This mimetic act of continues throughout all the periods of one’s life.

Perhaps we have then missed the point of grace when it is not allowed to affect our behavior or “Who” we seek to imitate/internalize for fear that we are attempting to earn salvation or have in some sense demeaned what Christ has already done.  If our behavior has not changed than we should wonder if God’s grace is actually doing its job.  Jesus had a lot of repeated phrases, but few as frequent as “Follow me.”  To follow Jesus is no superficial journey, but is to accept and imitate and become “radically attached” to who he is, what he says, what he did, what he does and what he calls us to do.

·         This is to accept and attach ourselves to the reality that Jesus is Lord of creation and King which makes all other lords and kings… well, imposters (Jn. 1:1-5, 17-18);  

·         This is to accept, imitate and internalize Jesus’ way of life, truth and reconciliation even when he imposed radical notions like agape-love for others… even to those un-reciprocating enemies (Mt. 5:43-48; Jn. 13:24-25); 

·         It is to accept, imitate and internalize that following him means embracing self-denial (taking up your cross) because one must lose their lives to save it (Mt. 16:25; Lk. 9:23-24);

·         It is to become active participants in shouldering the weight of reconciliation and discipleship (Mt. 28:19-20). 

Imitation Becomes Radical Attachment

My summation then is that Augsburger is right and grace cannot be both evident and absent, or invisible and viable, as is implied by the criticisms discussed above.[3] Rather our very lives again will tell of it through imitation, internalization and willingly participating in it. This is how we become the disciples who continue the work that honors his name.  To radically attach one’s self to Christ is to become rooted in his eternal life and allow the Jesus of the Gospels to fully shape who we are and how we live under who he is.  Jesus’ Kingship and our discipleship can mean nothing less.  

[1] David Augsburger Dissident Discipleship (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazo Press 2006), 45.

[2] Ibid, 28-29.

[3] Ibid, 53.