Don't Worry about the Competition

We had trouble finding a place to park at church yesterday.  We attend a small, but growing, church plant that worships in the fine arts building at Dallas Lutheran School. On a typical Sunday there are less than fifty of us.  To my surprise, yesterday the streets were parked full and a policeman was directing traffic.  Explanation: The Buddhist Center of Dallas is located next store to the school and yesterday they were celebrating the Buddhist New Year.  The Buddhist Center has an agreement with the school that allows them to use the parking lot, so this week we had to share space.  In this age of religious diversity, it is not  uncommon to find Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu worship centers around Dallas.  Of course, there have always been Mormon houses of worship, along with Christian Science and Jehovah Witness meeting halls.

There are some who find this trend disconcerting.  After all, we think of ourselves as being a "Christian" nation.  I read a report from Pew Research last week that might add fuel to the fire.  Christianity is growing, but not at the rate of other world religions, especially Islam.  The report projected population growth in a forty year period from 2010 to 2050. Islam, in particular, is the fastest growing group.  In 2010, Muslims represented 23% of the world population, but that will swell to 29% by 2050.  Christianity will grow slightly, but because of the increased population in other parts of the world, the percentage of Christians in the world will remain constant at 31.7%. There are some among us who have expressed concern over the growth of Islam in the United States. Some have expressed fear that the Muslims really are intent on taking over our country.

What I find most troubling about this is the fact that Christianity seems to be on the defensive.  In my mind this runs counter to what Jesus intended.  After all, in the Great Commission Jesus commanded his followers to "make disciples of all nations."  (Matthew 28:19)  Our goals should be to share the Good News with all.  We have the only real hope.  Only Christianity is based on the belief that God came down to man, rather than man trying to reach God.  We have a living Savior who forgives our sins.  In marketing terms, we have the ultimate product.  The disappointing thing is that we cannot even maintain our young followers.

In my mind we need to focus on being Jesus' disciples in this world, and not worry about the competition.