Getting Slimed
A few years ago Zack and I led a home group that met in our house in Westport. Sometimes we invited others to join us for a prayer walk through the gallery district downtown. We weren’t doing outreach, but doing what we do best, praying for spiritual renewal.
One particular night, there was a woman who joined us who vehemently expressed her desire to avoid environments that ‘defiled’ her. She questioned the wisdom of walking through the gallery district and ‘getting slimed.’
I’ve often heard this sentiment, but I have some serious questions about whether or not it is an accurate description of what is actually happening to people. Are they really being defiled by walking around a few galleries?
A few verses come to mind, Jesus says, “it’s not what goes into a man, but what comes out of him that defiles him.” I know that in context Jesus was talking about dietary restrictions - but he also makes a secondary point: we need to look at our speech as a primary place of defilement in order to call the Pharisees out of false religious notions of defilement. They had focused too much intensity on a single means of defilement that was in some ways secondary to the real problem.
Another verse that comes to mind is when James describes true religion as serving ophans and widows and keeping one undefiled from the world. The question here is, how do we get defiled by the world?
Personally, I think the idea that prayer-walking the gallery defiling someone is absurd; especially when we consider the amount of non-Christian (and some ’so-called’ Christian!) media that most Christians consume. If being around non-Christians defiles believers, than this world is left without any hope. If defilement comes merely from contact with unbelievers we should cancel all missions trips to Hindu lands, Muslim countries, and secular college campuses.
What is it that people mean when they say they feel slimed? I think there are several options.
First, I think some Christians have not been in much contact with unbelievers. They are deeply dismayed by the depravity and confusion that surrounds secular culture. It disturbs them to see the hopelessness of people living without God. That can feel ’slimy’.
Secondly, I think that against the backdrop of this hopelessness, many believers suffer a painful encounter with their own spiritual barrenness. They witness the darkness around them and their own inability to bring any change. They are overwhelmed and feel defeated by the difficulty of the task. That could feel ’slimy’.
Finally, I think that some Christians experience powerful temptations. They feel seduced by the dark ideals and immorality that are normal for secular culture. Facing brazen, unapologetic sinfulness can be a serious temptation to any believer. We should never put ourselves in a situation where we know we will be tempted. That can definately feel ’slimy.’
There are many environments that most Christians should almost never enter (bars, nightclubs, pagan festivals). I think many secular environments can become a snare to us. However, let’s not put the blame on non-believers. Instead, let’s embrace the truth: we have a weak conscience and feel tempted by the world. That will lead us to freedom. Admitting we feel slimed because we feel tempted will give us wisdom to confess our weakness, and run away from the temptation. Let us admit the truth, it is not being around a bunch of ‘dirty artists’ that defiles us. It is a struggle in our sinfulness, not a struggle against ‘their’ sinfulness.
For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’
Paul in 1 cor 10:29 also asks, “why is my Liberty judged by another mans conscience” and I don’t think he is asking this so that he can get away with something, but in order to be an effective minister of the gospel. Sometimes it seems that we want to put every child of God into one box of shoulds and shouldn’ts but the truth I think is that while one of us maybe able to enter a bar or art gallery and not have slightest hint of temptation another one of us could enter and be overcome. I spent some time in Pattaya Thailand, a town built out of darkness and filled with sexual immorality. Slimed is an understatement. However, there is not a place in this world that needs more christians to be present than this place. If I in my present position before the Father were to presume myself able to walk into this town, and present the gospel I would no doubt be overcome with temptation, my spirit is weak. however There are children of God who have been given the grace and strength to walk in this town untainted by evil that resides there, They are surrounded by prostitution, drunkenness, perversion of every kind and every form of injustice known to man. Yet inside of them is the power of Christ’s resurrection and they are withstanding the power of the evil one. How sad if I in my weakness forbid or worse didn’t support them living in the grace and liberty to be a light in the darkness?
i think the good news is that there is a place of victory from temptation in these dark places, but it is a victory that is hard-won by many daily choices to resist the evil one. it requires a lifestyle committed to giving, fasting, praying and meditation in the word - that is just a price that many of us don’t want to pay for true spiritual authority. by that i mean authority to reach out and by our touch and our prayers to cleanse the defiled and bring freedom to the captive.
Yeah, another word for that price might be death. by no means small. and kyle honestly i’ve been praying for the grace and mercy to be able to pay that price, it is on my heart to be one who gives his life so that others can experience that victory, and have the authority to say to hurting people, “LIVE FOR REAL”. Sometimes however it seems that I’m Lazurus and this earth is Jesus; every time I just about good and dead some annoying worldly prophet comes and raises my flesh up.
i like you kris.
I don’t think that all people mean the same thing when they say, “slimed.” Where I grew up the word came to mean that feeling of “chills” or “sick to the stomach” in relation to something obviously evil.
Using a personal example of my own trip to the art galleries during First Fridays; I distinctly remember walking around a corner to be caught by surprise by a piece that was certainly forged in the pit of hell. It was not sensual or alluring in a way that one might expect, rather just a picture of Satan on a throne. Now in that moment of recoil I was not for a moment considering joining a cult or feeling any hints of attraction to the piece. Rather I was repulsed and shuddering and thinking to myself I never want to see that again. Now I certainly judged the artist concerning the probability of his/her salvation considering this is what followed from his/her heart. But my feeling I called “slimy” wasn’t linked to temptation.
sometimes ‘feeling slimy’ is discernment, etc, etc.
i think there are probably 6 other reasons someone could ‘feel bad’ when faced with evil circumstances - my point is that the defiling influence of sin isn’t related primarily to proximity to sinful people - but to our own innate weakness.
Listen Kyle, if you want to be right, you can be right, all I am trying to say is that there are not enough people during the day who like Catan… whoa, I didn’t know that was in there
I believe especially concerning a gallery it is possibly to get slimed. Have we forgotten the eye gate? I believe that there are places where the combination of looking upon that which is defiling as well as being demonically breathed upon there can arise some serious issues.
Now I believe that there is a place where we can be strengthened and we can possibly “prepare” for such situations. Though I believe that getting ’slimmed’ and ‘defiled’ is very likely.
Hope that made since I am really tired…