Go to hell, church. And I mean that.
Now that I have your attention, let me explain what I mean.
One of my favorite things about Christ is that when we truly experience him and his call on our lives, we realize that playing it safe isn’t something that is divine. There is this notion that when we follow Jesus, we follow him into meadows and lush fields of flowing wheat and just the right amount of shade and breeze to make us the most comfortable. However, nothing could be further from the truth. We honestly shouldn’t expect to be lead into gentle places where the heavens are open and the rain of blessings showers our lives. The reality is, we should be fully convinced that Christ will lead us directly and abruptly to hell. We are called to help in the mission of Isaiah 61 and break these chains of bondage and loose those who are captured there within the gates. Christ enters our hell and rescues us. Shines light into our darkness. We are to love in the face of hatred and break down these walls of hell to proclaim liberty to those who are captive. We are invited to the most adventurous thing, to storm the gates of hell and help release those held captive by its gates. We go to hell with Christ.
When Jesus first mentions the church there is this proclamation on His part that “The gates of hell would not prevail” against her. You can find this in Matthew 16:18.
What happens when most of us read this is that we see the church as a siloed fortress of sorts. Imagine an old European castle, strong stones and motes that protect the building and its inhabitants. Should they be attacked, they are able to be together and protected from all that is going on outside. Even from the very forces of evil. I think we believe that of the church in some cases. The church becomes a ‘safe space’ of sorts. With all the hell going on outside, we are at least safe on the inside with no seeming need to venture into the darkness and leave our ‘protection’. And I get it. But that doesn’t mean that it’s the right way to see this passage.
Matthew 16:18 is more of Jesus telling us that the gates of hell WILL NOT prevail against his bride, the church. He is not telling us that we will be protected in our safe spaces; rather he is telling us that we are going to be the invaders of hell. When we follow Christ we are following him to harrow hell. To release the captives and tear off the chains of those bound by the gates and by the power. We will go to hell, church. Christ describes the church that is being built from his spirit, it is the church that conquers hell. Not the church that builds expansive and secure structures. The church isn’t the one to hide and tremble in fear, that is all of hell and its inhabitants (even the demons believe, and they tremble). As we bombard the gates, with every thump and thud, imagine the principalities and powers shaking with every hit, because they know. WE break down the gates. WE attack. We do this because those who are trapped inside, in my opinion, are his. He desires them. Because he desires him, we do too. We, the church, have put hell on notice through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, that we are coming. These gates fall, they WILL NOT prevail. The invading army of the church commands them to fall, and that is exactly what they do. It is an offensive posture, not a defensive one. We do this because we follow the one who commands us, and he has the keys.
But we exist in the already-not-yet. The promises of Christ, that these gates will fall so that he can rule and reign as intended are actualized in part. There is work to be done and that’s where the ‘now’ becomes important.
One of my favorite authors, Bradley Jersak, writes:
“Jesus aims the church at the gates of hadēs, not heavenward. The movement is a downward arrow, from heaven down to hell on earth. What are the gates? Where are the gates? When the church does not know, it has lost its way. But at the foundation of his movement, Christ lays out his purpose: to overcome hadēs and rescue its prisoners. In this model, ‘hell’ or hadēs is a kingdom, located wherever people are imprisoned and oppressed by ‘the powers’ and death-dealers of ‘this present darkness’—whether it’s the military-industrial complex, corporate and political beasts, or any personal affliction, addiction, or obsession of choice. Jesus is not calling the death-snares of this world hadēs metaphorically in anticipation of the actual subterranean post-mortem hadēs. Just the opposite: the afterlife mythology of hadēs is a metaphor for the actual human condition ‘here above.’ The rhetoric of hell is less about the eschatological future and more about educating us in the ‘two ways’ or ‘two kingdoms’ competing for our allegiance here on earth."
The truth is, hell is a very present thing. The valley of Hinnom (which is translated ‘hell’) was a very relatable and present things for folks when Jesus was speaking to them. But Christ does this fascinating thing when he says; “The Kingdom of God is here” (Matt. 4:17). He is telling folks who are there that I am here, in your hell, to rescue you. It wasn’t a future promise, it was and is a very present reality. It is out calling, our cry and command of Christ. Christ is the third thief on the cross, but he is stealing those in hell. He is the one that will tie up the strong man and take his ‘possessions’ which are creation and the humans in it.
I guess the main issue with much of our theology is that we have made these things a matter of postmortem thought. They aren’t things that are present but after we die. When we do this, it is my opinion, that we miss seeing the very present hell that people are existing in right now. If we are supposed to be invaders of hell with Christ, we should be storming those gates and rescuing the captives now. Setting them free, now. However, it is my fear that most see the church going into their fortresses and to wait for the rapture or the day we finally die. We divert our attention away from our neighbors because it’s easier to debate and argue of theology and doctrine than it is to go to hell. Jesus wasn’t scared of hell, again, it trembles. He went to these hellish places and sat with hellish people. He fed hellions and evicted demons. Christ always ask a fairly simple questions of us; “Are you going to destroy hell with me?”
My question for you and for me is this: Where are we seeing hell every day? Where is its influence in your surroundings? Do you see captives of hell in your family members? Do you see those battling addiction, bound to substance by guilt and shame of a past that encapsulates them? Where is abuse and dehumanization taking place? Where are people that feel alone and abandoned? Where is the hungry and helpless? If you have an answer to each of these, then the call is to go there. Wherever hell is, we are called to destroy it and rescue those who find themselves within the gates and bound by its chains. The king of kings and Lord of glory is before us, within us, and for us to do the work so there is nothing to fear, nor is there anything that should hold us back. The simple fact is that Jesus always finds us in the worst places imaginable. Our very own hell. In spite ofit and in spite of the fact that we create it at times, he comes to rescue us and release us. It is the most beautiful fact of the incarnation. That ‘God is with us’ even when we are in hell. Everywhere that we happen to find ourselves, there he is right beside us. Regardless of the depths of hell that we may exist in. And a really cool thing, as members of his church, we can be with those who are in hell around us. If Christ goes to hell, so should we.
So, with a smile on your face and the spirit at your back, go to hell.
Image- David Lachapelle Evidence of a miraculous event
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