WHERE IS THE CHURCH TODAY?

One often forgotten aspect of being a follower of Christ is that Jesus, in His time, had an existence and popularity that touched all aspects of life: culture, politics, economy, social issues, ecology, and more. Given this, why do His followers seem to be losing the identity of Jesus in such a way? Could it be that the focus of Christ's followers has shifted to what we often call "doing the best we can" or "as much as we can"? But before delving deeper into this issue, I would like to share a story about a group that lived during Jesus' time. This group, in my opinion, is quite interesting and serves as our reflection today.

The name of this group is the Essenes. They were a Jewish religious group that thrived from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. This group made great efforts to separate themselves from the glitz of the world and its influences. They lived communally in various remote places to practice their faith and worship God. One of their significant works or efforts is the Dead Sea Scrolls, which experts believe to be the library of the Essenes. Numerically, they were fewer than the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Interesting, isn't it? They sanctified themselves by hiding away and producing writings that have had an impact and are used in several Old Testament books. Their life choice is interesting and could be seen as a new direction for the Church today (?) by increasing activities within the Church and its community. This is based on the belief that the world is evil and truly terrifying, even capable of corrupting the mindset of churches that are sanctifying themselves. (?)

In a writing titled *Populorum Progressio* by Pope Paul VI, he mentioned that the most vulnerable disease in the world today is not physical illness but the lack of personal-social concern and brotherhood among individuals in society. Physical diseases can gradually be addressed medically, but if the disease is a lack of concern and brotherhood, without a change in attitude, it will become a major problem in the future. From this, we learn that when we know our calling as the Church is to strive for welfare, the first thing we need to work on is a change within ourselves. The change referred to is a shift in desire from striving for personal welfare (apathy) to striving for the welfare of the city/environment where we live. Welfare speaks of ‘shalom’ or peace. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a condition where God's blessings can be felt. Just as the Israelites had to strive to make their enemy's city/nation experience God's peace, so too is the reality we encounter in our daily lives.

Of course, there are other obstacles that hinder the Church's ministry. Andreas A. Yewangoe, in his book *Tidak ada Ghetto*, noted at least three challenges in the Church's ministry:

1. **The Church's inability to understand the needs of the community**: This means the church cannot see what the community truly expects. The church might be busy serving, but if it is not aligned with the needs, then this busyness is nothing more than self-serving activity.

2. **The community's unwillingness to accept the Church's ministry**: This can occur due to a suspicion that "we are all being converted through this ministry." This relates to the motivation of the ministry. What is the true motivation of the Church's ministry? It needs to be discussed more deeply whether the Church's ministry reflects Jesus' selfless service or is merely for self-interest.

3. **Misunderstandings within the Church that tend to rely on its own abilities**: This means the Church only serves when it (the Church) is financially strong. This negates the faith that the Church is merely a conduit of God's blessings to the world around it. Due to this misunderstanding, the Church then tries to strengthen itself economically, which in turn tends to be introverted and self-oriented.

Being the Church does not mean merely enjoying religious comforts as the Essenes did. On the contrary, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Cf. Mark 8:34). This means following Christ does not always promise a comfortable life. This should not be misunderstood to mean that the church needs to seek suffering. Precisely as I have mentioned in previous titles.

As often conveyed, the Church exists in the world but is not of the world. This means that the Church must live with an awareness of the concrete reality around it. The Church cannot float between heaven and earth. The struggles of this world are also its struggles. The Church exists in the midst of concrete reality. However, the Church is also not of the world. Therefore, the rights and responsibilities of the Church's life do not depend on the situation of the world but on Christ. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor 3:11). "Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.'" (2 Tim. 2:19).