Spoiler Alert

In the original Planet of the Apes movie (1968), three astronauts have crash-landed on an unknown planet they estimate to be 300 light years from earth. The spaceship’s chronometer indicates that it’s been 2,006 years since the launch of their spaceship. Thanks to “time dilation” and “deep hibernation” they’ve aged less than a year.

As the movie’s title suggests, they now find themselves on a planet inhabited by apes, the dominant species. The humans are mute primitives. The rest of the film portrays George Taylor (Charlton Heston) learning the social structure and customs of those who live on the planet. In the final scene (stop reading if you’ve never seen it), Taylor comes upon the remnants of the Statue of Liberty buried in the sand next to the ocean. He curses humanity for having ruined the civilization he left.

This elaborate setup allows us to wonder what Jesus’ original disciples would make of the church of the twenty-first century. Aside from being utterly disappointed that Jesus hadn’t yet returned, their next thoughts would undoubtedly give way to confusion and consternation at the way Christianity has evolved (or should I say devolved?).

Consider: the earliest Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit and guided by Christ’s great commission, were single-minded in preaching the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They gave little, if any, thought to setting up a hierarchy, let alone a bureaucracy, dedicated to self-preservation. Would they not be horrified to see the proliferation of denominations that ostensibly started with “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 6:5). What would they make of two millennia of Christian-versus-Christian violence?

Many of us have been Adventists long enough to be able to imagine nothing else. But surely, in our more reflective moments, we wonder whether this is what Jesus had in mind when he told his disciples to “proclaim good news, . . .proclaim freedom. . . and recovery of sight to the blind, . . . to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:8).

Thankfully, independent Adventist voices such as Adventist Today help us step back from the boredom and bureaucracy that has become the Adventist Church to reimagine a more primitive and powerful faith. Jesus and his disciples had little concern with titles, programs, and initiatives. They embraced a faith that touched people’s lives with practical religion.

Adventist Today, on its several platforms, reimagines the church not ruined but regenerated. Your financial support during our ongoing year-end fundraiser will help make it a voice that cannot be ignored.

Stephen Chavez, adjunct editor

Adventist Today