Re-Christianizing the Christian: ‘Costly Grace’ as a Challenge to ‘Split-Level Christianity’

Pope Francis visited a people whose faith Fr. Jaime Bulatao, SJ once described as “split-level Christianity”. This “split-level Christianity” is itself “cheap grace”, borrowing Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s term to describe it. The question now arises: Do we let God’s “costly grace” work with and through us, or are we still counted among those who are termed as “split-level Christians”?

            We are a people of faith, a good people. We have been blessed to become the only Christian nation in Asia. But why is there so much corruption amid us? Why is there so much impunity for crime and human rights violations, and such scandalous poverty and inequality? We have made some progress in some administrations, but to say that we have defeated corruption permanently is delusional. And the worst and (pardon me for the term) most nonsensical term I have ever heard is a “leader” who says that he believes in God and yet orders drug addicts and traffickers to be mercilessly slaughtered at homes, in the streets and even in front of churches! This is practically what “cheap grace” means: ‘the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession…. grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ…’

            Split-level Christianity overthrows costly grace. Split-level Christianity leads to hypocrisy. Many years ago, Jesus was always warning His disciples not to follow the scribes and the Pharisees who were perfect examples of hypocrisy. Hypocrites are those who appear holy and good in public. Hypocrites are those who think they have not done anything wrong. Hypocrites, because they are self-righteous, do not see the need to change; their only concern is to justify their actuations. They show “holiness” in their acts, but in their hearts they are full of deceit and fake spiritual values. This precisely is what “split-level Christianity” means: showing one face at church and another outside the church. However, no matter how “holy” we appear in public, God knows the interior life of each one. What God wants is consistency between what is projected outside and what is inside. Hindi tayo maaaring mamangka sa dalawang ilog, as the Filipino adage would tell us. Hypocrisy is becoming neither hot nor cold. It is being lukewarm in our faith, and thus, God will spit us out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16).

            The challenge now is this: to battle against “split-level Christianity” by living in God’s “costly grace”. Yes, living with “costly grace” is not easy because such grace calls us to follow Jesus Christ. A Christian who believes in Jesus chooses to act according to His teachings and examples. “Split-leveling" by a self-proclaimed Christian is to be “unChristian”. However, there is hope that we can overcome our “split-level Christianity”. The Catholic Church must take the lead, but not only the priests but more importantly, the lay people. We are a people of faith, a hopeful people. But we are sinners also. It is our utmost hope that, through God’s “costly grace”, we can all find the time and look at ourselves, the good and bad sides, the beautiful and ugly, and listen closely to the Spirit that asks us to convert. Once and for all, let us end our “split-level Christianity”.