So much to think
about, so little time . . . hot-dogging snow
boarders, medical marijuana, a gay man in the lead
of a Christian-themed movie, hunting trips gone
awry, Baptist churches burning in Alabama,
unconscionable Elvis impersonations . . . .
.
Believe me, I
tried—I made several attempts to do a little
theological reflecting on these issues. I just
couldn’t get inspired. I realized
I really had nothing to say that mattered (which
is likely a commentary on the state of my mind
these days.)
Then, I happened
upon a brief article in a recent issue of Newsweek. The
subject was the debate team at Liberty
University.
The reporter stated that the school “pours
a half million dollars into the debate program
every year, with the goal of eventually flooding
the system with thousands of conservative
Christian lawyers. ‘We are
training debaters who can perform assault ministry
. . . .’, says (University president Jerry)
Falwell” (Cut, Thrust and Christ, Newsweek,
Feb. 6, 2006, p. 56).
“Aha!” I thought to
me. “There he goes again, making those outlandish
statements for which he is famous.
Christianity will once again be publicly
caricatured as an angry, militant movement—and we
will have our job of presenting a true picture of
the faith made all the more difficult. In these
times, the language of battle and militant
fundamentalism just isn’t helpful.”
Mentally, I began preparing
my slice and dice treatment of this idea of
“assault” ministry. After all,
nothing could be further from Jesus’ attitude
toward sinners. He talked
about seeking and saving . . . healing the sick .
. . giving rest . . . forgiving—not
assaulting.
Then, in a
succeeding
Newsweek, I quite accidentally stumbled across
a tiny correction notice. On page 22
of the Feb. 13 issue, the magazine admitted to
misquoting Falwell “as using the words ‘assault
ministry.’
In fact Falwell was referring to ‘a salt
ministry,’ a reference to Matthew 5:13 where Jesus
says ‘ye are the salt of the earth.’”
“Oh,” says me to
myself.
(pause for
contemplation)
At first, I blamed
the left-leaning, liberal media for jumping to
conclusions and (unfairly, in this case)
portraying Jerry as a wild-eyed zealot of the
religious right. How quick
they were to skewer him when they misunderstood
his words.
I would never do such a thing.
OK, maybe I would.
Indeed, I was the one ready
to do the assaulting. Forget the
liberal media—it was me on the attack.
That’s the
problem.
Christians, more often than we wish to
admit, shoot first and ask questions later—and we
are often shooting each other. We
draw lines in the denominational sand. We
establish unassailable boundaries in regard to the
“right” view of the Bible, and eschatology, and
hermeneutics, and which kinds of songs are the
right songs to sing as worship.
Do you suppose God
shakes His head at the sight of how we treat each
other?
In The Book, Jesus says, “They will know
you by your love.” We say,
“They will know us by our orthodoxy, and the
efficiency with which we prove how wrong everyone
else is.”
Here, fresh from my
recent bout of self-remonstrance, are some
(familiar yet easily forgotten) words to live
by:
“Be quick
to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
(James
1:19).
I’ve got to listen
with my mind and my heart. Jesus
knows the intentions and motives of a man . . . I
don’t.
I know very little more than what I am able
to perceive through my personal filters of
prejudice and past my blinders of
narrow-mindedness.
Patience is in
order.
“Be as wise as
serpents and as innocent as doves.” (Matt.
10:16)
I’ve got to take
what I read with a grain of salt, especially in
the secular media—most writers have an
agenda.
For that matter, I shouldn’t swallow
wholesale everything I read in religious media,
either, simply because it purports to be
“Christian.”
Thinking is in
order.
“Have you
experienced any encouragement, comfort, fellowship
in the Spirit, tenderness and compassion in
Christ?
Then . . . in humility consider others
better than yourself.” (Phil.
2:1-3).
I must always look for the
positive in a brother, even (perhaps especially)
when I disagree with him! I’ll bet
there is something I can learn from him if I pay
attention.
Humility is in
order.
“Do everything
without complaining or arguing so that you become
blameless and pure . . . without fault in a
crooked generation.” (Phil
2:14-15).
I must take the high
ground.
My faith demands that I not act like the
depraved world.
Graciousness is in
order.
Next time, I promise
to wait (maybe until I count to 8 or 9) before I
fire a volley at someone who I am convinced
deserves a shot.
Who knows—maybe I’ll
write to Jerry and thank him for the good work he
is doing.
Thankful for the
good work that you are doing, and that you are
gracious, thinking Christians, and that you put up
with me, I am
Yours,
Pastor
Chuck
