I have been very concerned again recently with how often it seems that those on “my side” say and do the most perplexing things. It seems like the Biblical injunction to be wise as serpents yet harmless as doves is turned on it’s head with no thought given to the consequences before a lost and dying world. The most recent example was a quote I saw from a Pastor who stated how excited he was to celebrate General Robert E. Lee day. The statement was made today (MLK day) and was defended as simply the choice to celebrate a Godly man instead of a “womanizer.”
Frankly, the above statement shocks me. Either the person in question is monumentally stupid, or he’s monumentally stupid. The other option which I wont consider would be blatant racism. We don’t live in a vacuum! The things we say and do have REAL consequences! Why are we picking such absurd battles to fight? The facts are that most of America respects Dr. King (rightly or wrongly) and that he is seen as the “patron saint” of the civil rights movement. This is VISCERALLY personal for multiple millions of Americans. So, let’s suggest replacing that celebration with one for a Confederate General (irrelevant that he was a great Christian, in this context the Civil War is a powder keg) and then defend it as simply honoring a more deserving man. Why is it that we would risk alienating and needlessly hurting SO many people who we would otherwise want to reach for Christ? I digress…
The same thing seems to be happening all around me. I attended a “ One Man One Woman” rally in Trenton and held my placard up high only to lower it and wish I could shrink into the crowd as I heard some of the foolish things said from the platform. The same could be said in the abortion battle, the war against Christmas (as my good friend blogged about) and many other battles we choose to engage in.
I think we need to ask ourselves some serious questions! Do our causes conflict? Am I really willing to expend all of my ammo and slam shut all of my open doors fighting side battles, and not on the MAIN thing? For the sake of the Gospel, let’s pick our battles more carefully!
Frankly, the above statement shocks me. Either the person in question is monumentally stupid, or he’s monumentally stupid. The other option which I wont consider would be blatant racism. We don’t live in a vacuum! The things we say and do have REAL consequences! Why are we picking such absurd battles to fight? The facts are that most of America respects Dr. King (rightly or wrongly) and that he is seen as the “patron saint” of the civil rights movement. This is VISCERALLY personal for multiple millions of Americans. So, let’s suggest replacing that celebration with one for a Confederate General (irrelevant that he was a great Christian, in this context the Civil War is a powder keg) and then defend it as simply honoring a more deserving man. Why is it that we would risk alienating and needlessly hurting SO many people who we would otherwise want to reach for Christ? I digress…
The same thing seems to be happening all around me. I attended a “ One Man One Woman” rally in Trenton and held my placard up high only to lower it and wish I could shrink into the crowd as I heard some of the foolish things said from the platform. The same could be said in the abortion battle, the war against Christmas (as my good friend blogged about) and many other battles we choose to engage in.
I think we need to ask ourselves some serious questions! Do our causes conflict? Am I really willing to expend all of my ammo and slam shut all of my open doors fighting side battles, and not on the MAIN thing? For the sake of the Gospel, let’s pick our battles more carefully!
P.S. The picture is intended as satire. Could it be that in their eyes we look even more stupid?
Hidden in Him,
Tony
3 comments:
I've been thinking about how sad my education was concerning the civil rights movement. I'm really not surprised by this guy's statements. It's as if the only thing we were taught in my Christian education (ACE and ABeka), was that there were some riots and MLK used some wrong tactics. How sad.
I'm truly happy for the progress we see in our country in this regard, but I think we all need to live out the gospel in this area even more.
I agree, Bob! We tend to de-humanize the whole experience and not empathize at all with the deep struggle for dignity and rights that many lived through.
MLK did deny the Deity of Christ, and was a womanizer...therefore he was not a great man of character. As an American leader who was used as a force for good, he is worthy of some respect.
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