Sound the Retreat?
One of the issues on the agenda of the Southern Baptist Convention is the call for Baptists to withdraw their children from public schools that push homosexuality as a valid lifestyle.
I, for one, hope that measure fails miserably and not for any reason that relates to the particular issue or reason mentioned. I don't support this type of action because it continues our weak mantra of "hate-the-sin-not-the-sinner," but fails to demonstrate that any concrete ways. Right now, I'm not buying it any more than the sinner is. If we love the sinner, why are we so anxious to get away from him? If we love the sinner, why are we not preparing our children to be epicenters of love and compassion, planted firmly on the solid rock of God's Truth?
If we are so concerned to isolate our children from things that don't glorify God, then we might as well not stop at homosexuality...and we might as well not stop at public schools. Unfortunately, Christians become so short-sighted that we totally forget what the Bible actually says about such issues...we forget what Jesus' attitude and teaching was. We forget that Jesus was constantly in the midst of people who suffered from all types of symptoms of the great sin disease.
If we want to hate the sin but love the sinner, then let's teach our children what it means to be "salt and light" in the world. Jesus said that his followers are to be salt for the world, providing a preservative to our culture through our love and influence and we are also to be the light of the world, helping to guide fellow sinners to the same source of healing and life that we have found.
We need to shelter our children, not through keeping them out of the world, but providing a buffer of faithful teaching and instruction that will prepare them for the world and protect them from its influence. Scripture tells us that we are to be in the world while not of it. We are to live here, relate here, love here but not get too comfortable here that we look just like it. There are differences; very important differences, but they are not to be the kind of differences that keep us apart. What we are teaching our children by withdrawing them is diametrically opposed to Scripture's teaching for the followers of Christ. Is this really the legacy we want to leave for our kids. Do we really mean to teach them that to be a Christian is a matter of self-preservation, free of risks and danger? Is the Church to be a place of isolation while the world goes to hell?
Scripture goes on to say in Matthew 16 that upon the rock, Christ would build his church and the gates of hell would not prove stronger. Christians need to remember that gates are not an offensive measure, but defensive. The Church is supposed to be on the offensive against the gates of hell (not the people, remember, these are not the crusades) in which case the gates could not stand against the offensive. Christians have nothing to be afraid of. We do not need to sound retreat, but instead, in full confidence of God's power, fully engage the culture with the love and compassion that demonstrates that, no, we don't approve of the sin, but we really do love the one, like us, who commits sin.
NOTE: The purpose of this blog has always been that of cultural commentary. If you are interested in more in-depth blogging on the activities of the convention itself, I point you to the guys at the SBC Emerging Leaders blog, who I enjoyed having lunch and hanging out with a little today, at our make-shift "blog central" in the exhibition hall (below).
I, for one, hope that measure fails miserably and not for any reason that relates to the particular issue or reason mentioned. I don't support this type of action because it continues our weak mantra of "hate-the-sin-not-the-sinner," but fails to demonstrate that any concrete ways. Right now, I'm not buying it any more than the sinner is. If we love the sinner, why are we so anxious to get away from him? If we love the sinner, why are we not preparing our children to be epicenters of love and compassion, planted firmly on the solid rock of God's Truth?
If we are so concerned to isolate our children from things that don't glorify God, then we might as well not stop at homosexuality...and we might as well not stop at public schools. Unfortunately, Christians become so short-sighted that we totally forget what the Bible actually says about such issues...we forget what Jesus' attitude and teaching was. We forget that Jesus was constantly in the midst of people who suffered from all types of symptoms of the great sin disease.
If we want to hate the sin but love the sinner, then let's teach our children what it means to be "salt and light" in the world. Jesus said that his followers are to be salt for the world, providing a preservative to our culture through our love and influence and we are also to be the light of the world, helping to guide fellow sinners to the same source of healing and life that we have found.
We need to shelter our children, not through keeping them out of the world, but providing a buffer of faithful teaching and instruction that will prepare them for the world and protect them from its influence. Scripture tells us that we are to be in the world while not of it. We are to live here, relate here, love here but not get too comfortable here that we look just like it. There are differences; very important differences, but they are not to be the kind of differences that keep us apart. What we are teaching our children by withdrawing them is diametrically opposed to Scripture's teaching for the followers of Christ. Is this really the legacy we want to leave for our kids. Do we really mean to teach them that to be a Christian is a matter of self-preservation, free of risks and danger? Is the Church to be a place of isolation while the world goes to hell?
Scripture goes on to say in Matthew 16 that upon the rock, Christ would build his church and the gates of hell would not prove stronger. Christians need to remember that gates are not an offensive measure, but defensive. The Church is supposed to be on the offensive against the gates of hell (not the people, remember, these are not the crusades) in which case the gates could not stand against the offensive. Christians have nothing to be afraid of. We do not need to sound retreat, but instead, in full confidence of God's power, fully engage the culture with the love and compassion that demonstrates that, no, we don't approve of the sin, but we really do love the one, like us, who commits sin.
NOTE: The purpose of this blog has always been that of cultural commentary. If you are interested in more in-depth blogging on the activities of the convention itself, I point you to the guys at the SBC Emerging Leaders blog, who I enjoyed having lunch and hanging out with a little today, at our make-shift "blog central" in the exhibition hall (below).
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 6/21/2005 03:45:00 PM
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4 Comments:
Cool pic man. Great to hang for a while today.
It's the sacred/secular dichotomy I wrote about the other day... or that you're reading about in Total Truth.
Is that Stuart in the suit?
Stu baby it is...er, was.
David-
Great to meet you today and thanks for the link on us bloggers. With your permission, I'd like to link Espresso Roast to my blog when I get back from the mission next week. Have a great one.
I enjoyed hanging with you guys too. It was good meeting you guys. Maybe I'll bump into you today before we head out.
Marty, you can link me anywhere you want, except maybe a KKK site...they probably don't like me after my last post. :-)
Alex: yes, I agree.
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