Like Denny Burk, I have been following some of the vitriolic, hate-filled responses on Dr. Mohler’s blogposts on the Newsweek/Washington Post website (go here and here for the posts). You will not have to go far to feel like you have been dragged through the gutters of human depravity, and I prefer not to post any of them here to give them attention they don’t deserve.
However, there are a couple of thoughts that came to my mind when I read the comments which I thought worthwhile to mention . . .
1. Now I see why Dr. Mohler doesn’t allow comments on his blogposts. I don’t think all of Jerry Springer’s sidekicks could manage all that.
2. While I realize that most of the comments were against fundamentalism and Falwell, they are a reminder that Christianity is essentially counter-cultural at its core. I’m all about being redemptive and perhaps relevant, having a belief in common grace, imago dei, and general revelation. But out method and approach would be altogether superficial and naive to think that we can influence or change such individuals apart from the power of the gospel and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. The pursuit of relevance should not occupy our time and attention as much as our pursuit of being useful for the Kingdom.
3. I am not as broken over the lost as I ought to be. I would rather be angry, frustrated, or ambivalent than broken, burdened, and prayerful. When I listen or read the opinions of the lost world, I need to be reminded how serious a matter it is to be an ambassador of Christ. Life is war, and lest we think otherwise, the comments on Dr. Mohler’s posts remind us that life indeed is a battleground not a playground as Tozer puts it. I pray God give us gravitas and sobriety to walk wisely and speak gracefully with the hope of redeeming not only the time, but also lives.
I suppose there are other things I will learn from reflecting on these events, but in the meantime, let’s pray for Falwell’s family, for Liberty University, and Thomas Road Baptist Church. And then let’s pray for ourselves, for a broken and burning heart, for love and compassion for the lost. And yes, let’s pray for our enemies and bless them, for Christ blessed us with mercy and grace, having become a curse on our behalf.
The irony of the intolerance of those who cry for tolerance never ceases to amaze me.
Les
Les,
You are right my friend. I am not reading any “peace, love, and harmony” there. Tolerance is altogether arbitrary. Those who appeal for tolerance are really asking for absence of convictions, especially any based on propositional, absolute, or universal truth. But the call for absence of conviction is quite a strong conviction to hold, inasmuch the demand for tolerance is intolerance with regard to who are intolerant.
Good consideration about being “broken over the lost.” There is a balance between defending the faith apologetically and understanding that those from whom we defend it are in need of salvation. The two are not mutually exclusive, but the latter should temper our temptation of the former to wield the truth to harm rather than to enlighten.
What abou theones who claim to be Christians but they are the ones that are screaming about tolerence of these indidviduals. Most say we shouldn’t judge people on their immoral behavior.
That was definitely pretty shocking. There’s no accountability in what folks were saying on that post. Unbelievable.