The Bbile doesn't say anything about COVID-19 (and if it did, we wouldn't like it)

If you are like me, perhaps you have been wondering what the Bible has to say about the COVID-19 pandemic.  I have been reading and thinking about the response the Biblical prophets or the apostles would have to say to the church in like of these events.

            Granted we live in confusing times and we are given confusing messages from Evangelical Christian leaders. From Kenneth Copeland spitting on the COVID-19 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkyDS5ULts) to Pat Robertson claiming that we have cowered before a virus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtiUOr-Vw80) to churches trying to ‘liberate’ states from Social Distancing mandates, the church has been confused as to what direction they need to go with this virus.

            So what about the Bible? What does the Bible say about this? Surprisingly very little.  There is no explicit guidance as to what to do during a pandemic….although many Christians are pointing towards Psalm 91 as proof that God will protect you from the coronavirus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObpY9DcNhic).  In particular Psalm 91:6 seems to be the verse that people key in on: “nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday” (ESV). 

            But let’s be clear. Psalm 91:6 is not God’s promise to you that you will not get coronavirus.  The Psalms are poetry that express general feelings about the Lord, not direct promises from God to you that will neither suffer harm nor have pain inflicted on you.  Psalm 91 is not a medal of protection that will keep the virus at bay from you. 

            Plague, famine, destruction are all things that God’s people have faced throughout history.  While there have been instances of individual’s being spared the devastating effects, God has never excluded His people from these plagues.  In fact, often it is Christians who are in the front line of these plagues, putting themselves at risk and often succumbing to the effects of them. Jesus is not the ‘vaccine’ for this virus (https://www.christianpost.com/news/jesus-is-my-vaccine-protest-sign-declares-in-pennsylvania-as-people-demand-reopening-of-economy.html).

            So if the Bible doesn’t have much to say about pandemics directly…what does it say?

            Well, here many American Evangelicals might not like the answer.  The main thrust of Biblical ethics are directed toward helping your neighbor and protecting their lives.

            We are now seeing Evangelicals protest and demand for their right to open the economy.  At the behest of the President, they are seeking to ‘liberate’ the states and ignore social distancing guidelines. We have seen many churches even defy these directives and continue to meet because they see it as an act of faithfulness ( https://www.thedailybeast.com/louisiana-pastor-tony-spell-vows-satan-and-virus-wont-stop-easter-service-as-others-make-unusual-plans). American Evangelicals see the social distancing restrictions placed on the population as a cause to rally against in the name of Jesus…because….Jesus is American?

            But this does not do justice to the overarching concern that the Bible has for life and for love of neighbor.  A consistent theme is that Christians should be willing and ready to sacrifice…well everything…for others (John 15:13).  In the current case, social distancing guidelines could save the lives of people at risk for this disease.  Just as we should be cautious about spreading any disease, we should be ready to sacrifice some of our personal liberties to keep others safe.  This virus is spread very quickly and has a long incubation period. This means that during one church service has the potential to spread this virus to thousands of people.  While I do believe that corporate worship is important, the witness we send to the world about our concern for others is equally valid.

            Near where my family lives, there is a large megachurch (with an obnoxious statue of Jesus in the front yard).  They have vowed to continue to hold services despite being encouraged and ordered not to. The reaction from neighbors is one of contempt and disgust as these Christians are putting others at risk for disease and possibly further exacerbating the medical system.

            But what about the damage done to the economy? Shouldn’t we open up the economy because people will be adversely affected by this? First let’s be clear…yes there will be economic repercussions from this, that is inevitable. But why are Evangelicals thinking of this as an either/or scenario, as if the choice is either we open the economy and sacrifice lives or we keep it closed and hurt people later?  

            Let’s be clear: the Bible would see this as a both/and situation.  Yes we are going to protect people from this virus by sacrificing some of our liberties.  And yes we are going to help people in the aftermath of this virus by sacrificing some of our wealth. See what the Bible calls Christians to is to do the best regardless of the situation we find ourselves in.  We minister to the best of our ability to all people and try to do the best regardless of how it will impact us.

            We do not get the option to sit back and do nothing.  We do not get the option of arguing that the economy is worth more than people’s lives.  We do not get the option of sitting back and watching others struggle with poverty while we thrive.  We are called to love and to work for the life and well being of all. Isn’t that the pro-life position of the Bible (Exodus 20:13, cf. WLC 135-136)?

            What does the Bible have to say about coronavirus? Probably not much.  But it does say a great deal about acting in love, which is what we are called to do in this time…and everytime.  

Corona-time

       
     

         In the age of Coronavirus, Social-distancing, quarantine, self-isolation and all around weirdness that is 2020, we have an opportunity to re-evaluate our lives…our goals and our accomplishments.  Many people who were busy every day of their lives suddenly find themselves with a great deal of free time. Some who were considered to be the low-important, entry-level employees find themselves labeled as ‘essential workers’ and are required to be at work much more than normal.

          If there is anything that this global pandemic has done…it has allowed us to reassess what is truly important.  Many of us are left with a great deal of time…perhaps uncomfortable time…to look at our lives.  What are we living for? What are we giving up? What are we doing with the time that we have been given?

        The other day I was asked by a couple of Christians about my productivity…or…I should say…in their eyes…my worth. Things have slowed down a bit at work…we are unable to do things we once did.  Public worship services have been canceled and I spend much more of my time editing videos.  Anyway, the couple wanted to slam any work product.  We are a small chapel community and we only garner a small amount of ‘views’ or ‘likes’ on our page. Am I ‘productive’ enough? Am I ‘good’ enough? Am I valuable?

        We have used terms like ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ to divide up the work force.  During these times we say, “Mission-essential” personnel only should report to work.  In a short time event like a Typhoon or a Blizzard, this does not affect most of us psychologically.  But when the duration is months…well things get trickier.

        We see it already as the ‘essential’ hold out their ‘essentiality’ with a sense of distinction and pride.  They, after all, are chosen to be ‘essential.’  The non-essential workers struggle to maintain a sense of relevance for themselves and try to produce work…in order to…produce work.

         I admit that I struggle with this.  As somebody who has historically identified myself with my job…this is tough.  Do I matter? Am I valuable?

        Or is something else going on?

       Walter Brueggemann wrote a book entitled Sabbath as Resistance where he suggests many answers to these questions.

       Where do we get the assumption that our value is tied to our economic productivity? If we look in the Bible, we have to acknowledge that is Pharaoh who embraces this ethic.  “They are more numerous than the people of the land, yet you want them to stop working!” he screams (Exodus 5:5).  Work harder! Work without resources! Pharaoh is the capitalist God. 

       Capitalism may be a good economic system…but it is a terrible source of life.  As Brueggemann puts it, “our capitalistic system is on the wrong side of history.” This does not mean that we need to embrace socialism or communism or any other version of centrally run economies.  It does, mean, however that we need to redesign our system of values that are derived from capitalism.

In our current crisis, politicians are willing to sacrifice people to protect the economy.  Rep Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana presents at as the mature thing to do (https://time.com/5821166/gop-coronavirus-deaths-economy/).  Time to “put on our grown up pants…” he intimates…as if those who want to stem the tide of the virus are immature babies. In a value system that would make Pharaoh giddy with delight, Hollingsworth suggests that the most important items are the economy and our productivity.  These are what give us meaning.  This is what is truly important.

In the Old Testament, YHWH had a different understanding.  He wanted His people to leave Egypt to worship the Lord (although even today, YHWH would probably insist on social distancing).  Delight was to be found in community and in providing for one another.  Joy was to be found in the Lord, not in the economic bottom dollar.

        Jesus, too, seemed to place value on people rather than political or economic goals. “Love one another…” that is the commandment Jesus gave to His disciples the night before he died. “Pray for you enemy…” he declared.  The New Testament church went farther and declared that true religion was to take care of the widow and the orphan (James 1:24).  The Church met together and took care of each other and shared in their property (Acts 6).  Their value system was different. 

Imagine a world where we could take the time to develop a new sense of community…a new sense of value and a new sense of importance.

        We now have that opportunity.  One of the things that is interesting in the Old Testament was God’s command for Israel to take a Sabbath every seven years (Lev 25:2-4).  God declares that if the people of Israel did not do this, He would inflict it on the land (Jer 25:11-12).  One of the reasons the people go into Exile is because the land needs a Sabbath rest.  It is a reminder to put God at the center of all things.

       When we do this, we realize that God is in charge, we are not.  God will do what God will do and we can not stop that. If God wants the world to pause, the world will pause. But this also has a side implication: we are all non-essential.

       God does not depend on us…any of us…to do His will. No matter how busy or non-busy wer are, God’s plan will always be accomplished.  This is heart breaking for many of us. We want to be the agents of our success and we want to change the world.  But it is God who does that.  Not us. It is        God who accomplishes His plans…we do not accomplish those plans for Him.

       But just because we are non-essential does not mean that we are not valuable.  I truly believe that every individual…the billions and billions who existed over time and the billions who exist now and all of those who will exist in the future are valuable. Each of us is important to somebody else.  The Navy may not care about me…but my family does.  My friends do. 

Even more important that this…God does.  One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Zephaniah 3:17… “He will delight over you…He will quiet you with his love.” Brennan Manning spoke about the furious longing of God and there is a sense in which each one of us… all of us are important to God.

        So perhaps the Corono-virus is an opportunity for us to re-evaluate what we are basing our lives on.  If we seek to base it on the productivity of Western Capitalism, we will surely be disappointed as we increasingly become aware of our own irrelevance. But if we base it on God and derive our value and importance from this…we will truly be free.

So my content may not be viewed by many people.  Nobody may read this blog entry…I’d be highly surprised if anyone did.  But my importance is not derived from how many likes, or clicks or shares I get.  
       My importance and my value is derived by my God and my family who love me.

Once Upon a Pandemic

There is no denying that we are living in a unique situation.  Even as pandemics have come and gone in the last few centuries, the level of preventative measures being put in place has rarely…if ever been seen.  By the time measures were put in place with the Spanish Flu in the early part of the twentieth century, it was too late.  The death toll from that pandemic was more than WWI and WW2 combined.

            So here we are faced with another pandemic.  How we respond or don’t respond will be measured and analyzed for centuries to come.  Did we do enough? Did we do too much? Do we need to worry so mu

ch about a virus?

            One of the most interesting testing grounds for all of this is the Church.  Many churches around the world are stopping physical meetings.  Church services, Bible Studies, youth groups are all stopping in the name of keeping people safe. ‘Social distancing’ has become the new rallying cry for many across the world.

            There are some who view this as fear.  If we close the church, we are saying to the world that we do not care.  Or worse we are saying that we have a ‘spirit of fear’ and not a ‘spirit of faith.’ Others fear that by not gathering in worship, we are breaking the injunction of the Bible to worship God.

            To others, if we gather in worship we are declaring our arrogance and indifference to other people in the world.  We need to practice social distancing in order to keep the most vulnerable at risk safe from the risk of disease.  By not practicing social distancing, we are actually displaying our unfaithful and unloving sides to a world that needs it right now.

            What is important: our need to gather as the body of Christ or our need to love our neighbor?

            But it is not actually that simple, is it? After all, we can make an argument that there is little need for Bible studies, but the hungry need to be fed, the naked still need to be clothed, and the elderly still need to be visited and loved. How can we do that and practice social distancing?

But yet…how do we maintain a right balance to not put people at risk.

            This becomes personal for me.  I have an immune deficient child who I want to protect at costs.  And yet, I believe that we should also gather as the church.

            But maybe this is a time when we can re-evaluate why we meet as a church.  How many church meetings where I have wondered about us frittering away our lives? How many Bible Studies have we been to where people have just muttered there way around the text, pretending to grow in knowledge….but in reality have just been excuses to talk about other people.

            What church gatherings would I risk my life to go to?

            What church gatherings would I risk the life of my neighbor to go to?

            Is there a different message sent that if we gather to sing praise songs or if we gather to put together food for the homeless? Is this even a correct dichotomy? Should we do both?

            Maybe this is pandemic is not really posing the question between whether we have a spirit or fear or a spirit of faith…maybe it’s pointing us to something new.  Maybe it’s helping us redefine what is truly important.  Maybe it’s helping us to define what we can and cannot live without.

            If every church gathering carries with it the possibility of leading to someone’s illness or death, Church leaders need to rethink the meeting.  What can we live with…what can’t we? What are we willing to risk?

            In the end, we come back…as to we have to in every situation.  What is Christ calling us to do? Is Christ calling us to come together or to remain social distant from others for a while? Maybe it’s both? Maybe he calls some to be together and others to be distant.  Does he call us to obey our commanding officer or to ignore that order?

            Whatever our answer is…one thing is for certain.  We have to lot to reevaluate.

The Problem According to Evangelicals

One could say that there is a lot wrong with the world today.  I mean…just look at the fact there are 9…9 Fast and Furious movies!!!!  We can point at the lack of economic prosperity in large parts of the world, diseases like the coronavirus and the threat of constant war as evidence that the world is in trouble.

As we continue our exploration of Evangelicals, we need to understand what they feel is wrong with the world. We spoke about this in the last columns, “Who do Evangelicals Think they are,” and “Where do Evangelicals live?”.  In those columns, we saw that Evangelicals think of themselves in a siege mentality.  They are the true Church and face attack from the Roman Catholic Church and the Liberal Church.  The United States is their sacred homeland and even this is under siege by the powers of liberalism and atheism, which threaten the very core of the country.

The problem, for Evangelicals is that the World is anti-God. It is not that the World is agnostic, undecided or indifferent to God, it is that at it’s core the World is at war with God. Drawing (often times unknowingly) on the theology of John Calvin, the Evangelical Church views the world as God’s enemy and everything that happens in the world is somehow related to this view.

If people promote the legalization of abortion or of gay marriage, it is that they are in opposition to the clear teachings of Scripture, and therefore to God. Politics, by its very nature becomes a battleground in which the forces of God are in opposition to the forces of Satan. Abortion and homosexuality are often the touchpoints that demark the boundary lines. If a person is anti-abortion, then they are on the good side, no matter what other positions they may hold.  Likewise, if they hold the line on homosexual marriage, then whatever else they say is fine. This goes a long way in explaining the 80% approval for Donald Trump.  He may have questionable morals and a great deal of what he has done is in opposition to the gospel, but he has appointed pro-life justices to the Supreme Court and therefore he is good.  Donald Trump, Evangelicals will say, is like a Cyrus, a flawed man who is on the side of God whether he knows it or not.

Science too becomes a means by which the gospel is attacked.  The scientific consensus in the world is that evolution is a thing.  In response to this, which Evangelicals believe is an attack on the literal interpretation of Scripture, and therefore in opposition to God, Evangelicals have had to counter the Theory of Evolution on every front.  In 1925, the Scopes Monkey Trial pitted a literal interpretation of Genesis 1 against the theory of Evolution. In many ways, that trial has never ended for the Evangelicals, even as most of the world has moved on.  Groups like Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research often argue that these scientists are deceived or blinded in their opposition to God.  Therefore, a Christian should not accept their teaching on these matters, relying instead on their interpretation of the Bible.

A similar phenomenon has happened in regard to Climate Change.  Evangelicals, deeply suspicious of the scientific community and models, resist Climate Change research as an another deception forced upon them by the ‘mainstream media’ and ‘scientists.’ The Word of God, they argue, says that God will never again destroy the world (Gen 9:11) and therefore there is nothing to fear.  Rather, if we believe the Climate Change science, we are in opposition to God because we demonstrate that we do not trust Him.

This siege mentality lead to the persecution mindset that affects many Evangelicals.  Every year we read about the “War on Christmas” and failed efforts to bring prayer back to public schools. We read about how Christians are persecuted because the Ten Commandments can’t be posted on court house property.  Evangelicals view themselves as a minority, powerless in the face of the corporate powers of Hollywood, the Media, and the Democratic party. 

At the end of the day, what is wrong with the world is that everybody is against God…except for the Evangelicals.  They are the only ones that are truly on God’s side.    

A man undone: Lent 2020

I must die.  Lent is the season that reminds me that I must die.  Die to myself.   Die to my desires, die to my hopes, die to my dreams.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that that “Christ bids us to come and die.” So I know th
at must die.  

            As we begin Lent, I know that this must be a season in which I reflect on my sins and to confront my own self.  But it must be more than this. I must completely undo myself…to remake myself.

            Lent is about putting to death all the things that are in opposition to God. Lent is about self-reflection and re-centering yourself around God’s will for your life.  But…where does this leave me?

            I must die.

            I must undo that which I have become.  I must…unbecome.

            Lent tells me that I must sacrifice all…that I must be willing…no…must be able…to endure the complete reduction of who I am.

            Where to begin? How do you start to…undo yourself?  How do you start to…die?

            The first thing that must go is my idea of career.  I no longer think of myself as a chaplain.  Rather, I think of myself as a person who works as a chaplain.  This might seems as a slight difference, but it is actually very significant.  I do not associate myself as one who is worthy to have the title, “Chaplain,” or “Chaps…” There are also those that hold that title with whom I do not wish to associate.  Is that pride on my part? But I feel that I must not think of myself as a chaplain… ‘chaplain’ as an ontological part of my being.

            Rather, I must think of myself as a man in relationship to his God.  But even so, what does that mean?

            The prophet Micah told the people of Israel to “love justice, do mercy, and to walk humbly with their God.” The season of Lent is an opportunity to learn to walk humbly with their God.

            I will confess that at 44 years old, I do not have a grasp on this.  I want to tell God what His plan is for me.  I want to direct the course of my life and most of all to expand my kingdom and my comfort. What if God’s plan is not what I want? Imagine if God is calling you to a life of obscurity…could we do it? What if God was asking us to give up our hopes and dreams…without the assurance that there is something better.  Could we do that?

            The central image of the period of Lent is Christ on the cross.  Paul writes about this and tells us that Jesus, “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8). If Christ was willing to do this, what does that call me…us…to?

            This Lent for me is about reflecting on Christ on the cross and trying to instill humility within myself.  Prayer, reading, fasting are all part of this.  Engaging with the Stations of the Cross on a weekly basis is also a large part of my Lenten observance.   But I feel that I have to do more than this.  Periods of silence, reflection and introspection must become the norm.  Most of all, I must begin to tackle my own pride.  I must let Christ teach me to learn how to die to myself. I must put away my vain ambitions.  I must learn to be a better man…a better husband, a better father…only then can I begin to…come alive.  

Where do Evangelicals Live?

       “Home sweet home.”   “There is no place like home.” “Home is where the heart is.” “Take me home…country roads…” “You can’t go home again…” Ok, well maybe not the last quote, but the word ‘home’ evokes a powerful memory in all of us.  We define home as the place we are from, the place we go to when we are scared…the place that is sacred to us. 

            As we continue to learn about Evangelicals in the 21^st century, we are confronted with the second of N.T. Wright’s five questions: “Where do we live?” As we examine this question, we will see how important the concept of home is for them. 

            As we have seen, Evangelicals view themselves as the true heirs of Christ’s church, the last protectors of the true faith and the only legitimate church.  They find themselves caught between liberalism on one end and secularism on the other.  They see themselves always on the defensive and they need to protect their territory against all enemies.

            “Where do we live?” or “where is home?” is important for Evangelicals.  So where do American Christians live?

            Well…the United States…obviously…duh.

            Ok, yes, the United States is the physical home for the American evangelical church.  But it is not the physical location we are talking about…it’s the spiritual…or philosophical meaning that is truly important.

            The United States has always been important in Christian history.  The Puritans arrived here to have religious freedom (so one myth goes).  God has appointed the United States to be a ‘city on a hill’ to bring the light of Christ to the world (so another myth goes).  But there is a sense in Evangelical understanding that this country is the rightful heir of Israel in the Old Testament.   The United States is a special country, chosen by God, to be a vessel for the transmission of the Gospel throughout the world.

            Christians look to the Founding period to assure themselves that the Founding Fathers envisioned a Christian nation. The United States, the argument goes, is a Christian nation, conceived to be such.  Authors such as Peter Lillback, demonstrate that George Washington was extremely concerned to create a Christian nation.  Popular myths, such as Washington almost being killed by Native Americans during the French and Indian Wars, become evidence of God’s providence. Christian Evangelical scholar David Barton reinvents Thomas Jefferson as a devout Christian who has been deconstructed by liberal scholarship.  John Adams is summoned to talk about the necessity of the country’s Christians ethos. American history is rewritten to a Christian narrative in books like The Light and the Glory, which are taught in Christian schools and homeschools around the country.  The modern narrative is that the United States is one of the last true vestiges of Christianity in the world. It must continue to be a light in the darkness and the city on a hill.

            But the problem is that this Christian nation is under threat by the same enemies that they themselves face.  The liberals and secular powers want to make the United States into a non-Christian nation.  National issues like abortion and homosexual marriage are battlegrounds in the ever lasting war over the soul of the American nation.  If the United States continues to allow abortion or homosexual marriage, then it is evident that the United States has turned it’s back on God.  If this happens, the Gospel will suffer and many will not be able to achieve salvation.

            These issues are very important to the Evangelical church because they are directly related to the vision they have for America.   If any issue or topic can unite the hopelessly disjointed Evangelical church, it is the hope for the United States.  Evangelicals will unite around a topic like abortion because the very home they love is at stake. If the United States embraces liberalism, it will deny God and therefore forsake the very purpose of its existence.  

            ‘Battles’ over political issues reveal the true war going on in the country for the Evangelical Church.  Abortion, gay rights, socialized medicine, gun control all represent issues that threaten the spiritual and moral fiber of the country.  Evangelicals align themselves with conservative politicians and issues because these politicians represent the heroes fighting against the tides of evil.  This explains why so many Evangelicals are willing to forgive conservatives for sins while lambasting liberals for the same failings.

            For many American Evangelicals, the role of the country and the church are tied into each other. The traditional values must be adhered to, otherwise God will be angry.  Almost every year at the See You At The Pole, students around the country pray for the country and recite 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land” (NIV).  This verse, taken out of context and applied to the United States, becomes a banner by which the Evangelical Church can unite for a common purpose.

            It is no wonder, then, that we are seeing the rise of Christian nationalism within the country. Rich Lowry’s book The Case for Nationalism provides an understanding for the Evangelical church not only to the power of nationalism but also for a purpose in resisting the cases of evil. Nationalism provides an avenue for Christians to pursue wholeness and wellness for the country that God has blessed them with. 

            Where do Evangelicals live? They live in the United States…one nation UNDER GOD…which has been called to be the special receptacle of God’s grace and the foundation for God’s kingdom in the world.  Remember that Evangelicals view themselves as the true heirs of God’s teaching…God is preparing them a special country to live in, just like he did with Israel. 

            Ideally, although they would never admit, the Evangelical Christian would like to live in a theocracy.  In fact, many already believe they do.

Who Do Evangelicals Think They Are?

            .

As we try to understand the current religious and political landscape in the United States, we are confronted with the question of Evangelicals. Who are these people? What do they want? Why do they support the President in such ardent, fervent fashion? To understand this question, we must apply the questions that N.T. Wright employs in his book, the New Testament and the People of God, to address the concerns of this influential group.

            The first question Wright asks, is “Who are we?” This question refers to a group’s self-identification.  Who do Evangelicals think they are?  This is apart from any external source labeling them or any reference to the truth (i.e. historical, etc). The answer helps us understand the motives and the worldview behind their behavior.

            Much like the Pharisees in the New Testament period, today’s Evangelicals believe they are the last remnant who have been faithful to God throughout history.  The church has become corrupt, especially in the teaching of the Roman Catholic church.  Therefore, the Reformation is viewed as an essential turning point in the faithfulness of God’s people (the Protestants). But now, even the mainline churches that historically stem from the Reformation have turned their back on Jesus and embraced liberal theological doctrines.  (The Orthodox don’t even come into the picture as they have largely been forgotten by the Non-Catholic Christian Church).  Now it is up to the Evangelical church to be the sole steward of the eternal truths that God has passed down from the Bible. The Evangelical Church must keep itself pure from the luring chorales of the Mass, but also the tempting call from the camp of liberal theologians.  The Evangelical church sees itself that it must keep itself pure from these teachings.

            Because of this, the Evangelical church sees itself as besieged by outside forces.  The secular culture seeks to make them conform to the principles of the world. This is most evidenced by the cultural phenomena we see like ‘the war on Christmas,’ or removing prayer from school or removing monuments of the Ten Commandments. Everywhere the Evangelical church looks, it is surrounded by enemies.  This does not lead to despair, however, because the Evangelicals are the true Church, who have remained faithful to God and God will not abandon them.  They latch onto the book of Revelation for proof that God will reward their faithfulness and will defend them from all of these enemies.   

            But the flip side of this is that Evangelicalism also finds itself falling apart in the middle.  For centuries, the doctrine of “Jesus and Me” have been preached to the point that many do not feel it necessary to be among other believers.  The first part of the fallout of this doctrine was the growth in non-denominational or independent churches. By pulling away from larger bodies, individual congregations had more freedom, but also less accountability.  While denominations used to be kept together by subscribing to documents like the Westminster Confession of Faith, now each church is free to create their own standards.  Now there is no glue holding Evangelicals together…just a vague sense of we well….we kind of agree on some stuff…but it’s not substantial and not solid enough to hold things together.

            This feeling has trickled down to the individual level.  Most Evangelicals will talk about their ‘personal relationship’ or ‘personal walk’ with Jesus because that is what matters the most.  Evangelicals see themselves, not as a ‘block’ or a ‘group,’ but as a loose affiliation of ‘Jesus followers’ who all have the same instantaneous access to God through the Bible, prayer and the Holy Spirit.  Each of them are on their own individual journey, but they are marching to the same destination, much like the pilgrims did in Ancient Israel.

            There is a sense that that a lack of cohesion or unity is missing.  Often times, an Evangelical leader like Francis Chan will try to call their followers back to a more communal experience…authentic Christianity, purpose driven Christianity, Ancient-Future Christianity, just to name a few. These movements are often very popular but very fleeting, because of the lack of glue keeping them together. And so the Evangelical Church struggles with the sense of being church.  The Bible reminds them that they must be together and united as a people, but they often times find this just out of reach and this leads to confusion.

            While this is written to interpret but not critique Evangelical Christianity, this lack of unity is a critique.  The Evangelical church finds itself fracturing more and more under the weight of their own theology. This had led to more and more Christians trying to discover, ‘God’s plan for the Church’.  House churches are starting to replace megachurches, just as megachurches replaced mainline churches.  There is a nervousness present in Evangelicalism because the future is uncertain for the movement.

            At a time when we have more people in seminary receiving MDiv’s than we have churches, we have more Bibles available to us than ever before, and everybody s

eems to be putting their opinion out there (the irony is not lost), what does the future of Evangelicalism hold? What can bring them together, what can ensure that they are able to defeat their enemies and win the day.  Well to understand that, we need to ask the next question: Where are we?  

Snowballs in Hell

It’s January 2020, and hell is freezing over. Not only do I find myself agreeing with Beth Moore, who recently called nationalism a sin (https://www.lightworkers.com/is-nationalism-a-sin/), but also with David Platt, who wants us to distinguish between Americanism and the gospel.

            It seems that the Church is in flux these days and nobody is quite sure what to make of it. The Gospel Coalition finds itself endorsing works by Paula White (https://julieroys.com/leading-evangelicals-endorse-prosperity-preacher-paula-whites-new-book/) while some conservative theologians find themselves relegated to the ends of Christendom. What is happening? What can explain some of these developments?

            The big and divisive event seems to be the election of 2016 which exposed some theological fault-lines in the Evangelical Church that were previously hidden. Many found themselves supporting Donald Trump while others found themselves on the opposite spectrum. Beth Moore, stated that Evangelicalism as we knew it died in 2016 (https://capstonereport.com/2019/12/27/beth-moore-is-still-bitter-about-donald-trumps-election/33675/).  While some view this as evidence of Moore’s bitterness about the election results, it seems that she is on to something.

            Evangelicals find themselves locked in an argument about the very nature of their identity.  What does it mean to be an evangelical? Do we know? Did we ever know? Does one have to support President Trump in order to be an Evangelical? Or does support for the President indicate a lack of theological integrity? Or does not supporting the president indicate that one has compromised the gospel and caved into the liberal agenda?

            As we approach the election cycle for 2020, we cannot imagine that these disputes will go away, but will get more intense.  As we join sides and argue amongst ourselves as to the future of the country, we need to some self-reflection and some analysis before we continue.  This year will see (probably) a slew of books about politics and election. Tremper Longman has already published The Bible and the Ballot (2020) just in time for the election.  One can expect that Wayne Grudem’s Politics According the Bible (2010) coming back into the debate. We might even see a call back to the political theologians of the past: to St. Thomas and John Yoder as we enter into a full on debate not only about the country, but about the future of the church as well.  

            For us to understand each other…and ourselves, we should go back to the questions that N.T. Wright asks of 1^st Century Judaism. His five questions are (1) Who are we? (2) Where are we? (3) What’s wrong? (4) What’s the solution and (5) What time is it? By asking these questions we can begin to understand how we see ourselves, but more importantly how we evaluate others around us.

            So I invite us to spend some time over the next few weeks to look internally as to how we answer these questions.  I will be referencing my own understanding of the Evangelical Church so we can see how we might answer these questions and grow more in our understanding of one another.