A good friend of mine from college recently moved out to Washington from the Mid-West, so he came down to see me and another college friend last weekend. The three of us went around to different spots in Seattle, showing him around. Monday we ended up at Bumbershoot, a four day music festival with several different stages, some comedy acts, and other arts. Well, the concert was o.k. but as my friend and I were standing around, we saw a man with a large sign that had different writing on it, front and back. On one part of the sign, read the words, Jesus can save you from HELL. Behind the print were flames and red and the whole bit. On another part of the sign was a list from one of Paul's letters of all the different types of people who are going to hell. Liars, idolaters, drunkards, the who list. Elsewhere it had a reference to John 3:18 which refers to not being condemned and being condemned because of the Son of God. So, my friend and I decided we'd go see what this guy was all about and what he was telling people.
I came up to the man and said, in a calm non-threatening voice, "Sir, do you believe this is the most effective way to spread the gospel of Christ's love?" He whole heartedly did, because he believe by convicting people of their sins, they would repent and turn back to the LORD. Something about him, told me he wasn't a modern day Jeremiah, or Isaiah. My friend and I continued to ask him questions trying to figure out why he thought the way he did. I challenged him on several points, but he just had automated responses or quick biblical references for his rebuttal. He would then generally start talking about things that really had nothing to do with the conversation at hand. It was frustrating to say the least that this man was the one representing Christ to a portion of Seattle, which seems to me at least to already be somewhat skeptical of Christianity as a whole. No where on this man's signs was the word "Love" used once, not once. That astonished a great. There were other things I took issue with what he said to me, but overall, I find these encounters frustrating. I feel it is hard enough for me to accurately represent the gospel at all times in my life in order to gain credibility with others, but it becomes all the more difficult when "Super-apostles" like this guy give a truncated view of the gospel. I know all I can do is pray for that man, and the people he has talked to in hopes that God will continue to work and move in peoples' lives despite human fallibility on his part as well as my own.
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Thanks for your thoughts Ben. I'm glad that you had a chance (and were bold enough) to go talk to him. It's a fascinating tension, isn't? I find myself often humbled by such people, no matter how much I disapprove of their techniques, for at least they are out there trying to do something (vs. most of the Church which is complacent). But then, like you, I often think it could be done differently.
But then again, I was reading yesterday in Mark about Jesus sending out the 12. It struck me that He sent them out not to preach about grace or love, but to implore people to repent. I do believe that we (most churches) are lacking the element of repentance in our preaching and our lifestyles.
Just thought I would enter into your conversation. I miss you bro. You going to send me a prayer/support letter soon?
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