Missing Jesus – De-humanizing People

“Why doesn’t the church come out against nut jobs like this when this type of vomit spews from their mouth. Or does this joker represent the views of the church?”

A young friend recently expressed his disgust over Pat Robertson’s now (in)famous declaration of cause for the Haitian earthquake. If his recorded thoughts are not reason enough to hide microphones and cameras from some, if not all, Christian leaders, then nothing will spur us to do so.

The Church is not monolithic. As such we do not have a spokesperson to send out in front of microphone wielding reporters to express disagreement over statements like those made by Pat Robertson. Even more, some believe what Pat said. Quasi-history in the hands of pseudo-apocalyptic experts will nearly always result in these kinds of connections. Some of you may remember the numerology of many that cast Kissinger and then Reagan as the anti-Christ. Oops!So in the same way Marty Duren went public to voice his disagreement with Robertson’s assessment, I too stand in our small neck of the Christian woods and say, “No, sir, we disagree.”

It is not that I do not believe in judgment. Instead it is that the Scriptures declare judgment begins with the people of God. And, I am afraid our trivializing of the pain and suffering of others with these kinds of public statements puts us in greater danger. Where is the judgment for the money spent to air such tripe when it could go to health care, education, hunger relief or any other ministries in the name of Jesus? Minimizing the pain of others in these rhetorical turns makes us look less and less like Jesus and more like someone who needs an introduction to Jesus instead.

Let’s stand with the Baptist World Alliance, World Neighbors, Compassion International, Baptist Global Response and a host of other agencies who may or may not identify themselves as Christian organizations. Let’s partner with them in the name of Jesus for people, people created in the image of God. Let’s not miss Jesus, nor being Jesus for the good of the world.

About the Author
Husband to Patty. Daddy to Kimberly and Tommie. Grandpa Doc to Cohen, Max, Fox, and Marlee. Pastor to Snow Hill Baptist Church. Graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reading. Photography. Golf. Colorado. Jeeping. Friend. The views and opinions expressed here are my own and should not be construed as representing the corporate views of the church I pastor.

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