“Oh, my brethren! Bold-hearted men are always called
mean-spirited by cowards.” – C.H. Spurgeon
Much has been said in recent weeks, among evangelicals, about
the tone and content of our discussions with one another, particularly on blogs
and social media.* While I agree with
the overall sentiment for a “kinder, gentler" blogosphere, I do wish to make an
observation regarding this matter that troubles me.
My observation (and my question) is this: In our zeal to promote kindness and civility
in our interactions with one another, are we silencing our prophetic
voices? I don’t mean prophecy in the
sense of the biblical office, or foretelling the future, but in the sense of “telling
forth” what is right and wrong. Some may
disagree with me but, in my view, we need
brethren who are willing to call a spade a spade.
Many of us pastors are political by nature. Our very survival in ministry has conditioned
us to be this way. We measure our words
carefully. We weigh the consequences
before we speak. We strive to make peace
between sides. When we do take a
position, it’s often qualified in some way so as to soften its edges. I know this is true, because it describes me
to a tee. I hate to make waves or think
that I’ve offended someone. I’m a people
pleaser, and so are many of you.
This, of course, is not entirely a bad thing. After-all, Scripture does say “as much as
depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
However, this kind of personality becomes a drawback when there are
legitimate issues that need to be tackled head-on and we don’t have the
spiritual backbone to confront them. On
a denominational level, this could be anything from unbiblical nonsense peddled
by our publishing arm, to unethical behavior in our leadership.
This is where the prophets come in – bold-hearted men who have
a passion for truth and a fire burning within them to speak that truth in no
uncertain terms. Do they sometimes cross
the line? Yes. Just as the mild-mannered pastor is sometimes
guilty of being too cowardly, the prophet is sometimes guilty of being
over-zealous. (This point has been well-documented.) But, can we also
acknowledge one reason prophets gain a following is because they have the guts
to say some things that recognized leaders
should be saying and aren’t?
I would caution my fellow Southern Baptists against
automatically snubbing the prophets among us.
It’s too easy to label them as “haters,” “troublemakers,” and “bullies”
and not listen to the substance of their arguments. John the Baptist called the
Pharisees and Sadducees a “brood of vipers.” The apostle Paul called the
Judaizers “dogs” and “enemies of the cross.”
If they lived today, John and Paul would probably be chastised for their
lack of decorum and labeled as “mean-spirited.”
We also need to beware of those who would manipulate this
discussion to protect themselves and their associates from criticism. If we ever reach a place where fair and
warranted criticism (done in an appropriate and godly manner) is condemned and
summarily dismissed as an “attack,” all accountability goes right out the
window.
Finally, it should be said to
the prophets that we can hear you a lot better when you’re not screaming. Tone it down.
Choose your battles carefully.
Some are worth fighting; some aren’t.
As you become more selective and measured in your response, your
credibility and effectiveness will increase.
Long live the prophets.
We need them.
*My brother has been at
the center of many of these discussions.
I love my brother, and am proud of him for repenting of his sin in this
area.
