In 1964, US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart dropped a quote that would be attached to him for the rest of his career. Stewart wrote in his short concurrence following the obscenity case, Jacobellis v. Ohio, that "hard-core pornography" was hard to define, but that "I know it when I see it." I guess there is really no arguing that. Somethings are very hard to prove no matter what kind of education, research, or intellect you may have at your disposal. You just know it when you see it.
I recently came across an article on CNN's Belief Blog chronicling the Billboard war raging between several faith based .orgs and the American Athiests Association in New York City. You can find the article here:
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/09/creationists-battle-atheists-in-latest-billboard-war/
This whole thing strikes me as odd. I had to stop after I read it and cycle through which one of my emotions was the right one to feel.
I'll admit, while reading the article I found myself frustrated at several points, which were equally distributed between the two sides. Each side of the debate employs a strategy that cuts off dialogue before in even has a chance to begin. It's like a drunken late night twitter war, but worse because its all premeditated on a large scale.
Now if you are still reading this, and haven't done so already, I want to to follow the link and meet me back here when you finish the article. Ready... go.
Welcome back. Frustrating right? Now here is my challenge to you if you are a Christian. Even though some of the tactics used by the American Athiests were pretty egregiously inflammatory, and probably have you either slightly or entirely peeved, and even though the faith based .orgs may have just been returning fire, don't return fire. Just don't... like, ever. Isn't there something written down somewhere about how the world will know us by our love? Did I miss the part where the world is supposed to know us by our 'drop the mic' moments?
I know we are supposed to contend for the faith, and I do daily with as much boldness as I can muster up, but billboards and Facebook comments are not what Paul was talking about, nor are they remotely close to examples of how I believe he himself would have handled such a debate.
Just look at Acts 17 where Paul addresses the Areopagus. He went and met the men of Athens in their own setting, and spoke in a language that they would be able to engage with. He chose a starting point that was honoring and respectful, and moved toward differences from there. Paul goes into a beautifully articulated explanation of the Gospel that was uniquely tailored to his audience. He took the time to think about what approach would be effective in furthering the conversation. He was less interested in winning the debate and more interested in winning the relationship.
Unfortunately, many times (including the Billboard War in my opinion) Christians come across as petty, immature, narrow minded, hateful, uneducated, unsophisticated, insecure dorks with a chip on our shoulder. When I look at these Billboards, I can't help but visualize a group of pimple faced adolescents crowded together in a dark basement wiping cheeto dust onto their cargo jeans and pushing their glasses up the bridge of their noses with their faces illuminated by the dim glow of a computer monitor, as they conjure up the nerve to click 'send' so that they can erupt into a series of celebratory, ill-timed high fives. (shiver) Not our best look y'all.
Far from what I see when I imagine the scene of my favorite part of Paul's address in Athens in verse 32:
"Now when they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
Now if we really do love people, shouldn't we care about creating the opportunity to pour into them, serve them, engage with them intellectually, relationally, emotionally, and spiritually, more than we care about satisfying our own voracious appetite for the vindication of our opinions? Shouldn't we be working to build bridges instead of walls? Shouldn't we long to hear "We will hear you again about this" more than we long to hear "you win?"
I think so. And Paul thinks so too.
I think so. And Paul thinks so too.
The next month will be breeding ground for these kinds of conversations. I pray that you will welcome them. Be bold, but not mean. Be kind, gentile, respectful and thoughtful as you engage in them. Listen and look through the lens of love. And for the Lord's sake and the sake of His reputation, build up people with love before you try to puff your self up with knowledge. Facts and data can be retorted, but acts love tend to leave people bereft of the desire to fight.
I know that isn't the way our media driven, microwave society does things. But maybe the best gift you can give the world this holiday season is your difference from it, not your disagreement of it.
I can only imagine what kind of Glory could be attributed to our gracious God if we would dump that half a mil into a relief effort instead of an ad campaign. And while I rolled my eyes and/or wtf'd approximately 11.75 times before I reached the last picture in the slideshow of the article, I guarantee no one operating from a position of reason and good nature, no matter the faith background or philosophical worldview, would scoff at the love that $500,000 could pour out on a community in need somewhere.
If we really are as passionate about proving the existence of Jesus to be true as we like to act like we are... well, then maybe we should stop trying to out shame those who disagree with our Biblical worldview and try instead to love and serve them. People may not be able to find the proof they are looking for in the data, and people will always have a hard time defining a being as complex as an eternal, all powerful, trinitarian Creator (heck I believe in Him and still have a hard time understanding Him) But I am CERTAIN of one thing, the world will know it when they see it.
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