Being White Doesn’t Make Me Guilty of Racism by Dr. Daryl McCarthy

At the start of the Civil War, my great-great-grandfather Callahan Creighton McCarthy left his home in Missouri, which was a slave state. Callahan enlisted in the Kansas Sixth Cavalry. For four long and horrific years he fought as a Union soldier in battle after battle, defending the right for all to be free. He risked his life for the freedom of slaves.

I’m proud of my great-great-grandfather. I’m glad he did this. But I don’t get any credit for his brave actions 159 years ago. Those were his actions, not mine. That was his decision, not mine.

The converse is also true. If my great-great-grandfather Callahan McCarthy had fought for the Confederate Army—as 40,000 other men in Missouri did—it wouldn’t make me guilty. If he had fought for slavery, that wouldn’t make me, Daryl McCarthy, a racist, or an oppressor of Blacks.

I neither gain merit from the good deeds of my ancestors nor am I guilty for the sins of my ancestors. None of us are.

Ezekiel 18:20, “The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.”

And this settles the debate. Before God and under the law, I am responsible for my sins and mine alone.

Just as every individual is broken, every race is broken. No race can claim innocence or virtuous superiority. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). So, where am I going with this? You see, I am deeply concerned with the blatant dishonesty promoted by mainstream media and organizations like Black Lives Matter. They’re imputing guilt to all Whites for slavery and the consequences of slavery. However, we must remember one simple fact: Africans became slaves because they were sold by other Africans. To sell one’s own people into slavery is as evil as slaveholding—they are actually two sides of the same coin.

Should African Americans be held responsible for the sins of their African ancestors who sold their own people into slavery? No. Of course not.

Before the Civil War, more than a thousand free Blacks owned 20,000 Black slaves. Do we hold any African Americans responsible for the sins of those free-Black ancestors? That’s nonsense.

What about Native American tribes that held at least 8,000 Black slaves? As my wife Teri McCarthy explained in her podcast (https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-ra2zt-deb24c) earlier this month, Black slaves held by Native Americans weren’t released by the tribes after the Civil War. The tribes claimed autonomy and didn’t free their slaves until the 1930s. Interestingly, no one talks about the free-Black slaveholders nor Native American slaveholders. Not good for the “White Privilege” argument, I guess.

Holding a person responsible for the past sins and offenses of their race is simply another form of racism. This is called Critical Race Theory which sadly was approved by the Southern Baptist Convention last summer and is embraced by a growing number of so-called evangelical Christians.

If I assume you are a bad person because of your ancestry, then I am a racist. Judging someone because of their race, is in fact racism. This is true whether you’re a Black Panther or a KKK member; whether you’re a Black Lives Matter fanatic or an apartheid supporter; whether you’re a leftist neo-Marxist or a skinhead—it’s all based on the wrong thing. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quote still holds true, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This is also true for whites.

False guilt tastes delicious to the virtue signaler, but it is not only false, it’s dangerous.

If you know in your heart you’re not a racist, please don’t let virtue-signaling church leaders, destructive-agenda leftists, or the fake MSM lure you into a false sense of guilt. Strangely enough, once that lie is swallowed, a strange euphoria occurs. It leads to a self-righteousness that is in itself, well, sin.

The pride of “enlightenment” is perhaps the worst kind of pride.

But here’s the good news: In America, as in most Western republics, you’re not guilty for what your ancestors did or even for what your parents did. You are responsible only for your own crimes, sins, and offenses.

And this is also the Good News of the Bible as well. We are all in the same race—the human race. And in Christ, our identity is not based on our skin color, but on the allegiance of our heart to the One who created all. True loyalty to Christ destroys racism, but even more importantly, loyalty to Christ brings truth and helps us differentiate truth from a lie.

Truth shifts the burden on me – not to repeat the sins of my ancestors, but to repent for my sins and for those alone.

Does racism exist in the United States? Yes, it does. Because wherever there are fallen human beings, there is some sort of prejudice. But I don’t believe it is systemic. How on earth could a majority White racist nation elected a Black president for two terms?

It is important to remember all that America has done to declare, “This is wrong” and to right the wrongs of the past. Our nation not only has worked hard to change, but has actually made these ungodly actions illegal. We ended slavery. We ended Jim Crow. We ended segregation. We initiated Affirmative Action. We approved the 14th Amendment. We elected a Black president for two terms. There’s a reason why people of all colors from all over the world want to come to America.

I am sorry for those who have suffered because of their race. It’s wrong. And I’ll fight racism whenever and wherever I see it. But I will not carry the guilt of racism or discrimination and neither should you.

The #BLM Myths and Truth About Racism in America by Dr. Daryl McCarthy

I know my friends and family members who rushed to endorse #blacklivesmatter and #blackouttuesday meant well. I think it’s perhaps their way of saying “We’re white, but we’re not racists.” But I have to ask them to please reconsider what they are actually endorsing. When it comes to #BLM and that entire movement, we must consider two very important things:

1). #blacklivesmatter is hypocritical; and more importantly, 2). #blacklivesmatter is actually a new radically insidious form of racism.

Let me explain.

First, #blacklivesmatter is hypocritical and is not really concerned about black lives at all. Here is how we know this:

• If #blacklivesmatter (BLM) really cared about Black lives, they would be protesting the thousands of murders of Black citizens each year by other Blacks. The leading cause of death among Black men in their 20s is assault by other African-Americans.

• If #blacklivesmatter really cared about Black lives, they would be crying out against the thousands of Black babies who are killed each year through abortion-on-demand. More Black babies are aborted per capita than any other racial group. (Remember, one of the primary goals of Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood’s founder, was to control the Black population’s numbers, because in her words, Blacks were “the population least intelligent and fit.”) This is why most all the early Civil Rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, and Jesse Jackson, were united in their stand against abortion, calling it “genocide” and comparing it to slavery. Unfortunately, after the tragic murder of Martin Luther King, Jackson changed his position to garner favor with the Democrat Party. But Abernathy preached against abortion until his death.

• If #blacklivesmatter really cared about Black lives, they would want better police protection for their neighborhoods and their children, not less. Shockingly, one of the primary goals of #BLM is “national defunding of police” – their words, not mine.

• If #blacklivesmatter really cared about Black lives, they would not sanction the wanton destruction of Black businesses and the killing of Black business owners through the rampage of looting and destruction which resulted in stopping bus services and reduced many Black neighborhoods to a bare, survival state. Such destruction is contrary to everything Martin Luther King stood for. When he received the Nobel Peace Prize, he said, “Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts.”

• If #blacklivesmatter really cared about Black lives, they would protest the reckless and deliberate killing of so many Black police officers each year by Black criminals.

Secondly, I ask you to consider this: I believe #blacklivesmatter is simply a new form of racism and informed African-Americans agree. It is insidious because it hides under a cover of being against racism and that’s why it is so deceptive.

To White evangelicals, it seems so virtuous to endorse #blacklivesmatter. But by endorsing this movement, you are endorsing a far-left group with a militant and very liberal political agenda. They are self-proclaimed Marxist.

Also, #BLM is very clear about its agenda – fight “economic injustice” (code for  socialism and take money from people who work and give it to those who don’t), defend LGBTQIA+ rights (code for make everyone who opposes the LGBTQ movement appear intolerant and racist), and “voter rights and suppression” (code for make sure Blacks can vote without ID). All of this is from their website www.blacklivesmatter.com. I strongly urge you to take a look at their website and read their ideology and purpose statement. Also, note the number of times they use the word, “comrade.” Language matters.

Nowhere on their website is there any mention of racial reconciliation or improving race relations. So, if you think by endorsing #BLM you’re showing your support for better race relations, you wrong. That is not their goal and they make no pretense that it is.

Let me explain why I think #blacklivesmatter is a subtle form of racism. Here is the core of the #BLM message—in my words: “Because the ancestors of many African-Americans were brought to America and held as slaves and because of Jim Crow Laws and segregation which were practiced in the South for decades, and because there have been cases of police brutality and injustice over the years, Blacks are excused if they want to loot, steal, riot, break the law, kill, and commit other crimes both against fellow Blacks and other races as well.”

At its root, the #BLM premise is a serious diminution of Blacks. #BLM is basically saying, “Most Blacks are incapable of obeying the law, keeping a job, or getting voter ID, like everyone else is expected to do.”

I remember years ago when I heard the famous Black Christian leader John Perkins describe the welfare system of the Democrat Party as the new version of the “White man’s plantation”—just another way to keep the Black man down and totally dependent.

The same could be said about #blacklivesmatter. Considering someone of another race as less capable of good, lawful, and virtuous activity simply because they are of that race, is racism pure and simple—even if it is said by members of that race themselves. But that is the underlying principle of the #BLM message.

And it simply is not true. You know it isn’t true. Think about your fellow workers, members of your church, or your neighbors who are Black. You know the #BLM narrative is false. But that’s where we are today. #BLM does not give any credit to the overwhelming majority of African-Americans—several of whom are my neighbors and friends, who are good citizens, raising their families, obeying the law, working hard, paying their taxes, definitely not looting, stealing, or killing, but they are wonderfully serving their communities, pledging allegiance to the American flag, serving in the military, protecting their communities as police officers, going to church, and worshiping God.

So please, reconsider jumping on the racist bandwagon of #blacklivesmatter and #blackouttuesday. Please think again. Truth matters. Facts matter. That’s why millions of African-Americans stoutly oppose the #BLM movement, including leading scholars such as my heroes Thomas Sowell (Hoover Institution at Stanford) and Walter E. Williams (professor of economics at George Mason University), along with many other Black leaders, including former Civil Rights leader Bob Woodson who flatly denies that there is “systemic racism” in America, the one and only articulate Candace Owens, and the brilliant theologian Dr. Voddie Baucham.

Please don’t fall for the #BLM lie. Facts matter and the facts do not support the lies of the #BLM movement. Truth matters, but #blacklivesmatter doesn’t really care about the truth. Listen to other Black voices—serious, reflective, honest voices and you will quickly see the difference.

 

This message was preached on June 28, 2020, at Summit Springs Church, Blue Springs, MO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkgHnYHsjKQ&fbclid=IwAR3adbMbfUoHkxHApWFTG_xW9wmJJre6a_jw5EQB8k6Ok02G2pCaBSqEreI

Is History Repeating Itself?

History does not really repeat itself, but there are patterns and similarities to epochs within history. Here is what I think and how I feel.
I think I know what it felt like to be a “real Christian” (not a gnostic or pretend Christian) during the first years of the reign of Emperor Constantine in the Roman Empire. While some so-called Christians were celebrating the “Christianizing of the empire” I would have been groaning at the birth of what later would be called “Christendom.” Our American president reminds me of Constantine. I picture him ordering soldiers to use tear gas to clear the public park across from the White House so that he could parade with his minions over to a church to stand in front of it holding a Bible he has probably never read. “In this sign, conquer.” I picture Constantine riding on his steed in parade in front of the Alexandrian cathedral to show Athanasius his power and I picture him sitting on a throne at the Council of Nicea calling himself the “bishop of all the bishops.” And I picture conservative evangelical Protestants and fundamentalist Catholic archbishops (retired) kowtowing to him.
I think I know what it felt like to be a real New Testament Christian during the Protestant reformation of the 16^th century in the Holy Roman Empire and in Switzerland and other parts of Europe. The real New Testament Christians were the Anabaptists so-called. They knew that they were living in a faux Christian civilization that was saturated with violence, hedonism, and culture Christianity. And they knew they faced a hard choice—either compromise or go underground. Some of them died rather than do either.
I think I know what it felt like to be Dietrich Bonhoeffer in about 1935 when many German Christians were celebrating Hitler as a new savior and the Nazi Party and its ideology as a new revelation of God. He tried to tell the Confessing Church that Jewish lives matter and what he heard was “All lives matter.” (Not literally, but there is an echo there from the past.) The Confessing Church would not take a strong stand against the false Christians of the state churches—Catholic and Protestant—that were kowtowing to the idolatry of the Nazi ideology  and government. The Barmen Declaration was a step in the right direction but stopped short of condemning the government’s and society’s treatment of Jews and other people unworthy of having full human rights.
Folks, it should be obvious now that America is not a Christian nation. It was once saturated with Christian ideals but they didn’t sink down into the roots. They remained on the surface. Today it has become clear that the very idea of a Christian America is a pipe dream. We, as a nation and society, have drifted so far away from that that it is impossible to take the idea seriously. We, America, are like the Roman Empire. We, Christians in America, are like Christians in that empire. Somehow or other we have to learn to live as aliens in a strange land that we do not control at all. And we must prepare ourselves to be persecuted—not necessarily physically but legally. Our Christian institutions and organizations will be attacked in courts and they will probably lose. What will they do? Cave in and compromise or close down or go underground?
There’s one more historical context to recall—the few years in the middle of the fourth century when Julian the Apostate was emperor of “Rome” and attempted to return the empire to its pagan religious roots. The Cappadocian Fathers had to teach each other and younger Christians without Christian schools.
Am I being “Chicken Little?” Maybe. Maybe the sky isn’t falling. But I think it is. But a better analogy would be the one of the legendary frog in the kettle of slowly boiling water. We American Christians have a way of adjusting to culture: Go along to get along. The test will come and very soon. If you think not, you just aren’t paying attention. Let those who have ears to hear, hear. I won’t be more specific.

Roger Olsen, June 18, 2020

All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten. ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sand pile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -­‐learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup -­‐ they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick­‐and-­Jane books and the first word you learned­‐the biggest word of all -­‐ LOOK. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living. Take any of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm.
Think what a better world it would be if all -­‐ the whole world -­had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.
Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put thing back where they found them and to clean up their own mess. 
And it is still true, no matter how old you are -­‐ when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together. 

© Robert Fulghum, 1990.

A Christian Nation? Really?

Two hundred forty-four years ago our nation was “conceived in liberty" and declared to be free and independent. It was one nation under God, the United States of America. One hundred years after this Declaration of Independence, the Supreme Court ruled that America is a Christian nation. And today, all of us try to live the American way – guaranteed freedoms and privileges by the Constitution.
In the past 244 years since the founding of the United States of America as a great nation, it can be said that this nation has been blessed by a Grand and Divine Providence – and this nation has blessed the world.
When this nation was founded, a majority of the states had provisions in their constitutions explicitly demanding adherence to Christianity to qualify for office. Prayer in Congress was not rare before the Revolution, during the Constitutional Convention, or after. Many presidents expressed the importance of religion and Christianity in particular to the lawful and peaceful existence of the nation.
Fast forward to 2020. The United States still tops the chart by far in terms of total missionaries being sent to other parts of the world. In the US of A, the recent giving numbers show that $700 billion has been given to all Christian causes of any kind – feeding the hungry, helping those in famine, and responding to catastrophes and crises worldwide. By the way, that’s also how much we Americans spend on Christmas! Giving to missions around the world is $45 billion. Before you do a happy dance, however, that represents only 6.4% of the money given to Christian causes of any kind. And believe me, that’s also how much we spend in America on dieting programs, too! And for all you math wizards, if you’re doing the math on that, you can think of the word “embezzled.” There is $50 billion missing and that’s where it went – embezzlement. Embezzled mission money.
Whatever you want to do or think about the numbers, the reality is that America in so many ways can be and is recognized as a great nation.
But we have no corner on God. We are not special to God except as God’s priorities are special to us. All our buildings, budgets, and programs do not impress God.
I have had people ask me, “Hey, Pastor, is God going to judge America?" I have one simple answer. Yes, indeed He will if we continue to promote a self-centered lifestyle, consumed by greed, obsessed by sex, and ravaged by drugs. He will if we forget God and the gospel. He will if we forget the plight of the hurting and the lost.
Think about it. Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, this “land of the free and the home of the brave” has killed 61,628,584 babies –blatant defiance of God’s law. There are over 3,000 abortions per day in the US of A. We have a massive drug problem that is raging out of control in most of our cities and towns. Regrettably, alcohol is the leading, maybe most damaging, legalized drug in the country. The promiscuous attitude toward sex permeates our society, reaching inside churches to families in the pews and pastors in the pulpit. Pornography in all arenas of the sex-related industry is over $17 billion. 28,258 users are watching pornography every second. $3,075.64 is spent on porn every second on the Internet. 1 in 5 youth pastors and 1 in 7 senior pastors use porn regularly and currently struggling. That’s more than 50,000 U.S. church leaders. 64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women say they watch porn at least once a month.
So, a whole lot more could be said here, but suffice it to say that, in a word, sin is wreaking havoc and having a heyday in this country.
America has been called a “nation under God” – a Christian nation – and maybe in some respects, that’s so. But just because it’s inscribed on our coins and our bill currency doesn’t make it so. Just because we recite it in the pledge as a patriotic American doesn’t make it so.
It’s true. The foundation of our government is the Judeo-Christian ethic, which encompasses the dignity of human life, the traditional monogamous family, common decency, the work ethic, and the principle of God-centered education. When the founders settled Jamestown, even before they erected their homes, they constructed a building that was to be what they called their “church house, their schoolhouse, and their town hall” – all the same! Then, and only then, they built their homes and shops.
This is not to say that every American over the 244-year history of this nation has lived up to what we have as a foundation. But it can be said that we have had a premise of conviction and rationale of belief, that have sought to carve out a “nation under God.”
But let’s get serious and open the door on which all this hinges… We have allowed the American Civil Liberties Union, atheists, liberal politicians, liberal educators, secular humanists, Norman Lear, and the George Soros people-types to “tele-market” valueless hedonism, and on and on it goes, to dictate a new lifestyle to this country. I submit to you that we are reaping the fruit of these blatant actions and attitudes of “sheep in a wolf’s clothing.”
After decades upon decades of proclaiming America a “Christian Nation”, we’re forced to accept this may not always be so.
The Bible consistently informs its readers as to their role in this world. We are to be a holy nation, a people of God’s own choosing, called to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of the darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We proclaim the excellence of His love, truth, and grace back into the darkness from which we came.
Most of the world (and yes, our nation) is a dark place, ruled over by a dark force, so we should not be surprised when we find ourselves in the minority. Our confidence should not come from holding the majority and our security should not be sought in the political establishment.
Our confidence is in One who was born in a manger, crucified by a crowd and raised by the power of God. He’s the One who orders all creation for His glory.
The truth is, American Christians have always demonstrated a troubling ability to turn patriotism into idolatry. We may confess our allegiance to Christ, but too often the cross is accompanied by an American flag and political ideology. To be clear, having pride in one’s country is by no means a bad thing. However, when we build our theology on the success of an earthly nation, we shouldn’t be surprised when it eventually crumbles.
Christians need to remember that our true citizenship is to the Kingdom of God. Yes, these can be and are dark days for believers, but like Joshua and the people of Israel, we know our God is with us. Now is not the time for rage and demonstration, but holiness and faithfulness. The Israelite's did not know what awaited them in the Promised Land, they only knew that God had commanded them to be strong and courageous. Whatever may become of The United States, the Lord God will be with his followers wherever they go.
It is way past time, and maybe there is little time, for people who confess to “claim the name” of Jesus and follow Him, to demonstrate something more than verbal acquiescence and attitudinal apathy to what is going on all around us – even in your little village.
Today, our greatest danger is not a Christian theocracy, but a secularist theocracy that tolerates no dissent.
It’s time to stand up for what is right and stand against what is wrong every time, every place, everywhere. None of us has the corner on God’s blessings. We are not more deserving or more intelligent than others. We have no reason to believe that God should bless this nation above any other. We have no special mandate.
The great theologian Augustine said that government is a necessary evil, that it is necessary because of evil. And most theologians in the history of the church have said that human evil is the reason even corrupt government is better than no government at all. Look at Romans 13. The function of government is to restrain evil and to maintain, uphold, and protect the sanctity of life and property. Given this function, the Christian understands that -government- is ordained of God, and so Christians, first of all, are called to respect whatever it is that God institutes and ordains.
For God’s sake - we are called to be model citizens. We are told to bend over backward to honor the king or be obedient to the civil magistrates. That doesn’t mean slavish obedience to the civil magistrates. But our basic posture toward government, according to the New Testament, is to be submissive and obedient citizens of the state. We are also given the duty of praying for earthly governments that they may fulfill the tasks God has given to them.
Unfortunately, in today’s culture separation of church and state means separation of state and God, as if the state and the government were answerable to no one but themselves — as if the government didn’t have to respond to God. But God monitors governments; God raises them up and brings them down. Every human government is accountable to God and is accountable to maintain its affairs with justice and with righteousness. When the government is no longer acting justly and no longer protecting life  — sanctioning abortions, for example — then it is the task of the church to be the prophetic voice, to call the state to task and tell the state to repent and do what God commands it to do.
In the words of Edmund Burke, in a letter to Thomas Mercer in 1770, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men [and women] to do nothing.” Is that why we may no longer be a Christian nation?  You decide.

When Salt Loses Its Saltiness

Note: The blog I post today is used with permission from a blog posted by Teri McCarthy. You can follow learn more about her and also I encourage you to follow her great blog at http://terimccarthyblahblahblog.com - Teri's husband, Daryl, is a good friend of mine and my former college professor while I was attending what is now Kansas Christian College.  


Every Tuesday night I have a Bible study in my home for two high school girls. As soon as they walk through the front door I feed them a homemade meal. Around the kitchen table we talk about whatever is happening in our lives and fill each other in on what has happened from the week before. When we are done eating we move over to the sofas and study the Word of God. Right now, we are “just reading the red.” We are taking on the Gospels for the sole purpose of reading the recorded words of Jesus. If you want to get to know a person better, spend time with him and listen to what he says. That’s our guiding principle.

Last week we were reading Matthew 5 where Jesus is telling His disciples to do the opposite of everything that comes to them instinctively through human nature. Jesus’ words were revolutionary for that time, and for our time as well. Someone hits you in the face, be sure and offer them both sides; someone wants to borrow something, give ‘em more than they ask for; if a creepy Roman soldier asks you to carry his military equipment a mile (Yep! The same equipment he uses to oppress your people), carry it two. Oh yeah, and you get to walk that same mileage back home.

Things got a little more complicated with the girls when we read Jesus’ words, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” The girls wanted to know what that meant. What was Jesus trying to tell His disciples here? Well, I don’t know. I’ve always kind of taken that Scripture for granted, “…uh, well, we are the salt of this earth and when we are not salty we are not useful.” Okay. “Give us an example.” I drew a complete and total blank!

Be careful for what you pray for because later that night I asked God to give me an example for the girls that would make Jesus’ words clear and applicable. And He did! Boy! Did He ever!

Three words: Bishop Michael Curry. Remember the Royal Wedding? Yes, the one with Ms. Meghan and Prince Harry? Bishop Curry was the African-American Episcopal pastor who preached a 19-minute sermon at their wedding. Some say it was a record for the longest sermon ever preached at a Royal Wedding. I don’t know, I am not an expert on such matters.

Yes! I watched the Royal Wedding. I hadn’t planned on it, but we were having a huge thunderstorm and I had left my computer plugged in. I got up at 4:30 that morning to howling winds, thunder, lightening and pelting rain. I unplugged my computer and thought, “Hey! Why not?” I turned on the TV and started watching Royal Wedding watchers.

It hit me funny when I heard one commentator say that neither Prince Harry nor Ms. Meghan knew Bishop Curry. He had been selected by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. That was odd to me because both bride and groom had been intricately involved in every detail of the wedding – flowers that represented Princess Diana, the empty chair, Prince William had sat down with the couple and gone over every piece of music and helped them choose meaningful songs that well-represented the couple’s worldview and causes. Every.Single.Detail. But one – the selection of the man who would give the sermon at their wedding. Welby said he selected Bishop Curry because of Ms. Meghan’s African-American background. So, there was no personal connection between Curry and the Royal Couple. I guess you could say Welby’s selection of Curry was politically correct…a black man from America. You see, Ms. Meghan isn’t even Episcopalian. She was just baptized into the Anglican Church a week before the wedding. So, the choice of Curry isn’t even representative of how she was raised. But I digress…

The minute he took the pulpit, I knew he was a showman. That’s right. Something in my spirit reacted and it wasn’t just the overdose of caffeine I was using to stay awake.

As I listened to his words I kept asking the Lord, “Something is wrong with his message, but what is it? Something is wrong with this guy, but I can’t quite figure out what it is.” The teacher in me kept thinking, “Dude! Know your audience!” I was uncomfortable with his flair and drama in a setting like that. You never want to upstage the Bride and Groom, because the service IS really all about them, right? And I did not sense the anointing on him at all.

So, like any good evangelical Christian who doesn’t bear witness with someone, I googled him. WOW! OMW! It seems Bishop Michael Curry has quite the rap sheet.
–He believes in the ordination of non-celibate homosexual priests in the Episcopal Church.
–He not only believes in same-sex marriage, but has been a fiery advocate for same-sex marriage in both the Church and the political world. His rhetoric on the subject is to compare the plight of the LGBTQ community with that of black slaves in the USA.
–He believes in and performs transitioning ceremonies for transgender folk and is a vigilant spokesperson for transgenders’ right to chose which public restroom they want to use.
–He believes the Bible must be “culturally” interpreted and that each generation must interpret it according to present-day needs and circumstances.
–He doesn’t believe in inerrancy. It’s like how some people feel about “STOP” signs – they are more of a suggestion, not necessarily a command.
–He greatly admires and follows the teachings of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the Catholic philosopher and priest whose writings were banned by the Catholic Church. De Chardin’s writings proclaim that because of evolution, man’s spirit must also evolve until he too becomes a god. His philosophy was called “Omega Point” and it describes the evolution of man from matter to human to gods. Curry called de Chardin, “…one of the great minds, great spirits of the 20th century.”
–Curry studies, practices, and preaches classic “liberation theology” –a 20th century theological tradition inspired by Marxist thought that characterizes love as a necessary, chaotic, and political force that stops all perceived injustices of this world. Not exactly what Jesus was teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, but whatever.

Maybe I’m just getting old. Maybe I’m just cynical. Nothing is worse than a person who makes minor things major and major things minor. Remember Barbara Streisand’s character in The Way We Were? Annoying.

SO! Back to the Royal Wedding. Yup! The dress was simple and elegant. I love Doria’s hat. That Queen, she sure knows how to rock citrine! But those weren’t really the comments my evangelical friends were making on social media after the Celestial Ceremony. Nope. It was all about Bishop Michael Curry. “Wasn’t he amazing?!?” “Oh my! Did you hear the black preacher?” “WOW! The Gospel was preached!” “Jesus was exalted!”

The biggest shocker came when some of my most conservative friends, who would defend to death the inerrancy of Scripture and a literal six-day Creation, were saying “Love showed up at the wedding today! Bishop Curry preached it!” Really? Is that really the condition of the Church here in America? Is that honestly the state of Christianity? If so, then Rob Bell listen closely: #LOVELOSES! Especially if it is not based in Truth. Feeling good, feeling positive, feeling happy, feeling culturally cool – are these the only things that matter? Are these feelings more important than God’s Word?!?

Inflexible as it may seem, and intolerant and critical as it may sound, groovy Bishop Michael Curry believes in everything that the Church is supposed to stand against. Whenever friends of mine support, promote, do a shout out to Bishop Curry, I have a difficult time processing all the happy comments, “He’s such a godly man!” “Love was preached today!” “So awesome!” “I love that the ceremony celebrated ALL of Christianity!”

No! Curry isn’t awesome! He’s not godly. He did not preach love. Love, real Gospel love is based on Truth; it is based on the teachings of Jesus and it is not in conflict with God’s Word. Sorry, but anyone who believes a lie and preaches that lie, and that same lie holds people in darkness and bondage – that guy ain’t awesome. And promoting him on social media and hailing him as a “man of God” is not only error, but leads others down that dark pathway as well. Not only were my Christian friends’ pro-Curry posts horrific, but the comments they allowed from their friends were even worse!
“The Black Bishop had a message that was amazing- nobody under the sound of his voice can ever say they never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ!” “Yes! He was amazing! So wonderful to hear his message of love.”

I refuse to believe that the Body of Christ has fallen this far! Surely these superficial praises by evangelicals are NOT characteristic of what is happening in Christianity, are they? Because if they are they illustrate a vastly reduced expectation of the Gospel.

Daryl put it very simply, “You cannot separate the content of a person’s life from that of their message.” Jesus put it this way, “A little bit of leaven permeates the entire lump.” And remember, this was Jesus referencing the false teachings of the Pharisees.

Sorry guys, but I simply refuse to applaud and celebrate a man of the cloth who denies the inerrancy of Scripture, fights for same-sex marriage, splits his denomination down the middle, petitions for transgender restroom choice, and refers to the Bible as “culturally fluid.”

Do we honestly believe that the devil will appear to us wearing red satin, carrying a 666 branding iron and donning horns and a tail? NO! The Bible says he will come to us as an Angel of Light! He’s cloaked in false love and false tolerance convincing some of my closest friends that he is a gospel-bearing, love-preaching, cross-culturally significant “godly” man! Please! Lord have mercy on us. Love does NOT win when it is not rooted in the TRUTH! Truth alone sets the captives free and truth does NOT celebrate what the Word of God calls sin. Period.

I am heartbroken. I guess Believers have decided we want flare over holiness; rhetoric over truth and style over substance. What God says isn’t really that important. It’s the old Genesis 3 trick, “Did God really say…?”

SO THAT’s what Jesus meant! Suddenly in all of my conversations, text messages, FB dialogs it hit me, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Here in Matthew 5 Jesus is talking about US–you and me! The Church! That when we are bewitched by false doctrine and are mesmerized by pretty words then we, the Church, lose our saltiness. We lose our impact, preservation power, we cease to do the work we were designed and called to do: protect the world from deterioration and deception. We are to be Truth Bearers. That is the source of saltiness! We are to declare God’s Truth and to stand against that which is false. Otherwise we are useless and we are trampled underfoot by the enemy of this world. It was truly an “aha!” moment.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”

We must be salty declarers of Truth and we as followers of Jesus must be proactive and deliberate in helping the lost of our world understand that the commands of God are not suggestions, they are not relevantly determined, they are not up for interpretation, they are not fluid, but the Truth of God’s Word is…“alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” God’s Word sets us free to “go and sin no more.” God’s Word is from everlasting to everlasting. It will not pass away. The idea of Christians being salt means that we participate with God in preserving every inerrant, holy, and beautiful Word of His Truth. THAT IS THE GOSPEL. THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS! THAT IS REAL LOVE! Peace.

PS - Well said, Teri, my friend! Spiritual discernment is sadly lacking. Lord, hear our prayer! 

Dealing With Christmas Losses

Recently, I reviewed the notes from a sermon preached by Ron Edmondson that addressed what to do with Christmas losses. I've excerpted portions of his message in this post. I hope it will be helpful to you and others. So many people around us experience losses of one kind or another. We often feel helpless to know how to respond, either to our own losses or the losses of others. This is especially true at a season of the year that we anticipate will be filled with joy and laughter. But it's often not true for so many. Here follows some excellent insight and advice.  

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. As the song goes, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year“. But, for some people, Christmas can be a miserable time. 

 

Many have lost a loved one, suffered the end of a significant relationship, or even had a severe personal loss of income or health. For them, Christmas is just another reminder of what they no longer have. If we aren’t careful, the joy of Christmas is covered over with the emotions of loss, and rather than appreciating what we have or looking forward to what’s to come, we find ourselves in Christmas misery.

 

With some professional Christian counselors advice and some of my own, here's some practical ways to overcome a sense of Christmas loss.

 

Ideally, Christ is the answer. Apart from Christ there is no Christmas and there is no peace. These suggestions are not designed to take the place of that truth, but rather to give some practical tips to help you deal with loss at Christmas.

 

Here are some ways to deal with and overcome Christmas losses.

 

List your losses – Death, divorce, injury, finances, children moved out this year – whatever they are – write them down. Admit the pain – write them down.

 

Share them – Certainly with God, but with a close friend, or with people who have experienced your loss. Don’t be ashamed to see a professional counselor. Find support in a Bible study group or prayer group. We were designed for community, especially for times like this.

 

Grieve the loss – Every loss must be grieved. The intensity of the grief may be determined by the intensity of the loss. Some form of depression is a normal response to grief. We’ve almost created a culture where we think suffering is abnormal. Don’t be afraid to grieve – even publicly at times. It’s okay to be human.

 

Resist falling into despair – That’s where you live in a false reality that all hope is gone. It’s not. By the way, you don’t do that by ignoring them.

 

Take care of your physical body– Eat well, exercise, and get adequate rest. It’s more important during a sense of loss.

 

Be aware of negative thinking – Catch the negative thoughts and replace them with thoughts that are positive and true. See Philippians 4:8.

 

Do something for someone else – There are many opportunities during the Christmas season to help people. Helping other people reminds us loss is universal and other people are struggling with you. Plus, something about giving fuels positive emotions.

 

Force yourself to participate in social activities – You won’t feel like it, but social support is critical in recovering from loss. No one benefits by becoming a recluse. In fact, you actually increase the likelihood you will become clinically depressed.

 

Avoid the comparison game – Don’t compare your losses to other people’s losses. Significant loss naturally makes us focus inward, but that never works. And, it’s dangerous.

 

Honor you losses with new traditions – Begin some new family rituals that will help you reflect on the good things you experienced with the person you have lost or will help you remember happier days to come.

 

And here's one final suggestion – perhaps more most powerful of all. It’s this:

 

We have to learn to worship in tears. You have to learn to worship even in pain. When you realize God is good – even when it doesn’t seem life is good – you are better equipped to face the storms of life, which are sure to come.

 

Obviously, Christ is the peace of Christmas, and He can fill your brokenness. You can trust Him. This Christmas, let the Christ of Christmas fill the void and loss you have in your heart and life.