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Leaving Church: Jesus & Glenn Beck

March 13, 2010

JusticePosted by Wallace+

To blog or not to blog, that is the question; or a question, anyway. But first, if you haven't read about Glenn Beck's recent advice to leave your church if there is any mention of "social justice" or "economic justice," I recommend reading Friday's NYT article, "Outraged by Glenn Beck's Salvo, Christians Fire Beck."

As I alluded to at the opening, when I first read of Beck's advice, I had to wonder if it was even worth mentioning. I say that because, well, for one thing, to put it one way, likely no one reading this blog would take any advice from Glenn Beck about which church they should attend. That being said, Beck's counsel isn't just the rambling of a less than credible commentator, that kind of thinking is like a virus that is indeed alive and active in many churches in America today, and, more to the point, that kind of thinking has infected the hearts and minds of many American Christians.

Here's the truth, as this Christian sees it anyway, whoever you are, if your church does not mention, and indeed teach and preach about, social and economic justice, then that is when you might consider finding a new church. But, better yet, that's when you might bring up those injustices yourself, and ask why those things are not being spoken about and preached upon, let alone why they are not being acted upon.

If we, as Christians, are quiescent about justice, then, truth is, we are asleep to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's just that simple.

As misguided as Beck is, he is touching on the heart of the Gospel, even despite himself. May God help him to see the error of his ways; and may God give us all the wisdom and the courage we need to be the Church we are called to be, a Church that embodies the compassion of God, a Church where injustices don't go ignored, the Church of Jesus Christ.

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Next entry: Beck & Jesus, Part II: The RTD on “Beck’s Peculiar Theology”

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On any given day, there are those things that would get our attention; those things that would bring fresh perspective; those things would remind us of what is most important, what is most true. If, that is, if we but notice. We never know when those things, those experiences, those people might come. And so it has always been, so it has always been.

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