Shock and Awe

“Phil Robertson pulled off the air.”  In the era of redefined tolerance, it is very often the case that those with contrary opinions are immediately vilified, censored and virulent attempts are made to shun them from any secular venue whether it be government, education, media or business.  In the “land of the free and home of the brave” these tactics seem diametrically opposed to our founding principles.

Shock!  We are shocked when we hear federal judges pronouncing that a wedding photographer is compelled by law to violate their religious beliefs and thus we see that free speech and the free exercise of religion is trumped by the mandated and enforced law of not-so-tolerance.  Shocked is exactly what we should be, but that’s not all.  We must be diligent to use all legal processes available to us to right these wrongs as afforded to us in the Bill of Rights and Constitution.

Awe!  I’m wondering when we in America somehow erased our memory banks of Christian persecution in history.  We’ve enjoyed a great deal of freedom of expression, indeed western-styled success.  Now as those contrary to Biblically-informed beliefs (and those who hold them) come to power in government, business, education and media we see that a corner has been turned in our post-Christian nation.  In fact, it could be stated that we are in apostatized America.  This does not mean the Church gives up its mission – God forbid – but that we see the signs of the time.  But, those signs of the times indicate a greater hostility. 

The “awe” that I’m referencing is the “awe of God’s Word” which guarantees that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim 3:12).  It’s an awe that God’s Word is unyielding timeless and accurate.  The Word of God also exposes the world’s truth suppression agenda in Romans 1:18:  “…who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”  After the famous and much memorized John 3:16, verse 19-20 shows us how mankind has reacted to verses 16 & 17:  “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”  We were expecting them to flock to the church by the millions?  To thank us for sharing?  To even praise us and speak highly of us?

What are we to do and to expect?  Go on to verse 21:  “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”    We go forward in word and deed.  Phil Robertson spoke like a backwoods, ordinary guy in honest, forthright and plainly logical fashion, but he spoke truth and he did it on purpose.  Whether or not interviewing with that particularly despicable magazine was wise is another question.  That he was (and is) always on a Gospel mission is not in question. 

I wonder if we think that our Gospel (if we are actually spreading it as Jesus commanded) will be received by the world with gladness and we’ll all have to build megachurches in coliseums to house the masses?  Really?  When Jesus started speaking the plain truth most people who followed Him walked away (remember, “eat Me, drink Me” in John 6:54-56?)  Just how many stayed with Him during His passion?  Hmm…

While I think Phil Robertson might’ve used more winsome language, I’d be willing to posit that even if he’d been a skilled diplomat and wordsmith, he’d still be banned.  If you’ve followed the show at all along with comments made to other media, Phil’s been really clear about his determination to remain who He is in and for God.  He has always been ready to give it all up for Christ’s sake.

I leave you with this passage as Peter was writing to the Church under fire for its beliefs:

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God [be confident in your delivery]. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 12 Beloved, DO NOT THINK IT STRANGE concerning the FIERY TRIAL which is to try you, AS THOUGH SOME STRANGE THING HAPPNED TO YOU; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.  (1 Pet 4:11-13) [emphasis added]

While we may experience an initial shock, we need to quickly readjust our stance to awe as we see the confirmation of God’s Word and move to an even greater awe as God’s glory is manifested in us as we are shamed for His Name and His Words.  (Mark 8:38)