The past few years have done everything possible to crush the “eternal optimist” in me. Politics. Racial justice. Women in ministry. Sexual abuse in the church.
I’m grateful that I cling to Christ. Yet, in my search for what the Church can do in Kingdom work, I continue to be crushed and disappointed. All we are getting is a continuing “double down” methodolgy. We’re doubling down on Christian nationalism, racism, “complementarianism”, and guarding the leaders rather than believing victims in sexual abuse cases.
Recent books written to shed light on some hard areas of church ministry and theology have proposed tough solutions, but they have offered up something new and possible in the Kingdom of God. Instead of being met with thoughtful response and discussion, they have been derided.
This video is theologian Michael Bird discussing Beth Allison Barr’s book The Making of Biblical Womanhood, and one particular harsh response that was just simply dismissive and did not seek to engage Barr’s arguments at all.
There are other examples. Even with my own group, the ACNA, there is a small group of ministers crying “CANCEL CULTURE” on the victims of a sexual abuse case… It is incredibly disgusting.
We have no sense of what “repentance” means… and no desire for it as well.
It’s enough to cause my eternal optimism flame to dwindle to a small flicker.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 