Torrent

The Bible, in 1st Corinthians 13, speaks to the issues of walking in love, and allowing the love of God to permeate our attitudes.  Yes, some of the "love chapter," as it's called, involves adjusting our
thinking. We read:
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth...

We have to be fiercely committed to defending the truth.  Yes, the Bible is our source of truth, and that is to be vigorously upheld - but, we also have to make sure that we are factual in our assessments about life in general and not get caught up in believing false reports and relaying that information. Not only is our personal credibility at stake, but the credibility of the God we serve, because we are His representatives.  This is a challenge that the Spirit will give us the power to meet.

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Ed Stetzer referred to this Scripture in a piece for Christianity Today that I will be referring to today.
It's from the 1st chapter of James:
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Today, on our Famous Friday, we focus in on one of America's most well-known preachers, who just happens to pastor the largest church in the city that has become such a focus recently as the result of the major storm named Harvey.

Joel Osteen pastors Lakewood Church, which, if not the largest, is one of the largest churches in America.  He is known by many for his effervescent smile, but his theology has gained its share of criticism.

And, now in the midst of Harvey, he has become a target because of questionable reports about whether or not his church was flooded and how Lakewood's building was used in the midst of the storm.

Ed Stetzer, co-host of Breakpoint This Week, has some strong comments.  Writing for Christianity Today, he says: "It seems some Christians hate Joel Osteen more than they love the truth."

He goes on to state, "I’d expect that from the world, but I hoped for better in the church."  Stetzer writes:

So we are clear, Osteen and I are not on the same page theologically. And I have serious problems with the prosperity gospel. Furthermore, his platitudes and lifestyle have not helped in this moment.

But do we have to join the deluge of hatred toward him for what is a questionable situation—at best?

In other words, I get some people are upset about Osteen’s theology and approach to his work. But why are so many Christians joining in on spreading a false narrative about his actions in Houston?

As Stetzer lays out, the church cancelled services, the church was "impassable," as he puts it, and the church directed people to take shelter at the city's large convention center.

Billy Hallowell lays out events at Faithwire:

Don Iloff, a spokesperson for Lakewood Church, told Faithwire late on Monday night that the house of worship has been in touch with city and county officials in recent days and has been planning outreach efforts.

But considering that the church’s building — inside what was once the Compaq Center sports arena — is prone to flooding, Iloff said that Lakewood chose to instead focus its energies on the ways in which the church could serve as a food and resource distribution center, among other outreach efforts.

ReligionNews.com provided an update on Wednesday, stating:

Osteen took to the airwaves to defend himself and his church this week, explaining on national television that contrary to his critics’ claim that the church had remained dry, parts of Lakewood had flooded, and that city officials had initially designated the church as a distribution center, not a shelter.

Iloff too disputed the charge that Lakewood had locked out a needy public: “I can’t repeat it enough: We never closed our doors. We’re a church, for goodness’ sake.

The article reported that as of Wednesday, some 400 people had been taken in for shelter, an overflow from the convention center.  Iloff also said that the church has received what he describes as "'must be at least a ton' of infant supplies and other goods."

But, Lakewood's charity has perhaps been overshadowed by the torrent of criticism from people inside and outside the church.  GetReligion.org reports that Kate Shelnutt of Christianity Today, formerly a religion writer at the Houston Chronicle, tweeted out:

Lots Of @Lakewoodch Bashing B/C It's Not Open As A Shelter. FYI: It's Right Off The Highway (Shut Down) With Underground Parking (Flooded).

She also tweeted:

Seeing @JoelOsteen's Name Trending Over The Lakewood Shelter Saga Takes Me Back To Covering Religion In Houston. People Love To Hate Him.

Back to Stetzer's piece now, as he provides some guidance for Christians in reporting and regarding information. He offers four points:

1. Stop the selective listening. Let’s face it. Many already hate Osteen, so they are hungry for a scandal. Here’s the tough question: Are we hungry for a strategic or moral failure at Lakewood, too? As I mentioned above, I have serious thoughts about Osteen’s theology. But I need not plug my ears so that I can’t hear what is true.
2. Speak without the rage. Some take to Twitter like a death metal band. The screaming squeezes the logic out of our comments. When we dial back the emotion we are also more likely to retract when we have been wrong.
3. Tweet your retractions too. If we can learn anything from piling on at this time, it may be that saying sorry is something that Christians should do well.
4. Be silent. I waited to spill some ink on this topic. I had one thought at first. And another thought as the facts came out. What if I had piled on at the beginning? Or defended their decision too quickly? It has been best to be silent until there is something to say. And perhaps the best is to simply pull the plug.

We often feed on information that supports our worldview - that's not necessarily a bad thing, but if we quickly jump to conclusions when the facts say otherwise, then we have an issue.  It's human nature to respond quickly, sometimes in anger, sometimes in judgment.  But, our credibility as believers in Christ can be adversely affected if we are not fiercely committed to telling the truth.

This can be a teachable moment for us - sometimes the facts will not present our preconceived notions or support our conclusions.  We can't change the facts, but we can change our interpretation.