Dinner Time

In an age of polarization, even in the Church, we can be reminded to stay humble and not let the enemy

divide us. In Luke 18, Jesus offered this parable:

10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Jesus dealt with self-exaltation and spiritual pride throughout the course of His earthly ministry; in fact, you could say that prevailing attitude led to His crucifixion.  The religious leaders of the day were so convinced their way was right that they badgered and challenged Jesus, and eventually it became too much.  This parable from Jesus is a classic example of what we call "virtue-signaling" today - and it doesn't unite believers and certainly doesn't please God.

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The Bible consistently demonstrates for us the importance of staying humble before the Lord and not exalting ourselves. 1st Corinthians 10 states:
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

I appreciate the work of the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University - it would be described as  "think tank" that was formed in order to motivate people to embrace Biblical truth, and because it is housed at a Christian university, I would say it is well-positioned to motivate college students and young adults.

This weekend, it is sponsoring a Freedom Uncensored conference, featuring a number of high-profile Christian speakers.  It's sold out, by the way.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is one of the speakers.  A recent article on the Center's website featured a former State Department and Pentagon official.  His name is William Wolfe, and he commented recently on what seems to be an attempt to extrapolate a statistic that has been circulating about the voting patterns of areas with a Whole Foods store, contrasted with areas that have a Cracker Barrel.  Yes, that seems to be a thing, with the Whole Foodies going more liberal and the Cracker Barrellers trending more conservative. 

The article elaborated on some comments made by VeggieTales co-creator Phil Vischer on a podcast hosted by the enigmatic Karen Swallow Prior, who used to be on the faculty of Liberty and now teaches at a Southern Baptist seminary.  The comments were posted on the Woke Preacher Clips channel. The original article was revised because it described Prior as a "progressive" and the editor, while apologetic, supported the contention of the article.  

And, that contention is this, according to Wolfe:

For someone like Vischer, it’s the Whole Food Elite Evangelicals versus the Cracker Barrel Christians. And the subtext? What’s the matter with those backwards, porch-rocking rubes? If they just were willing to pay for $15 Whole Foods’ sushi like me, wouldn’t the country…wouldn’t Christianity…be better off? (Obviously that’s somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but I trust you get my point.)

He goes on to say:

What exactly is the substance of this critique? What’s the cause of the embarrassment reflex? It’s the fact that Cracker Barrel Christians, by and large, have refused to adopt the new, progressive views on politics and culture...

Wolfe provides some context by writing:

The elite evangelical, according to John Ehrett at The American Reformer, “largely eschews the ‘culture war’ language of Moral Majority forerunners like Jerry Falwell Sr.” And this type of Christian, this elite evangelical, can’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, the rest of us knuckle-dragging fundamentalists are as backwards as the New York Times really thinks we are.

Ehrett goes on to explain that “this nagging sense that we’re really the bad guys, has been internalized — whether overtly or implicitly. One might call this condition of latent discomfort, which tends to manifest as an immediate tendency to distinguish oneself from one’s less enlightened evangelical peers when pressed, the embarrassment reflex.”

This subject matter is uncomfortable for me because it typecasts certain individuals and pits groups of people against each other (Wolfe actually used the term, "versus") - the Whole Foods "elite" vs. the Cracker Barrel "everyman (or woman)."  And, I don't see how it's helpful.  Wolfe nails it when he says:

I gladly throw my hat in the dusty ring with the Cracker Barrel Christians every day of the week — and especially on Sunday (for the buttermilk-battered fried chicken, of course). But I am more than happy to break bread with the Whole Food Christians too — as long as they are willing to sign onto real Christian ethics and submit all of their lives, including their political preferences, to King Jesus. I want the Gospel to go forth to folks eating chicken-and-dumplings and to folks eating vegan miracle meat for $20 a pound. But I refuse to chastise Christians who won’t bow the knee to the cultural Baals of our time and adopt a new orthodoxy on race or gender roles, etc., just because CNN tells me I should.

As the Bible tells us, The Kingdom of God certainly is not what you eat or drink, or what you wear, but how faithful you are to the teachings of Scripture.  And, Wolfe takes Mr. Vischer to task for attempting to divide Christians based on the degree of their supposed enlightenment; enlightenment is great - if it conforms to Scripture. But Wolfe says that so-called "Cracker Barrel Christians" are seen by some as "not as those simply trying to maintain a faithful, biblical ethic in an increasingly secular and maddening world, but rather as 'change-resistant' fundamentalists who refuse to get with the times..."

It's a false dichotomy.  The test is faithfulness to Scripture, and that may put a person at odds with the "elites" of society - or of the Church.  Unfortunately, you have self-appointed Christian leaders who believe they can tell others what to do just because they have a blog or a Twitter account.  Our modern-day spiritual elitism is just a repackaged version of what I used to call spiritual pride. 

The times may be "a-changing," as Bob Dylan puts it, but that doesn't mean we have to change our stance on cultural issues. As it's been said, the message never changes, although the method of reaching people may change.  But, the Church should never resort to compromise just to be culturally relevant, and while we will disagree on various issues, we certainly shouldn't resort to name-calling or exhibit a demeaning attitude toward others.  We are fellow travelers, trying to please God and to be Christ's disciples, as He gives us strength.