Friday, May 29, 2020

The Lists

Somewhere there is a list that includes the names of all black people who have died due to racial violence in our country. It is a long list. Too long. One name would be too many. It includes names like Addie Mae, Cynthia, Carole, and Denise--these young girls died in the basement of their church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963 when a bomb detonated on the east side of 16th Street Baptist Church while they were in Sunday School with their friends. Why were they killed? Because they were black. It would take years for KKK activists to be convicted of this horrific crime.

That list includes the name of Edward Johnson, a black man convicted of rape and sentenced to death in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1906. His attorneys appealed the conviction and won a stay of execution from the United States Supreme Court. Upon hearing the news, an angry mob of white men stormed the jail, seized Johnson, dragged him through the streets, and hung him from a bridge. He was later cleared of all charges and proven to be innocent.

One would think that we are beyond this kind of hatred in the 21st century. One would hope this kind of racial prejudice would have been overcome by now. Surely by now, Americans would realize that we are all human beings, regardless of the color of our skin, and entitled to be treated with respect, dignity, and equality. One would think.

Unfortunately, just this past week all Americans were reminded that we still have an insidious, cancerous, destructive, and regrettable disease among us. In fact, it is far more dangerous than any COVID-19 outbreak. From New York City to Minneapolis, Minnesota--we were once again confronted with the continued expression of racial prejudice. Unfortunately, the incident in Minneapolis added the name of George Floyd to that long list.

No one knows how many names are on the list. Well, actually that is not true. God knows. And He grieves. Lord, have mercy.

There is another list that is even longer than the first list I have mentioned. It includes the names of all the black people in our county who have been victims of racial prejudice or hatred. They may not have lost their lives, but they have been robbed of dignity. They have been oppressed. They have been enslaved, abused, neglected, hurt, rejected, beaten, ignored, and victims of a host of other atrocities. Again, only God knows the indignities experienced by an untold number of Black Americans.

There is another list that is even longer than the first two lists. This is the list that includes the names of racists who have inflicted violence and have spread the disease of prejudice throughout society. More often than not, these folks have been in positions of power and privilege in the culture. These folks have intentionally committed acts of violence, or established systems of prejudice, or enacted racist laws, or enforced laws with cavalier acts of inequity, or used their influence to hinder the social or economic progression of black people. Again--we don't know all of the names on this list. But--God knows.

There is another list that is even longer than the first three lists. This is the list that includes the names of the indifferent. These are the people who seem to be unaffected by acts of racial violence. This list is filled with the names of "good" people who just did not want to be involved. They do not consider themselves racists--and that is probably true for most of the people on this list. However, their inaction has allowed a terrible disease to exist and ravage our nation. No one knows how many names are on this list. God knows.

Finally, there is another list. This list includes the names of the people who have said, "Enough." The people on this list know that racism is evil and not only needs to be opposed but needs to be eradicated. Abraham Lincoln comes to mind. Harriet Tubman is on this list as an American heroine. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- a Baptist pastor in Montgomery, Alabama is on this list. Southwestern Seminary's legendary ethics professor, T.B. Maston is on this list.  In fact, there have been many Americans on this list. And, Praise God, across our nation today, there are many of us on this list. 

We must continue to speak out and act. We must continue to pray and lament. We must teach our children about the evils of racism. We must combat racist legislation and enforcement. We must challenge the status quo when necessary. I am not a proponent of violence in response to violence. However, I am a proponent of positive, thoughtful, passionate, reasoned responses to incidents of racism. 

I particularly would contend this is a matter for the church in America to address. We are followers of Jesus. He has called us to be agents of restoration in society. He has empowered us with His Holy Spirit to overcome the forces of evil in our world. He has equipped us with a message of hope and peace. He has enabled us to love deeply and persevere patiently. By His grace, with His direction, through His means, according to His will, in His time, and for His glory ----- hopefully ----- we shall overcome.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

They Walk Among Us

They walk among us – This is the title of a podcast in the UK that covers all manner of crimes committed by people who “walk among us.” It also is the title of a one-act play by Nicholas O’Neill, the youngest victim claimed in the Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island back in 2003. Sometimes, the phrase is used by comedians to point out the ridiculous behavior associated with “normal” people who “walk among us.”

Let me flip the analogy a bit, if I may. As I look back across my life in ministry, I have encountered true giants in the faith-----who just walked among us. Today, I want to pay tribute to them.

I cut my teeth in ministry during a turbulent time in Baptist history. I arrived at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1981. My wife and I felt a call to mission and we were uncertain where that call may take us. However, we were certain that the first steps were to be given to preparation. So, we married the month of our college graduation and moved 700 miles to Texas to begin our journey.

We were not privy to the “goings-on” in the Southern Baptist Convention in those days. Cindy and I were naïve young people who simply wanted to serve Jesus and prepare ourselves for a lifetime of service. My interests in convention life were stirred as a young seminary student as I observed the machinations of denominational life for the first time.

Eventually, I would actually attend a Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting myself. I went to the convention meeting in Dallas in 1985. Wow. Over 40,000 of us showed up for that one!

I became enamored with all of the forces at play in controversy in our convention. In fact, I completed a PhD in Church History at Southwestern and actually wrote my doctoral dissertation on the controversy itself (Factors Contributing to the Resurgence of Fundamentalism in the Southern Baptist Convention: 1979-1990).

During those days in my life – and across the years that followed, I was influenced and shaped by true giants in ministry. Some of them were in the academy, some were in the local churches, and some of them were denominational servants. They walked among us. Praise God that some of them are still walking among us!

As I have attended funerals this week for two of those giants, I have been reflecting upon the men and women who shaped me in ministry. They were role models for me. They took an interest in me. Some of them I knew very well, and some were only known at a distance. But they all had shaping influence in my life and I am forever indebted to them for all I learned from them.

They walk(ed) among us:

Russell Dilday, W. R. Estep, Jack Gray, Jack MacGorman, Leon McBeth, Curtis Vaughn, Bruce Corley, David Kirkpatrick, John Newport, James Leo Garrett, T. W. Hunt, James Brooks, Justice Anderson, Bert Dominy, Keith Parks, Bill O’Brien, Delanna O’Brien, Carolyn Weatherford, Bill Pinson, Paul Powell, Ralph Langley, Herschel Hobbs, Jimmy Allen, Winfred Moore, Charles Wade, Richard Jackson, Dan Vestal, Henry Blackaby, Beth Moore, Rick Warren . . .

This is not an exhaustive list. But this list contains an incredible brain trust of leaders who have helped make me who I am today. There have been many more folks of course. I have had church members who have left indelible kingdom imprints on me. But this list of leaders shaped my understanding of ministry and mission.

What did I learn from them? Wow – where would I start?

Lordship of Christ – I watched these people through the years serve the Lord Jesus faithfully. They taught me to surrender my daily walk to the Lord. They never lost sight of claims of Christ on their lives. These leaders were (are) Jesus people.

Love for the local church – These leaders have loved the church well! Paul Powell used to tell me, “You should always have fire in your belly for the local church.” These men and women demonstrated their commitment to the local church in how they engaged in ministry and mission.

Authority of the Bible – These leaders also demonstrated a commitment to the authority of the Word of God. They maintained their loyalty to the Scripture for the duration of their lives. They never succumbed to the “winds of the day” in their understanding of God’s truth. Even when the teachings of the Bible ran counter to the prevailing view in society, these leaders demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the authority of God’s Word.

Centrist Orthodoxy – These leaders resisted the temptation to be pulled too far right and too far left theologically. They rejected the hard-edged notions of both liberalism and fundamentalism. They refused to be pulled off the pavement into theological ditches. They demonstrated to me how to remain vibrant and buoyant in the face of great challenge.

Grace under fire – These leaders also helped me understand how to be gracious in the moment—particularly in the heat of battle. They all have experienced some level of crisis, accusation, and challenge. I watched them weather these storms with great aplomb. They never lost their way in the midst of the challenge. They had the unique ability to see the best in others ---- even in the face of profound disagreement. They were not vindictive or vengeful. Their deep devotion to the Lord kept them in touch with the grace of Christ.

Work Ethic – These leaders modeled a great work ethic for me. I learned from them that life is not handed to us. These leaders gave great effort to their ministry and life endeavors. They worked hard in every arena. I am inspired daily still by their example.

Hope – These leaders inspired me to never lose hope. Our hope is rooted in a Gospel of Hope that emerged from a God of Hope who has provided us with a Savior Who has secured our Hope. My hope is not in some cause, some theological perspective, some political victory. My hope is the Gospel of my Lord.

Thank you, Lord for the giants in my life!