What we can learn from Brian McLaren…

For those who do not know Brian McLaren, he’s described my most evangelicals as a heretic and unfaithful to the gospel. I disagree with him on a lot of issues. He is the front runner for the Emergent (not emerging) Church. The Emergent Church has become known for their desire to have conversations and steer clear of absolute truth that could be divisive and in so doing becomes unfaithful to the gospel, but that’s for another time and blog.

I recently read blog posts by him on Talking Points Memo which is a liberal political website and blog. Upon reading the articles, I was convicted that what he was saying was reality. He focused on the fact that most evanglicals completely ignore systemic issues (i.e. poverty, homelessness, environmental issues) and primarily focus on personal morality. Now we must not ignore personal morality or divorce it from systemic issues, but why have we ignored greater systemic issues?

I’m still wrestling with how we have gotten to the point that we ignore huge systemic issues, but one cause has to be a sinful self-focus that permeates our being and infiltrates the church by causing it to be inwardly focused instead of seeking the restoration of the world through the gospel of Christ.

I recently read Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller and it’s an absolutely amazing book. It revealed sinful attitudes I held toward the poor that have been ingrained in me all my life. It was one of those painful reads that cause you to cringe because they force you to face sin you want to hide. I recommend it for everyone.

More to come on this topic as I wrestle with it more.