Posted by Jim Henderson on: 06.01.2008 /
In a recent interview with Off The Map Rob Bell predicted that the next big shift in American Christianity could be characterized this way, “a little less Billy Graham and a little more Martin Luther King.”
In 1953 Billy Graham wrote his classic Peace with God.
Graham, whether conscious of it or not, was crafting a gospel message that was profoundly contextualized. Peace with God was a decidedly therapeutic idea that appealed to masses of Americans worshipping at the altar of individualism while mixed with the metaphors of Christianity.
“The post war (WWII) revival benefited from a strong social interest in peace of mind. A therapeutic rather than reformist element became a defining aspect of public religiosity” — A World History of Christianity
In 1963 (a mere ten years later) another very public Christian, Martin Luther King wrote his classic Letter From The Birmingham Jail where King was in incarcerated for practicing protest - a decidedly reformist Gospel.
King was also appealing to a context - the lost tradition of caring for the other. Charles Finney (1792-1875) the revered father of American revivalism (and thus evangelicalism) taught that the truly converted person would not only practice personal piety but also “forswear both alcohol and slavery”
This is what is coming. A spirituality that’s more about others and less about me, less my peace of mind and more changing the wrongs committed against others, less Billy G and more MLK.
The problem with predicting the future is that in spite of how smart we think we are we rarely see it coming. The future doesn’t suddenly appear so much as it sneaks up on us.
William Gibson put it like this “the future is here, it’s just not well-distributed yet”
I’m fortunate to be trusted by some very bright, passionate and innovative young leaders. Here are a couple of people that I think are not just predicting the future they’re (as Gibson says) distributing it.
They’re practicing a spirituality for others and preaching what they practice.
Jason and Brooke Evans lead a vibrant missional community in San Diego. They will be road tripping this summer spreading the message of The Justice Kitchen. Jason works as a project manager for a construction company and is studying at Fuller Seminary. Send them $25 for gas money
How does turning off the light switch when you leave the room help children escape malnutrition in Africa?
How can bicycling short distances instead of driving lead towards an end to strife in Darfur? How can the clothes you wear help free slaves around the world?
It’s time to explore how the little things make a huge impact around the world. We live in an era full of choices…now is the time to learn how to choose justice through the little decisions we make.
Jeff is a Math Coach for Middle School students in the Issaquah School district just east of Seattle. He and I met when he asked me to be an advisor for his graduate program at Seattle University. Jeff has also worked as a volunteer associate pastor in a couple of small churches.
When preaching follows practice it sounds like this…
I fear for the future, for lots of reasons I think we (like the younger foolish son in Luke 15) have spent our inheritance in a 200-year cheap-oil fiesta that could (will) come to a rocky end. But like the son, I do think there is a return home waiting for us. That return will include, I believe, a renewal of community and local-ness.
Out of necessity and compassion I think we’ll start giving a rip about our neighbors (which is the 2nd greatest commandment, right?). That could be a very rich time – especially in contrast to an economic and/or ecological famine. The funny thing is I think the church will, to some extent, be the older brother, you know – pissed that the party’s not for him and confirming his way of thinking and his righteousness.
As Wendell Berry says, “The hardship holds the opportunity” and just like the parable ends – so too does our situation – with a question. “Won’t you (the older brother/church) come in and celebrate? Your younger brother is alive; he who we thought was dead is alive! Of course we’re celebrating! Won’t you come in?” That’s the question isn’t it? Will we, who so often talk of loving God and our neighbors, actually do it? I think it’s significant that Jesus did not resolve that parable, but let that question hang.
I’m sure that both Jeff and Jason respect Billy Graham and Martin Luther King but neither of them probably spend much time thinking about where one begins and the other leaves off. For them the future is now. They’re committed to practicing and preaching a spirituality for others.
It’s not ideas that change things- it’s ideas that get distributed.
Jeff and Jason are distributing the future that we need more of.
A little less Billy G and little more MLK.
By
Comment by: Elizabeth Chapin
1 06/1/08 5:05 PM | Comment Link |I remember hearing Rob say that and it’s quite a catchy saying. Rob is good at those, but I appreciate your putting names, faces, and other ideas to the catchy phrase. Thanks for the depth and the breadth.
Comment by: The Ecclesia Collective » Blog Archive » OTM plugs Justice Kitchen, etc.
2 06/1/08 9:32 PM | Comment Link |[...] the Justice Kitchen road trip this summer in Off The Map’s June 2008 newsletter. Check it out here. Thanks, [...]
Comment by: benjamin ady
3 06/2/08 1:03 AM | Comment Link |William Gibson is seriosquiolio awesome. You just went *even* higher in my estimation of you now that you quoted him. =)
But what’s up with Finney saying converted people will forswear alcohol and slavery? Is he the guy we can blame for the American Christian funniness about alcohol? I suppose there’s a larger picture than that.
Comment by: joe
4 06/2/08 2:34 AM | Comment Link |To be fair, Benjamin, the Christian attitude to alcohol stems largely from the temperance movement, which in turn was a response to the Gin epidemic. Whilst the residual attitude is still felt within the Christian community (and can fairly be described as unhelpful), it was a real response to a real problem.
Whilst my attitude is rather more Chestertonian (alcohol should be enjoyed rather than abused), I recognise that the abuse of alcohol is still a real issue in our societies.
Comment by: Dave
5 06/2/08 4:02 AM | Comment Link |This article reminds me of a conversation I had many years ago with Pastor Dick Blackwell about sitting in a seminary class while the professor and students critiqued Billy Graham’s sermons. Dick said he could not help laughing. When the professor asked him what he was laughing about, Dick said, “Here we are, talking about what Billy Graham is doing wrong. He has led millions to Christ and none of us have ever done anything for God.” Martin Luther King (like Billy Graham) was one of a number of people God has used to impact our world. I do not think we need to discard one to appreciate the other. We need to learn to appreciate the way God uses people in various ways. By that we learn to better appreciate God.
Comment by: joe
6 06/2/08 4:16 AM | Comment Link |Jim, what you’re saying reminds me of Rob Lacey’s turn of phrase in the Word on the Street (a bible paraphrase for anyone who doesn’t know).
Rob was a good guy, sadly missed.
Comment by: Jim Henderson
7 06/2/08 6:10 AM | Comment Link |Not sure Benjamin - but it would have been nice if they had connected the two at the same time - THAT would have made it all much more Jesus like
Comment by: Randy
8 06/2/08 8:49 AM | Comment Link |I’d like to see a little less of the 1950’s Billy G and a lot more of the 2008 Billy G, personally. Graham was a frontrunner, the Elvis Presley of evangelism in the 50’s. Today he is deeper, more inclusive and more in awe of God’s grace than ever. I’d imagine that MLK, had he lived as long, would probably be a lot like the 08 version of Billy G. Together they paint a wonderful picture of Jesus for me. And I could stand a LOT more of that.
Thanks, Jim, for this helpful and (typically) provocative piece. I LOVED this:
Wow.
Comment by: Mike O
9 06/2/08 10:34 PM | Comment Link |Billy G is my hero, and here’s why - He kept his message simple and understandable. “God loves you.” He never added extra crap or theology or sold sermon series. Like John the Baptist, he only had ONE MESSSAGE - God loves you.
He appeared to be clear on his call in life. If I can have the clarity I think he had (with or without the success - that’s not important to me), and live a life as completely focused and “sold out” as his, I’ll die a happy man.
None of that was meant to imply that the premise of this post is wrong - I just like Billy G, that’s all.
Comment by: Jim Henderson
10 06/3/08 8:23 PM | Comment Link |Go Billy G
Comment by: Josh
11 06/3/08 8:46 PM | Comment Link |I am going to step out on a limb and say that you should never have billy g without MLK. I am also going to say that you shouldn’t have MLK without Billy G. The Jesus style functions with spoken truth and compassionate deed as coexisting but not interchangeable. They both need to be present to be good news.
Comment by: Jason Horton
12 06/4/08 7:52 AM | Comment Link |There’s an awful lot of culture here that I’m not familiar with but more people like MLK would certainly gain my support. Although I’ve only really listened to him as an orator, not as a preacher. He had a magnificent way of speaking and getting his message across.
Comment by: Jim Henderson
13 06/4/08 9:01 AM | Comment Link |Josh - where is the limb you are stepping out on?
Help us see how what you are saying is different from what we have been saying or how it might be new thinking?