Thoughts From One Never Alone

Considering our (Missouri Baptist Convention’s) current struggles, I thought a little ‘Lewis’ (C.S. Lewis) would be helpful. Dealing with the value of reading old books, in his book entitled God in the Dock, Lewis points out, ‘We are all rightly distressed, and ashamed also, at the divisions of Christendom. But those who have always lived within the Christian fold may be too easily dispirited by them. They are bad, but such people do not know what it looks like from without. Seen from there, what is left intact, despite all the divisions, still appears (as truly it is) an immensely formidable unity.’ These words are encouraging.

I think C.S. Lewis observed what is often overlooked. We become focused on internal issues while operating under the notion that everyone is watching and quite amused, or worse yet, disgusted. More often than not this notion is false. Consider our MBC churches. How many church members are even aware that we are involved in painful discussions? How many pastors chew on their fingernails waiting anxiously for the outcome of our investigations? Don’t get me wrong, we should be interested, but I believe this point was proven at one of our annual meetings. Messengers were unaware and these were individuals who actually show up to annual meetings. We run the risk of allowing certain issues to eclipse our time and thoughts when they barely cast a shadow on the greater landscape of life and ministry. We lose perspective. Lewis finds it for us.

Recognizing that there is still ‘an formidable unity’ can encourage us. Lewis argued that for those who are intellectually honest there is no way to deny the consistent ’smell’ of the Christian Faith. Each generation faces its challenges but seen as a whole the Christian Faith stands strong. Some may say, ‘Well that’s nice for those who are historically astute but what about those who aren’t?’ I would ask in response, how many people do you pass on the street that are talking about the MBC’s struggles? You may encounter those who speak of division in general or the existence of denominations but those objections are not difficult to answer.

Where does this leave us? 1.) We must not ignore our current challenges. Today’s issues are tomorrow’s lessons. We must deal with our problems or else be found guilty of dereliction. 2.) We must operate with biblical wisdom and charity. Not every problem is worth blood shed. Distinguish between the essential, secondary, and tertiary issues of our day. Remember the principle, ‘In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.’ 3.) We must appreciate our place in church history. 4.) We must pray for and honor the system that is in place for dealing with convention issues. 5.) We must remember that there will come a day when ‘our time’ will become a part of the distant past, and what will be most important is the consistent ’smell’ of the Christian Faith.