Opinion

In the U.S. context, we often hear laments about the decline of Christianity, how younger generations are walking away from faith and about our culture’s increasing embrace of immorality. If we hear such stories of doom and gloom enough, perhaps we start to believe them. But what if there’s more to the story?

(RNS) — Author Shane Claiborne notes that, with America’s next two executions scheduled for this month, there couldn’t have been a better time for Pope Francis to wholeheartedly denounce the death penalty — and for Christians worldwide to double down on their commitment to end it.

It’s safe to assume that everyone reading this column has faced some type of obstacle this week. It’s almost a given that life is going to throw things into our path that seek to deter us from getting accomplished what we need to get done. We are not the first people to experience this.

Returning home after a memorial service for former Midwestern Seminary President Dr. Milton Ferguson, I started thinking. What do I remember from my seminary days? Does my theological education continue to impact me? In short, does a seminary education stick? After more than 45 years of pastoring, I can answer with a resounding yes.

The top religious advisor to President Donald Trump defended his policies on detaining immigrant children, claiming Jesus never broke the law. Rather than an aberration, Paula White, the Florida megachurch “prosperity gospel” preacher, demonstrated the feel-good theology of too many Americans that prioritizes order over morality.

From a cultural standpoint, we are likely long overdue to have some serious conversations about issues such as consent and equal rights in the workplace. And whether we like or dislike celebrities, they have had a large hand in propelling this movement forward.

But what about the church?

It seems that since people could write, we’ve had stories warning about powerful people using their power to abuse others and to gain or preserve their power, assets or lustful desires. Homer’s “The Iliad.” Plato’s “Apology of Socrates.” And, the Bible.

In August of 2017 I made a commitment to preach a series of sermons on rape, abuse and assault. Little did I know that two months later the #MeToo movement would explode all over social media as women courageously stepped forward to tell their stories.

When we read the book of Joshua, we typically focus on the physical land that the characters in the book are seeking to inhabit. I think we also learn through the book that God thinks openly and creatively as it relates to who can be in relationship with God and whom God chooses to use in the process of blessing God’s children. 

In May, I trekked to North East India on a trip in partnership between Word&Way, Future Leadership Foundation and Transforming Leaders in Asia Ministries. My first trip to India, I enjoyed meeting Baptists there and learning about their culture and ministry context. I also learned a bit about driving in India.