As I mentioned yesterday, I heard a radio interview this week on NPR--specifically, Fresh Air's Terry Gross interviewing the hon. rev. John Hagee regarding the formation of a group at the eminent preacher's San Antonio mega-church (which includes such luminaries as Mr. Rod Parsley) dedicated to influencing American policy in "support" of Israel. This group, as I hinted yesterday, claims that Christians have a biblical mandate to support Israel, and by "support," they mean promoting a governmental policy that, in opposition to 40 years of American diplomacy, would give Israel carte blanche to (1) toss aside 30 years of diplomatic efforts toward peace, (2) annex as many territories at it wants, and (3) engage in whatever military action it wishes in the Middle East . . .
I used to be part of the movement that spawned organizations like this one.
When I became a Christian, it was in the context of the evangelical movement that routinely spawns (and celebrates) figures like John Hagee--and routinely elects politicians like George W. Bush to high office. I was, ladies and gentlemen, a true believer. I listened to Christian radio, watched stations like TBN and Daystar, and enthusiastically bought evangelical literature, especially books devoted to "Bible prophecy" and the "end times" (indeed, I was an adherent of the Tim LaHaye/Jerry Jenkins school of thought regarding the end of the world and Christ's Second Coming--and bought a substantial number of their books).
What I began to discover, however, was that the point of view I was adopting (the rapture/seven year tribulation/armageddon perspective) was largely advocated by people who, for one reason or another, had no love for people in the Middle East who weren't Christian or Jewish. Moreover, there was no consideration for the God of Christianity's own teachings--such as "Turn the other cheek," "Love your enemies," and "Love your neighbor as yourself." None of the writing coming from this movement seemed to exhibit any consideration for the intricacies of ancient texts--in fact, it seemed to pull some statements (like the seven year tribulation) completely out of the air. (I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who spent your lives believing in a seven year tribulation, but having read the book of Revelation, I see no indication that what John saw happening in the future took place over seven years--in fact, it could just as easily been a period of 7000 years he was viewing.)
Also . . . to put it mildly . . . none of this ideology's most vocal adherents, to my knowledge, has demonstrated an iota of the care, love, and understanding toward others that would, I would hope, mark anyone as a "man of God." I've listened to most of these people, and it seems to me that they are, as a rule, more concerned with establishing religious/financial empires than in doing any kind of substantive Christian service. (Do you see any of them out on the street helping the poor the way Mother Teresa did? Do you see any of them abandoning tape, radio, and television ministries--and accompanying large salaries--to spend their lives working with people who have AIDS, or who are homosexual, or who have abused alcohol and drugs?)
What the Christian new testament teaches me--what Christ teaches me--is that without love, there is no credibility. Without love, there is no ministry. Without love, there is no Christianity.
If there is anything I can say about the so-called "pre-trib" school and most of its champions, it is that it (and they) lack love--love for the Arabs of the Middle East, love for the Israelis of the Middle East, and (to be quite blunt) love for the rest of the world, including our own country. I am not saying that al qaeda, hamas, hezbollah, and many of the other similar groups proliferating in the Middle East are good, or that they are freedom fighters, or that they care one iota about anyone but themselves. (Personally, I am in favor of every last one of them being found, tried, and locked up in the deepest, darkest dungeon on the planet--especially given their practice of targeting women and children in their so-called "war of liberation" against Israel and the West.) I'm saying that without love, real love, for those who are labeled as "enemies," no Christian theology, however attractive and commonly taught, is worth a damn.
If you believe--really believe--that you could be taken up to heaven in the twinkling of an eye, even while reading my blog, then what do you care about the rise and fall of nations? Shouldn't you instead be dedicating your efforts to helping those in need around you, feeding the hungry, giving warmth and succor to the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked . . . the things that Christ taught you to do?
Do you think your God cares more about your vote and your political views than he cares about whether or not you gave someone in need a bite to eat, clothes to wear, or a warm bed?
I can tell you, my friend, that my worst fear regarding the "rapture" is not that I won't be taken, but that when I stand before Christ, and he asks me what I've done with the life he's given me, I won't be able to say anything.
I used to be part of the movement that spawned organizations like this one.
When I became a Christian, it was in the context of the evangelical movement that routinely spawns (and celebrates) figures like John Hagee--and routinely elects politicians like George W. Bush to high office. I was, ladies and gentlemen, a true believer. I listened to Christian radio, watched stations like TBN and Daystar, and enthusiastically bought evangelical literature, especially books devoted to "Bible prophecy" and the "end times" (indeed, I was an adherent of the Tim LaHaye/Jerry Jenkins school of thought regarding the end of the world and Christ's Second Coming--and bought a substantial number of their books).
What I began to discover, however, was that the point of view I was adopting (the rapture/seven year tribulation/armageddon perspective) was largely advocated by people who, for one reason or another, had no love for people in the Middle East who weren't Christian or Jewish. Moreover, there was no consideration for the God of Christianity's own teachings--such as "Turn the other cheek," "Love your enemies," and "Love your neighbor as yourself." None of the writing coming from this movement seemed to exhibit any consideration for the intricacies of ancient texts--in fact, it seemed to pull some statements (like the seven year tribulation) completely out of the air. (I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who spent your lives believing in a seven year tribulation, but having read the book of Revelation, I see no indication that what John saw happening in the future took place over seven years--in fact, it could just as easily been a period of 7000 years he was viewing.)
Also . . . to put it mildly . . . none of this ideology's most vocal adherents, to my knowledge, has demonstrated an iota of the care, love, and understanding toward others that would, I would hope, mark anyone as a "man of God." I've listened to most of these people, and it seems to me that they are, as a rule, more concerned with establishing religious/financial empires than in doing any kind of substantive Christian service. (Do you see any of them out on the street helping the poor the way Mother Teresa did? Do you see any of them abandoning tape, radio, and television ministries--and accompanying large salaries--to spend their lives working with people who have AIDS, or who are homosexual, or who have abused alcohol and drugs?)
What the Christian new testament teaches me--what Christ teaches me--is that without love, there is no credibility. Without love, there is no ministry. Without love, there is no Christianity.
If there is anything I can say about the so-called "pre-trib" school and most of its champions, it is that it (and they) lack love--love for the Arabs of the Middle East, love for the Israelis of the Middle East, and (to be quite blunt) love for the rest of the world, including our own country. I am not saying that al qaeda, hamas, hezbollah, and many of the other similar groups proliferating in the Middle East are good, or that they are freedom fighters, or that they care one iota about anyone but themselves. (Personally, I am in favor of every last one of them being found, tried, and locked up in the deepest, darkest dungeon on the planet--especially given their practice of targeting women and children in their so-called "war of liberation" against Israel and the West.) I'm saying that without love, real love, for those who are labeled as "enemies," no Christian theology, however attractive and commonly taught, is worth a damn.
If you believe--really believe--that you could be taken up to heaven in the twinkling of an eye, even while reading my blog, then what do you care about the rise and fall of nations? Shouldn't you instead be dedicating your efforts to helping those in need around you, feeding the hungry, giving warmth and succor to the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked . . . the things that Christ taught you to do?
Do you think your God cares more about your vote and your political views than he cares about whether or not you gave someone in need a bite to eat, clothes to wear, or a warm bed?
I can tell you, my friend, that my worst fear regarding the "rapture" is not that I won't be taken, but that when I stand before Christ, and he asks me what I've done with the life he's given me, I won't be able to say anything.
posted by Brian Bly at 10:53 AM
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