I've been saying that this world is mad quite a lot lately. Perhaps that has less to do with the state of the world and more to do with the fact that I get stuck on certain phrases, but that's not entirely the point.
This morning I read a post that featured a picture of two smiling girls who were carrying posters that said things like, "God Hates America." And that just threw me for a loop. Smiling. Apparently genuinely happy. Declaring God's intense hatred toward us.
Huh?
After a very brief Google search [read: I didn't have to leave page 1], I came to the conclusion that Westboro Baptist Church is actively setting fire to bridges.
Burning Bridges
And they seem to be burning the bridge on both sides: I don't think they're acting very Christ-like.
In fact, Rob Bell makes some good points about how it doesn't seem to be working. If you're not so much into Rob, perhaps you'll find Yancey a bit more compelling.
...
On the other hand, how do we build toward those who focus on passages like Malachi 1:2-3?
Back in high school I was rather... pushy... in how I talked with others about my beliefs. I was vocal. I cared. I really wanted people to see the truth. And one day I started to say something and a girl near me said, "Stop it, Luke. I don't want to hear it. Just stop."
That was probably the first time I had to consider the option of keeping quiet.
And perhaps this all comes down to a question that I mentioned yesterday: Who cares more about your soul: The person who lets you come to your own conclusions, or the one who says, "Turn or burn"? And who thinks they are more effective?
Smiling girls. Bullhorns. Bridges.
That's a recipe for madness if I've ever seen one.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father
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