Recently, Franklin Graham has been in the news, again. A few days ago he was disinvited to the Pentagon Prayer breakfast in Washington DC. The reason was that he is too divisive and not unifying enough. Graham is quoted in the current edition of Newsweek as having said Mohammad, “only leads to the grave” and that Islam is a wicked and evil religion.
Now, don't think Graham has a beef with Islam in particular because I don’t think he does. He is just an outspoken Christian and I bet he would say the exact say things about any other religion or spiritual movement that is not Christianity. Any individual, thought or religion that is not for the God of the Bible is against the same God, Graham would say.
It is not surprising Graham has received some heat these days. He is leveling some volatile condemnation upon Islam.
However, I don’t think it is just those in the “liberal media” or in those “mainline” churches that have a problem with Graham’s words. In the book of Ephesians Paul writes to the church about maturity and growing up in the faith. He writes in 4:15, “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”
Interesting, maturity is tied to the way we speak!
Even though what Franklin Graham has said is ultimately true, I have to think there is another way to get his point across. There has to be a way to speak the truth in love. According to Paul, being able to do so is a sign of growth and maturity.
I would rather be challenged for the things I say and not the way I say them. I would rather be persecuted, ridiculed and ostracized for the truth and accuracy of my words, then for the actual words I use. I would rather be engaging and persuasive with my words, than repulsive and repelling.
1 comment:
It's very hard to be true to the message of "Jesus is the only way to Heaven". Many nonbelievers find that very arrogant.
Without love and power - and the drawing of God, is anyone going to believe much these days? The love of even the church is starting to grow cold. It has become more about debate, political correctness, and a host of other cultural pylons in which we have to navigate.
Graham should get out there and perform a few miracles, or heal some folks - maybe even bring a bunch to Christ. Otherwise he is just another talking head - maybe passionate for the Kingdom - but coming off as a philosophy of hate.
Soon he'll be lumped in thee with WBC and Pat Roberston.
Good post.
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