Looking back over 2014, we have seen more situations where ministries and preachers have collapsed under the weight of unbiblical character. In the wake of the collapse, many sages have appeared to gravely wag their heads and tut-tut over the fall of another Evangelical dynasty. The analysts have gone into over-drive to tell us what went wrong and why it went wrong.
The question that troubles my soul is why the analysis was not done before the collapse. In that lies a sad story. You see, in our Evangelical culture today, it is just not acceptable to criticize any ministry until it has finally collapsed in a devastating fashion. There are a few brave souls who do, but they are treated like pariahs. They are labelled uncharitable and told that they are judgmental. How can you speak against a brother or sister in Christ? But are they really? Or were they in fact the most gracious and loving of all?
Maybe an analogy is in order. . . Is it more charitable to analyze the charred remains after the fire has burned the house down than it is to say "I smell smoke," while the house still stands?
The question that troubles my soul is why the analysis was not done before the collapse. In that lies a sad story. You see, in our Evangelical culture today, it is just not acceptable to criticize any ministry until it has finally collapsed in a devastating fashion. There are a few brave souls who do, but they are treated like pariahs. They are labelled uncharitable and told that they are judgmental. How can you speak against a brother or sister in Christ? But are they really? Or were they in fact the most gracious and loving of all?
Maybe an analogy is in order. . . Is it more charitable to analyze the charred remains after the fire has burned the house down than it is to say "I smell smoke," while the house still stands?
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