The Cowardice Of Shunning Controversy (May 15, 2005)

The pastor of one of America's biggest churches was asked by a journalist why he never addressed a certain highly-charged, biblical issue in the pulpit. He replied that he did not feel comfortable talking about it.

He needs to start feeling comfortable talking about it.

The sin of cowardice plagues our clergy today. The temptation isn't new - even St. Paul lamented his susceptibility to cowardice, which is why he begged the Ephesians to pray that "words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel...Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should" (Ephesians 6:19-20). That is a good prayer to pray for all spiritual leaders. Tell God to make us fearless. The dirty little secret of my vocation is that we ministers want to be liked, and, since our livelihoods partly depend on not ticking off too many people, the pressure to avoid saying anything that might alienate is extreme.

A church elder once told me that his pastor confided in him that he could never address the issue of divorce because so many people in his congregation were divorced. So what? We're sinners too - would he refuse to condemn sin? Would he shun the duty of calling us to repentance because some of us might not like that?

Look at the way John the Baptist stood toe-to-toe with Herod Antipas and said, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife" (Mark 6:18). Surely he knew such a comment could lose him his public ministry (it did) and his life (it eventually did). Or look at St. Paul's incredible speech to the Athenians. Surrounded by pagan temples he said, "the Lord of heaven and earth does not live in temples built by hands" (Acts 17:24). In the land of idols he affirmed, "We should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone" (Acts 17:24). No wonder that Greeks wanted to kill him (Acts 16:19-24; 19:23-34). And look at his declaration to fellow Jews in Acts 22:21-22, where he dared to say that God had called him to save Gentiles - the enemy. No wonder that Jews wanted to kill him too. And this ice-for-veins apostle wanted more courage? That is like Barry Bonds circa 2001 wanting more steroids!

If the apostles were ministering today, I wonder if we would disdain them as shameless provocateurs. They strike me as the sort who would go to Salt Lake City and call Joseph Smith a fraud; to San Francisco and say, "Those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom God"; to a Muslim community and say that Mohammed was a pedophile (he had sex with a nine-year-old); to anyplace at all and say, "There is salvation in no one but Jesus Christ" (Acts 4:12). I never see them evading tough issues of doctrine or practice with a dismissive "I don't feel comfortable talking about that." On the other hand, I am beginning to suspect that those traits we now honor as “tactful” and “winsome” might, in the light of apostolic courage, be shown to be nothing more than yellow-bellied, self-protecting cowardice.

May God give courage to all of us who dare to speak for him.