The Pat Robertson Question

At this point, we really don’t need another rant on the sometimes strange and inappropriate comments Pat Robertson’s been making on national television over the years. But I do think we need to look at it from a different perspective. First of all, this isn’t a question of anyone’s integrity, or a personal assault on a particular pastor or ministry leader. It’s a question of strategy. What is the most effective way to reach this culture with the message of the Christian faith?

In the future, before we get up in arms, or call for a boycott, I would suggest that we need to realize that God doesn’t need defending. He can handle these situations quite well by himself. I’m frequently reminded that although God graciously allows me to take part in His eternal plan, He certainly doesn’t need me.

In fact, our job isn’t to defend the honor of God, like some over zealous boyfriend defending the honor of his girlfriend. Our job is to reach the world with a message of hope – to tell them the good news of Jesus Christ. Often, all these other things do is distract us from our real assignment. Suggesting on national television that a world leader be taken out, or suggesting Sharon’s stroke, AIDS, or Hurricane Katrina is God’s retribution, or boycotting a TV program doesn’t really help us accomplish that assignment.

But what can we do when we feel the gospel has been trivialized by the culture, or we are offended at the way God or spiritual issues have been criticized?

First, we have to clean up our own house. In a world where a shocking number of Catholic priests have been revealed as pedophiles, protestant pastors divorce their wives and never miss a Sunday in the pulpit, the prosperity gospel has completely distorted the priorities of the Bible, and many Christian leaders have become little more than political operatives, the culture has lost respect for our faith. It’s no wonder the mainstream culture trivializes God, when His own people have lost their fear and respect for Him.

Second, before we speak – particularly from national media platforms – we need to consider how the non-Christian public will respond to the message. They don’t operate from our playbook. They don’t understand and therefore respect what the Bible says, so they don’t share our worldview. It’s about PERCEPTION. How will they “perceive” our message? I would submit that throughout history, we could have stopped bloodshed and devastation had we been more sensitive to the public perception of our pronouncements. Jesus was remarkably aware of His audience, and always responded sensitively to different types of people.

Galatians 1:10 tells us that it’s not about “pleasing men.” It’s not about being spineless. I believe the world is looking for men and women who aren’t afraid to stand up for the Truth. In fact, Acts 17 teaches us that we have to engage and justify their attention, in order to begin the conversation.

And never forget, Matthew chapter 7 reminds us that Jesus spoke as “one having authority.” We could do well to make sure we have our facts in order, and speak from a position of expertise, so that regardless of whether the audience agrees with us, they have to concede that our argument has authority and works.

In a media driven culture, “perception” is just as important as “reality.” How an audience perceives our message is critical to the successful communication of that message. That doesn’t mean compromise, but it does mean sensitivity.

Because ultimately, it doesn’t matter if we’re speaking the truth, if no one is listening...