My recent post about Christian bookstores really got started several months ago, but the spark came Friday from Tim Brister. He posted a series of tweets last week on his “journey into a Christian bookstore”—with graphic imagery—that made me cringe.
Consider this picture… Does this make you want to:
- Worship
- Repent
- Laugh
- Swoon
- Work out
- Vomit
- Look around for Candid Camera
- Grab your loved ones and flee from the wrath that is about to fall from Heaven
Is this worthy of the martyrs’ blood?
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (Heb. 11:32-40)
After posting about a dozen shots like these, Tim tweeted, “I know I’m being obnoxious, but that’s exactly what we are in our evangelical ghettoes. Reverse contextualization is worse than an eye sore.”
The Gospel needs no help being a foul odor in the nose of a lost world. It’s an ironic shame that in our public display of our “Christianity,” Evangelicals end up being both more worldly and more offensive to the world.
Hugh, well said.