Recently, I have read two columns about Mark Driscoll stepping
down as the lead pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Both of the columns are reasonable and
rational attempts to publicly think through the Driscoll matter (Jonathan
Merritt - Why Christians Shouldn't Celebrate Driscoll's Downfall and Dr.
James Emery White - Your Pastor and Public Messes). Both columns make valid points in thoughtful tones
. . . yet . . .
This reminds me of a quote often attributed to John Wesley: “Catch
on fire and others will love to come watch you burn.” For those who don’t know, John Wesley was the
man who founded what we now know as the Methodist Church (although it doesn’t
look much like it did when Wesley started it as a movement within the Anglican
Church back in the 1700’s). Driscoll has
been a man on fire for many years.
Consequently, many came to watch him burn, in a good way, the way Wesley
meant it. Now, unfortunately, it appears
many have come to watch him burn because of his failures.
Thus, for my part, I’m in full Driscoll defense mode. This isn’t because I think Driscoll is a
great guy – I don’t know him. It isn’t
because I think he’s such a great preacher – I have heard parts of some
sermons, and he’s okay, but I’ve heard better.
It isn’t because he is blameless – it’s obvious he’s a sinner, which
makes his failures the more abysmal since he’s a pastor. It isn’t because he doesn’t deserve the
consequences he may be facing – that happens to all of us.
No, I’m in full blown Driscoll defense mode because somebody
has to step up and say let’s stop eating our own in public. When the New York Times does a big story on
Driscoll stepping down there’s a reason: it makes Christianity look bad. But let’s face it, the Christian blogs and
Christian media have been at Driscoll for months and have often been less than
gracious in their efforts and their tactics (one radio host offered up a sneak
attack accusing Driscoll of plagiarism when he wasn’t expecting it – even if
correct, this wasn’t the right way to go about it). The New York Times is a very late comer to
Driscoll bashing and only waded in when the story was sufficiently juiced up by
the Christian media.
I’m defending Driscoll because we’re all Driscoll. We’re all sinners in need of grace. We’ve all failed so often and in so many ways
most of us can’t begin to count the failures.
My own list is too full and too personal to recount here.
I know some will say ‘you know he made himself a public
spectacle.’ So by making this argument,
the next domino to fall is what? That he
deserves the treatment he’s getting from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ
because of his celebrity? The Christian
media is just ‘getting the truth out?’
Since he’s operating in public, his downfall will be public and somebody’s
going to report it, so why not the Christian media? There’s an old saying when you have friends
like that, who needs enemies.
What’s worse is now outlets like the Huffington Post are in
on the action (Letter
from Mars Hill Pastors about Mark Driscoll). The religion page of HuffPo is hardly the
place to get any sort of reasoned, rational, or respectable thoughts on an
issue like this. Most of the so-called
Christian writers at HuffPo represent seriously unorthodox and often
biblically, shall we say, questionable theological ideas. Yet, we’re served up more anti-Driscoll
fervor related to a letter from pastors within the Mars Hill churches. Unfortunately, a certain anti-Driscoll
blogger received this letter and then gave it to the Religion News Service,
which promptly printed it in full. I
briefly scanned the letter and it appears to contain information that ought to
be between Driscoll, Mars Hill, and those mentioned in the letter. I will only refer the reader to Matthew 18
and say no more.
Driscoll is likely his own worst enemy. Yet, do we not all suffer from the same disease? Who is it that leads us into our sin most
often? Go look in the mirror and you
might get a clue.
Neither you, nor I, nor Driscoll ever did anything to merit
our salvation, so are we not in the same boat, like the disciples in the storm,
often bailing out the water of our own sin, not trusting in the one who saves,
but trusting in our efforts? Much of
what is going on now isn’t true, isn’t honorable, isn’t just, isn’t pure, isn’t
lovely, isn’t gracious, isn’t excellent, and isn’t worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8)
– much of it is self-justification in the form of ‘I ain’t that bad’ even if
only faintly, passively, or remotely.
Driscoll may be a rotten guy, but so am I. Driscoll may be a sinner, but so am I. Driscoll may sometimes get off track, but so
do I.
Maybe God is humbling Mark Driscoll, but then again, do we
not all need humbling from God from time to time?
Mars Hill and Driscoll need to work this out. We need to let them figure it out and, in the
meantime, keep our noses where they belong – smelling the stench of our own
rotten deeds, our own foul mouths, our own evil thoughts, our own problematic
proclivities, our own sinful desires so we are clear just who the real sinners are.
