Histrionic Grace
We’re experiencing a goodly bit of hot, hurt feelings via email and around our blogging circles about one Ms. Nancy Grace and her journalism. She said that she had been doing some “research” on the Churches of Christ and invited a Baptist minister to expound on her efforts. She baited him into characterizing the Church of Christ in broad strokes as a cult, as exclusive and theologically backward.
I’ve written elsewhere that I think she’s a sensationalist hack and that surely most mildly critical viewers would recognized the shaky pillar of her research.
Even so, I’m reminded of one of the great injuries suffered on our Lord. More than physical torture, more often than death, more often than humiliation, Jesus was misunderstood. He was misunderstood by His rivals, by His best friends, by His family and by His church ever after. As a finite writer who is often misunderstood, I fight the constant urge to explain, explain and explain to petulant readers and students and congregants with vehement agendas. We want so badly to be understood clearly, yet Jesus suffered constant, nagging, irritating, caustic and ubiquitous misunderstanding. He countered the misunderstanding without more rhetoric, but with much love and action.
I’m reminded of a quote that Michael Card attributes to one of his mentors, as he complained about the injustice of contemporary life, business, industry and chronic misunderstanding:
“Let the excellence of your work be your protest.”
If we want to convince Nancy Grace and her loyal Headline News audience that we’re not what she thinks we are, then we must show it and prove it, in love and compassion and power and strength and real grace, not just rhetoric, outrage and apology.
UPDATE! From Mike Cope:
"This afternoon I was invited to go on CNN live tonight on the Nancy Grace show. Apparently someone tore into Churches of Christ as a cult–related to the shooting of Matthew Winkler. I couldn’t work it out timewise, since CNN couldn’t arrange a satelite feed in Abilene, so I think Rubel Shelly is going to do it. That’s probably much better anyway!"
I’ve written elsewhere that I think she’s a sensationalist hack and that surely most mildly critical viewers would recognized the shaky pillar of her research.
Even so, I’m reminded of one of the great injuries suffered on our Lord. More than physical torture, more often than death, more often than humiliation, Jesus was misunderstood. He was misunderstood by His rivals, by His best friends, by His family and by His church ever after. As a finite writer who is often misunderstood, I fight the constant urge to explain, explain and explain to petulant readers and students and congregants with vehement agendas. We want so badly to be understood clearly, yet Jesus suffered constant, nagging, irritating, caustic and ubiquitous misunderstanding. He countered the misunderstanding without more rhetoric, but with much love and action.
I’m reminded of a quote that Michael Card attributes to one of his mentors, as he complained about the injustice of contemporary life, business, industry and chronic misunderstanding:
“Let the excellence of your work be your protest.”
If we want to convince Nancy Grace and her loyal Headline News audience that we’re not what she thinks we are, then we must show it and prove it, in love and compassion and power and strength and real grace, not just rhetoric, outrage and apology.
UPDATE! From Mike Cope:
"This afternoon I was invited to go on CNN live tonight on the Nancy Grace show. Apparently someone tore into Churches of Christ as a cult–related to the shooting of Matthew Winkler. I couldn’t work it out timewise, since CNN couldn’t arrange a satelite feed in Abilene, so I think Rubel Shelly is going to do it. That’s probably much better anyway!"
posted by JRB at 1:38 PM
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