"What I will do, to my dying day, is work with anyone who knows he was lost but now is found, whose Bible is worn because she repeatedly looks there for God to speak, who finds the Cross the most meaningful of symbols, for whom the Resurrection is not just a doctrine but a power, and who wants nothing more than to find new and creative ways to share the evangel of Jesus in word and deed. I'll work with these people no matter what scholars decide to call them."
Another great paragraph from this article:
"One of those dynamics is that evangelicals on the ground, in our better moments at least, care less about our "movement" and more about "the evangel," the Good News of Jesus Christ. If the constellations of individuals and groups that have constituted the cultural shape of evangelicalism were to disappear, most of us would quickly move on. Because we know that would hardly signal the end of evangelicalism."
Q: is this possible in a day of market branding and celebrity poster children defining themselves more by the brands they follow than the values they hold? (Example: "Oh, that's the guy that rides the bike, right? Isn't he the one with the yellow shoes that beat cancer in order to win some competition seven times?" Brands: LiveStrong, Cancer Survivor, and Tour de France. Values Ignored: divorce, integrity in sports, and right speaking.)Your thoughts?
If media committed themselves fully to providing positive messages to reinforce a moral living standard, children would learn what really matters. In our society the television plays such a parental and influential role that a movement by the media could potentially solve many problems.
ReplyDeleteLance Armstrong beat cancer in my eyes and was brave during his fight. His actions once he the cancer went into recession is what showed the world his weakness. It was sad reading his books and becoming a fan only to be let down by his selfishness.
@ET - Your first paragraph is so packed, but focus on that may divert the original question posed.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your view of a person ability to leave a movement/group/distinction and walk away without ripping at the person's core? As Galli suggests in my original post, "...If the constellations of individuals and groups that have constituted the cultural shape of evangelicalism were to disappear, most of us would quickly move on." Is it truly possible for individuals like Armstrong with LiveStrong or Dobson with Focus on the Family or us with our allegiances to actually walk away unscathed?