While “blog-hunting”, I went to faithmaps.org to catch up on Stephen Shields’ blog. Along the way, I noticed he had linked to my pastor’s blog.
Of course, being the regular attender *cough* *cough* of Cedar Ridge Community Church that I am, I was surprised that I didn’t even *know* about Brian’s blog. Upon reading it, I’m also aware that I’ve got some more reading to do, since he’s become quite a prolific author. Brian is one of the best speakers I’ve ever met, and I think he could be described as a pastor who has the easy-going charisma of Steve Jobs doing a presentation at MacWorld. If you’re curious, listen to some of the recent sermons at CRCC.
It never ceases to amaze me that Brian has gone from leading a small group to leading a thriving church, and along the way gone from being the very personable and approachable minister of a small congregation to being one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals”. Although he’s probably catching some flack from some people for it, I think he is a much-needed voice of moderation and compassion in a world where being a “Christian” is equated with being arrogant, loud, and intolerant.
For example, look at these excerpts from his appearance on “Larry King Live” on February 1, 2005….
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KING: Brian, are you opposed to the Christian churches being involved in politics?
MCLAREN: Well, I think people of faith have to live out their faith. We can’t hide it, we can’t pretend we don’t have it. And I think we’re being more honest when we bring our faith out and explain how it affects our beliefs and our values and our positions. But I think there’s a wide range of issues that really matter to Christians. And one of my concerns is that the word “evangelical” now is hard to define for a lot of people. It only means a narrow range of issues on one conservative side. So I really agree with what Dr. Jakes just said, that we have to make sure that we don’t let our faith become captive to any party.
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CALLER: I was raised in the Christian faith, and I also happen to be a gay man. And I just heard one of your panel members say that there’s no hatred towards the gay community, but that’s not how I see it. All I see is hate. And didn’t Jesus preach love? Aren’t we to love one another?
KING: Brian.
MCLAREN: Yeah, I am very sympathetic with your call. I see, even though we might say that people don’t individually hate, the language of culture wars — war is a hate word. So I think we’ve got to get away from that kind of language. And I think one of the greatest things that Christians can do, especially Christians with the name evangelical, would be to start making some friends and invite their neighbors over, and get to know someone who’s gay, get to know someone who’s very different. And not to just fix them or argue with them, but really to understand them as a neighbor.
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KING: Climax, Saskatchewan, hello.
CALLER: If stem cell transplants and other medical procedures have been accomplished and proven helpful, how can they be denied? Have they not been give to us by God?
KING: Brian, yes, didn’t God give us embryonic stem cells?
MCLAREN: Yes, I think this is one of the hugest challenges that we face. The people in the scientific and the people in the faith community need to look at these now powers that human beings are unlocking. And this is a great responsibility. And I hope there’ll be some fruitful discussion. I don’t think it’s helpful when Christians immediately say, shut things down without saying, let’s pay attention. On the other hand, it’s not that helpful when people say, let’s make a lot of money on something without looking at the full ramifications of it.
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KING: Philadelphia, hello. Philadelphia, hello.
CALLER: Hi. My question is directed to Brian. Prior to the invasion of Iraq, you wrote a letter to the president, really asking him to double-check all the information he received. And to really, you know, keep a running count of the Iraqi casualties. And it seems to me, from the letter that I read that you wrote to him, that you were really coming out against the war in Iraq prior to the invasion. Now, seeing the results of the Iraqi election, do you now change your view from that, and now you are in full support of that?
MCLAREN: I think we’re all very, very grateful for the initial good results from the election, so I have nothing but gratitude that went so well. And I think we’re all so proud of the Iraqi people for, at great risk, going out to vote. But I think we still, many of us who are Christians are not spoken for, by a lot of the most public voices. And a lot of us are raising very deep questions about the U.S.’s role in the world, and is this really a sensible role for us to take.
