The Falwell Factor

Christianity Today is commenting on all the recent interest in Evangelical Christian Leadership since the presidential election. The article's commentary coincides with my own:

In a sense, Robertson and Falwell get quoted in papers and booked on talk shows because they get quoted and booked on talk shows: Rolodexes don't get cleaned out very often. But they also get booked because they're quick with the quote: they help to feed an omnivorous media machine hungry for thoughts (or lack thereof) condensable into a dozen words that will make one side or another angry.

These men are not really leaders. Leaders set the direction and the movement follows. These men are at best spokesmen who are quick with the quote and may represent the Evangelical communities thoughts on the matter. They haven't been true leaders for some time.

Kevin at Short Attention Span has concerns about these Christian celebrities: "Western (or at least American) evangelicalism is way too celebrity-based." He has a point. Especially with mega-churches and mega-church pastors having so much influence right now.

There is a temptation to turn away from this and say that the power of the Evangelical movement is the local church, much like the power of the Blogosphere has been attributed to the "long tail". I don't think that is correct. The power of the Evangelical movement is the Holy Spirit. It is individuals communicating and representing the truth that is God and Christ. I think it is important to have some of these individuals as good spokesmen in the public sector. I think it is equally or more important for the rest of us to be good representatives of Christ at home and in our communities.

Honestly most of my recent concerns are that we don't have good spokesmen out there. I don't like what Dobson is saying. It is hateful, overly-political, and ill-representative of both myself and Christ. There is now good evidence that the President sees him as a perennial malcontent. Falwell and Robertson are little better.

But on the other hand how many of us are capable, I mean really capable, of being spokesmen or spokeswomen even in our own communities? Can you give the reason for the hope you have within you? It is not an easy task. At some point I have to wonder whether I have a plank in my eye as I point to the splinter in my brother's.