Like most pastors, I send out a weekly email to church members and friends previewing my sermon topic and promoting upcoming events.
After the November election, I received this email from a person I’ll call Joe Christian:
“Please remove us from your e-mail list. I wish to get as far away as possible from the poison in this country that is evangelical Christianity.”
I’ll admit the email saddened me.
But I understood.
Joe C. mistook me for those evangelicals I call the “Christ-mericans.”
That’s what I consider believers who morph Christ into their patriotism. They promote a certain candidate or issue. They insist on a form of biblical interpretation for both Christians and non-Christians.
These evangelicals are led by people who try to convince parishioners they are being persecuted and have lost the freedom to profess their beliefs and follow Christ.
They urge their communities to ban library books, elect people to City Council using methods that exploit controversies, such as gay rights, abortion and immigration.
If that describes your church, then may I forward Joe’s email and ask you to answer?
In the meantime, I’ve told Joe in no uncertain terms: “I am evangelical, just not THAT kind of evangelical.
“I am not the kind of evangelical who engages with the political process to protect my ‘biblical values.’”
No, I do not use my pulpit to preach for or against issues such as abortion, euthanasia, gay rights or science.
And during the eight Sundays I’m away from my pulpit, I invite a local woman pastor to cover my preaching duties. (Shout-out to Cherise. My folks love you!)
As some evangelicals keep preaching the “Christ-merican” idea, they may enjoy some growth—for a little longer, perhaps.
In the meantime, I accept all as my brother.
And even as some dismiss me as their “liberal brother,” I’ll continue to interpret Jesus’ teaching in the light of modern knowledge, science and ethics. I’ll lean into reason and experience over doctrinal authority.
I’ll address folks such as Joe in more relatable language, admitting that, yes, I am evangelical. But only in the sense that I think Jesus spoke with common sense. I encourage all to consider Jesus’ ideas.
And I will try to make my church a safe place to explore faith.
I’m evangelical because I believe the Bible retains a message for every generation. I’m evangelical in that I believe Jesus loves all of us the way he loves each of us. And he intensely loves each of us as if we were the only ones on earth.
I’ll keep standing in my small pulpit with the same message I always bring: “Love the Lord Your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.”
Not long afterward, Joe replied with kind words.
He wrote, “Thank you, Norris. I apologize for my abrupt tone. I painted with too broad of a brush.”
No problem. As my hospice team used to tell our patients, “We’re all just walking each other home.”
Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net.
