The American Presidential campaign is in full swing and as is so often the case when we have heightened exposure to people, we have the opportunity to learn a lot about ourselves.
Now I’m going to do a little experiment that will hopefully illustrate my point in the end.
When I say “Newt Gingrich” do you have a positive or negative reaction?
Most people I talk and listen to are a bit sour on the former Speaker. Sure, people don’t like his public sins. But that is not what I’m after here. What we often think of with Gingrich is negativity. They guy is almost as negative as he is smart (or maybe the other way around). If we were to pick an animal he is most like people would suggest a pit-bull. The guy just lays into people like, well, a pit-bull.
Now where is my point for Christians? Well, sometimes we, well-meaning, burdened, conviction-having folks (particularly pastors) can begin to look and sound like a Pastoral Newt. We become defined by what and who we are against rather than who and what we are for. Instead of preaching Christ and Him Crucified it about us and then our opponents crucified. And just like Drudge Report and FoxNews there are Christian Watchblogs to stoke the flames and make this new message catch fire.
There is also a price. I have read that Mr Gingrich has had trouble among his volunteers. I am not surprised. That tone is suffocating and unsettling. It can’t last. Similarly Pastors need to remember that pit bull pastoring will burn out their people if they don’t make them twice as bad as themselves first.
As believers we should be very careful that our tone and cadence is identifiably biblical. Yes this has impact upon insiders and outsiders but it also has impact us, upon our faithfulness. Which is what, at the end of the day, what Christians actually mean when we talk about “winning.” (1 Cor. 4.1-2)
(please note: this post is not intended endorse or object Mr Gingrich)