Recently I heard an account where a Pastor was faulted for the certainty he brought with him in delivering his sermons. The comment was made to this good man, “You act as if you can just slap the doubt out of people.”
I am still alternating between laughter and incredulity over this account. Never mind the irony that this person who came to his pastor was certain that his pastor was being overly certain. Never mind the implied desire for incertitude to come from the pulpit on matters of eternal life and death. Nevermind that many Pastors rightly wish indeed it was only as simple a matter as slapping the doubt out of people. What is the most appalling about this statement is that it came from an Elder.
However, this attitude that hates certitude as coming from the pulpit is merely the spirit of the age. Postmodernism does not allow any minister to insist upon capital “T” truth opting instead for person variable small “t” truth. When one believes in capital “T” truth and one has studied to show himself approved a workman who needeth not to be ashamed then certitude is the coin of the realm. On the other hand, if a member of the clergy is stuck in the slough of pomo then the only certitude that is allowed is the certitude that incertitude is to be prized above all else. Such clergy never give a “thus saith the Lord,” preferring instead to offer, “well, perhaps this is something that might be true for some of us? However, I don’t want to force on you my truth.”
Masters of the certainty of incertitude say stupid things like, “It’s not about the destination. The joy is in the journey.” Pardon me but if it is not about the destination then why are we on this blinkin’ journey? Masters of the certainty of incertitude will never ever tell somebody they are wrong, spank their children, or remain in Churches that have ministers who are certain. They are the very definition of Beta males and female campus ministry workers.
Even back when I was in Corporate America they were training their leaders in this mind. Managers were told not to confront employees but instead to “come alongside.” They were to try and see themselves as “coaches” and “cheerleaders,” and not “bosses.” Bottled estrogen was provided at all these Corporate meetings.
As for me, I want to have the doubt slapped out of me. I don’t want a minister who can only share with me his own incertitudes from the pulpit. I need someone to point the way. I don’t need someone to sit down and cry with me. This is not a call for a lack of compassion, but a recognition that compassion uncoupled from the truth that points to a way out is the compassion of the effeminate.
Now, I quite admit that certitude coming from stupid people is quite the irritant, but at the end of the day when your certain Pastor is not seeking to slap the doubt out of you, your certain Pastor is instead seeking to say that your doubts are OK. Both of these approaches are birthed of certitude but only one of them has the aroma of Christ.
As a Christian school Bible teacher at the high school level, doubt is often treated as a virtue. I am all for allowing students to ask questions, but our role then is to proclaim the truth and show them what God says in Scripture – that must become the foundation. Yet, so many of my colleagues are more content to fuel and foster the doubt as if that is commendable self-discovery. They are equally loathe to actually proclaim what Scripture says because that might offend a student and well, “we have to accommodate all of the denominations here.” Is it any wonder then that so many children leave Christian school only to apostatize?
I am only one teacher, but do we ever need more who are ready and able to stand firm and say: “thus says the Lord” not only in the pulpit but also in the classroom.
Good words Jacob.
Entirely accurate.