[amc] Evangelistic: A Scary Word
- From: "Ray Gingerich" <RGingerich@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Austin Mennonite Church" <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 15:30:28 -0600
Nature
Here's what I sent to MennoLink. I hope we can still be friends. Ray
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Martin Lehman, Sarasota, FL wrote:
> The thread began when Raymond J Gingerich, Austin, TX wrote:
> Evangelistic: A Scary Word.
>
> Raymond wrote for himself, as all of us MennoLinkers must do. ...
Ray(mond Gingerich), Austin, TX responds:
Actually, the thread started with a wonderful satirical piece by Ross Lynn
Bender under the heading "Meshugganal Identity," which he signed off with
the pseudonymn, George R. Brunk XIII.
And, Steve Goosen is asking for a serious response. So here goes--off the
top of my head--not much thought.
It seems to me that *evangelistic,* *evangelism,* and *evangelical* are
among those words that have strayed a great distance from their original
meanings: *Evangelion:* Greek: *Good Tidings.* Who could be frightened by
that? Well, what is "good news" to one, might be quite the opposite to
another. Jesus' message was specifically *good news to the poor* (poor,
including *powerless*), and was decidedly bad news to the rich and powerful.
Still is. Except that those claiming to be evangelical are the rich and
powerful, or at least attach to them. Hmmm!!
And, if I understand our Mennonite/Anabaptist roots correctly, most of their
evangelical activity was akin to Jesus in that it challenged the prevailing
domination system which was a fusion of church and state. And like thier
Lord, there message was good news to the religiously and politically
oppressed, but very bad news to the church and state domination systems of
the day.
Contrary to Jesus and the Anabaptists, generally speaking, modern
evangelicals seem to have identified with the domination system that oppress
the poor and the weak (that is, the weak after birth--they seem to have a
great concern for the weak before they are born). (Of course, this is a
generalization. The Sojourner's Magazine crowd is an exception).
*Evangelical* good news appears to be attached to lordship of *America*
rather than to the lordship of Jesus.
To my understanding, *Social gospel* is redundant. The gospel of Jesus was
certainly social and certainly political. That many Mennonites seem to have
found affinity with those identifying themselves as *evangelicals* (folks
who, by and large, hijacked a fine word/concept), I find a sad departure
from their historic and spiritual roots (whether 1st century or 16th
century). For example, it seems to me that evangelicals are much more
pre-occupied with personal salvation whereas our tradition (until the late
19th and early 20th centuries) was much more concerned with discipleship. In
fact, Mennonites have been accused of having a weak *salvation theology.* If
one follows Jesus and is concerned about his neighbors, the poor and
oppressed, his enemies, one need not be too concerned about personal
salvation nor does one have the time or energy to dwell on it. Maybe
salvation will be a secondary gain, but it is not the primary goal. Being
part of Jesus' *good news* mission is the primary goal.
So to me, to be evangelistic is to join in Jesus mission as he lays out in
Luke 4 (18'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the
captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.') and carries out in his life
and teaching. Of course, *evangelicals* would endorse this mission as well.
But, I don't hear it as their emphasis. Too *social gospel-ish!*
So, *evangelistic* scares me in two ways. First: That good news mission
above means standing up to the domination system because the domination
system IS the bad news to the poor, it is that must keep captives, it is
that that perpetuates blindness (keeping the poor in the dark with
misinformation, propaganda, etc,), that oppresses the weak, that separates
people from the land and keeps them in debt (alluding to the year of
Jubilee). And standing up to that system brings on the cross, and frankly,
the cross is pretty scary.
Secondly, *evangelistic* scares me is because most evangelicals think the do
mination system is *Christian* because George Bush, Pat Robertson, Rush
Limbaugh and Jerry Falwell say it is and that since they are for praying in
school and against abortion, homosexuality and Monica Lewinsky that proves
it.
Jesus, protect me from your *followers!* They, indeed, scare me!
Ray Gingerich
Austin, TX
P.S. When I was about 6, my father took me to a Mennonite evangelist George
R. Brunk II tent *crusade* (actually, I don't think they were out to
obliterate Muslim infidels, but they called it a crusade) and he scared the
hell out of me! Those events should have been rated R--definitely unsuitable
for children. So, the psychotherapeutic among you have your answer: *that's
why he resents evangelists.* That's definitely part of it. I forgive George,
God rest his soul, for what he did to me. For the setback the
evangelist/revivalist movement perpetrated on the Mennonite Church, that's a
matter for God and the church.
** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"The only people on earth who do not see Christ and his teachings as
non-violent are Christians." --Mohandas K. Gandhi
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