There is no bad news
There is a lot of talk about the Southern Baptist Convention today. It seems it was a surprise that they very narrowly elected “a moderate” as president. This was instead of what was called “a mainstream pastor” or “the far-right pastor.” First of all, I didn’t know that “mainstream” had become a bad word for folks, but that guy apparently DID NOT stand a chance. He was eliminated right off the bat. Mainstream? You have to go!
The vote between the other two was extremely close. Anyone living in the United States these days should not have been surprised by this — that it was so close. I can see why it was surprising that the moderate was elected over the extreme right. Now, everyone seems to be waiting to see if there will be a schism in the denomination. (I confess I don’t really understand that anyway because Southern Baptists are Congregationalists, so it seems ironic that there is a convention in the first place.) As the article I read pointed out, though, they are the most influential denomination in our nation.
I grew up in a small town in Alabama. Just so happens that the new SBC president is also from Alabama. My BFF (that means Best Friend Forever) in High School was Southern Baptist. I imagine that is still the case. I can’t say for certain because while we are “friends” on Facebook, we haven’t kept in touch. All those notes signed “BFF” have been lost to history and just weren’t true! I believed it when I wrote it.
During High School at the table during lunch, my small group of friends, including the BFF, would discuss theology a good bit. I didn’t think anything about it at the time. I am a PK (Preacher’s Kid), so it was always a topic close to the surface for me. There were maybe five people in this group at lunch. Two of us are ordained ministers now. It feels like I should have seen that coming. I did not.
Most of my friends were Baptists. That is often true when you grow up in the South. There was this one conversation that was such a pivotal moment for me in my theological growing-up that I’ve never forgotten it. I am not Baptist. And, my parents taught me about God and God’s relationship to humans based on the theology of our denomination. It is a small denomination. You aren’t likely to even know about us. We’ve been around since 1810 and have prided ourselves on being a “median theology” which means there is a wide spectrum of beliefs under our umbrella.
So, during lunch one day, we were in a mini-debate about heaven and hell and Jesus and right and wrong and all things Christian. You know, as High Schoolers do. Back and forth it went. The BFF and I were disagreeing about what hell is and what it means to be saved. And, no kidding, it was like a light bulb went off in my mind and I finally REALLY heard what she was saying to me. The debate was over. No need to continue. I simply said, “Oh, I understand now. Everything you believe is based in fear. Everything I believe is based in love. I can’t see it the way you do.”
And, I can’t. I really can’t see it. For so many Christians, in order for there to be Good News, there MUST be Bad News too. I am more grateful than I know how to say that my parents taught me that God is love. God loves me. Jesus chooses me. Holy Spirit calls me. All I have to do is receive that love. I do not follow Jesus because I am afraid I will burn in hell for all eternity. In fact, I don’t even believe there is eternal damnation. There are those in the SBC AND IN MY OWN DENOMINATION who believe I should stop preaching because of that belief. (Well, let’s be honest, the SBC AND SOME IN MY OWN DENOMINATION think I should stop preaching because I don’t have a penis. That is another story.)
What does it mean to follow Jesus simply because you love Jesus? What if there is nothing after this life? Would I still claim to be a Christian? What if there is no heaven or hell? Do I just try to be like Jesus because I want to live in paradise forever? Or, because I’m trying to avoid being tortured forever? I follow Jesus because I believe he is the Christ, gifted to us by God to show us the best way to be human. He doesn’t have to give me anything in return. That is enough.
There is no bad news.
And, believe it or not, God is okay with that.
