Over my head

My mother and I have great discussions that generally take place during our weekly Sunday lunches at Einstein's. Last month I finished reading the entire Bible for the first time and that's subsequently become our newest hot-button issue. She's a big fan of Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen and Charles Stanley and can often be heard saying, "Last night Joyce Meyer was talking about..." or "That reminds me of something I heard on Gregory Dickow!" Let me say upfront that I have nothing against any of the above or the ministries they head. And to be fair, it's not exactly rare for me to blather on about what C.S. Lewis or Rich Mullins or Brennan Manning have to say on a particular topic. Those evangelists have their place and I'm thankful there's a means to reach such a wide audience. I suggested not long ago that perhaps my mother relied too heavily on their interpretation of the gospel rather than searching for answers herself. Her response was simply, "I don't think I'm smart enough to understand the Bible on my own." I couldn't last in Bible college with the apologetes and theologians, so I know what it's like to be overwhelmed by the intense philosophy that comes out of scripture and feel less than capable, especially when you're around those who easily hold their own.

My New Testament professor used to say he feared that popular evangelists were becoming a crutch for modern-day believers and even taking the place of Christ in some cases. "If Jesus knocked on their door tomorrow, I think a lot of them would wave and then turn back to Billy Graham for their spiritual nourishment."

If God's given these people the ability to communicate His will at points where we otherwise might not understand, at what point does it stop being supplemental and simply become fundamental?