KB 2008

OK, so here we are at Kingdom Bound, a giant music festival at Darien Lakes campground and amusement park. This is a great setting of fun for the kids and inspiration for the adults. Hopefully the kids get a little inspiration too. There are seminars and music all day every day, and the theme park is open for when you need to get wet or ride a roller coaster.

Yesterday I heard a few great music groups, both leading worship and performing on the big stage. One leader made some comments that I need to respond to. Who he was doesn’t matter. If you have been around contemporary Christian music for any time at all, I am 100% certain you have played or heard some of his wonderful tunes.

The venue was the worship tent, which has groups that are a little less performance oriented than those in the big arena. (I’m not going to debate performance vs worship here. We all know the issues, and every Christian musician is a little of both no matter what they admit to themselves.) After leading God’s people in several songs, this particular leader went into the evolution debate. I felt immediately offended, and it was very condescending to anyone outside a 100% creationist position, and even bordering on a young earth creationism.

First, as you might know, I do science for a living. I think I have a pretty good idea of the position taken by many secular scientists, and it does not make me proud to be among their ranks when they belittle those whose position is based on faith. When scientists do that, they are inappropriate, impolite, and generally just plain wrong. You don’t hold faith-based beliefs to scientific scrutiny just like you don’t evaluate science with faith. This is not complicated folks.

Note importantly that this is not a creationist vs evolution posting!

Back to Kingdom Bound. This worship leader started making comments like “if I leave a piece of bread in the backyard, it does not evolve into a Boeing 747.” (As direct a quote as I recall, along with a few other similar statements.) Guess what? This is just as ignorant as the scientist who belittles the Christian for their beliefs. Yes, there are a few ignorant and pompous scientists out there who behave this way, regularly and in public. Yet, while we are called to stand firm in our beliefs, I do not think this includes stooping to their level, and making outrageous statements like the Boeing 747 thing. It is just wrong, and only serves to inflame the scientific folks, while perpetuating the ignorance among the Christian believers.

This is getting long, so to wrap up, the idea here is to bring folks together. That doesn’t mean convince them how right you are. It means love them. And then love them some more. If you goal is based on the Great Commission, then how can inflammatory statements such as Boeing 747 serve to change any hearts? Respect, connect, and love. That will lead to community and changed hearts.