April 17, 2011:

Ponderings of a Pilgrim PASTOR

“What Would Jesus Say?”

Politicians and preachers talk a lot . . . and sometimes too much! At the recent funeral of Chattanooga Police Officer Sgt. Tim Chapin, tragically killed when he was attempting to take a hold-up suspect into custody, the pastor of Chapin’s church observed that while Sgt. Chapin "played by the rules," the minister suggested, "My advice from now on is shoot ‘em, then tase "em."

What in God’s name was this preacher thinking? Does he really believe that Police should execute criminal suspects on the spot? While I understand the anger we all felt at the death of this fine officer, I can’t believe that a man who "played by the rules" would have agreed. If the pastor truly believed what he was saying, it seems to me that he is driven more by cultural forces rather than Christ. I would suggest he carefully read Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount about mercy and forgiveness.

But, as someone suggested to me, perhaps, the minister didn’t really mean the words he said, but was only saying them for effect. He was playing to the baser passions of the crowd. In other words, he was a hypocrite.

Whether the pastor was a culture Christian or a hypocrite, I do not know, but it does remind me that all of us — preachers and politicians alike — who are given the privilege of speaking to people, particularly at times when emotions run deep, need to weigh carefully what we say. Surprising as it may seem in our modern credulous age, people actually take us seriously! We are given a respect not often granted to others.

Words have power — the power to hurt and the power to heal. I believe I know what Jesus would say about all this and it would not be words of condemnation and cruelty but compassion and forgiveness. I’ll try to remember that the next time I am tempted to shoot my mouth off.

Love,
Pastor Dave