Obi’s Sister

Right before Halloween, before John Kerry single-handedly sucked all the oxygen out of the Northern Hemisphere, The Anchoress wrote about a Joel Stein article that has really stayed with me. In his article, Stein describes Christianity as a “death cult.” He admits up front in the article that he himself has limited experience or knowledge of Christianity - so of course, in the warped and snarky mindset of Modern Journalism, that makes him an expert! That aside, The Anchoress proceeds to unravel his lame and unfocused article to the point that we see what Stein really is….a little boy. During that journey, we read

His column has some Christians fuming and feeling insulted, but I read it and thought the piece was by turns sad, mildly amusing, childish, self-deprecating and - ultimately - sad, again. I am also sad to see the Christians so quick to carry on about wounded sensibilities, so quick to jump on the victimology train that has so been careening so destructively through our nation for the past 20-or-so years. If anyone should be able to “take” Stein’s column, it should be the Christian.

Yes, sad it is. I have felt that way so many times. Most people (and that includes some Christians) cannot comprehend how joyful a walk with God can really be. I have seen so many, even at churches, say and do things that would make your blood run cold; all in the name of Christ. In a weird sort of way, I think it parallels the Muslim reactions over silly cartoons. Is that what your religion is really about? If it is, then that truly saddens me.

But back to Stein. Flippancy is the new black. Everybody wants to be soooo cool. So let’s just make fun of everything.

Stein’s column is full of adolescent words rendered even more childish by his need to be effervescently light on even the heaviest of issues. Flippancy is a skill that is used to great effect when one wishes to remain detached from things and people - it is the tool of the terrified or the insecure.

She goes on to wonder how Stein would turn out if he stayed at her house for a while….

I almost wish I could take Stein into my family for a while, and let him be precisely who he is, and encourage him to ask questions and drink his milk and tell him he mustn’t write on the walls. I would like him to spend a little time talking metal bands and metaphysics with my deep-thinking, kind and brilliant Elder Son and talking Marvin Gaye and the common sense approach to faith that Buster lives. I’d like to see what his idea of Christians and Christianity-in-general would be after spending a while with my tirelessly-volunteering husband, who sees all service as serving Christ. I’d like to see the column he might write after that. Love trumps flippancy, every time.

Moms seem to be able to pinpoint this kind of behavior and the nurture switch just flips on. It’s like we’re all amateur psychoanalysts. While it drives some people nuts, God made us this way for a reason. Someone needs to be able to see through all the crap straight to the issue at hand. Poor, clueless Joel Stein. He definitely needs our prayers.

Stein has not written something mean-spirited here. He simply does not understand. Our job is to love him, and to mean it.

Furthermore, anyone with a lick of bible knowledge knows

We’re going to be insulted. We’re going to be hated. Christ told us that. And he showed us how to deal with it, too. It did not involve pissing and moaning and a demand for apologies or jobs.

Rhinoishere, a commentor on The Anchoress’ site, described her as a “…great example of a person of logic and faith…” I’ll second that! She goes on to say

I can understand why someone might be irritated and feel the need to respond, but I feel that responding serves no purpose really. I’m not sure even a gentle reproof is warranted because I don’t feel a person like Stein is really interested in learning or exploring faith. He is interested in backing up his own views and keeping his reputation for sarcastic wit healthy. Well, he succeeded on both goals, I suppose. As you say Anchoress, as long as one is confident in Christ, things like this should just roll off.

Joel is now on my prayer list. He (and the rest of the MSM for that matter) needs to be on yours as well.

UPDATED: In Oswald Chamber’s devotional My Utmost for for His Highest, the entry for January 3rd on Clouds and Darkness (Psalms 97:2) says this:

A man who has not been born of the Spirit of God will tell you that the teachings of Jesus are simple. But when you are baptised with the Holy Ghost, you find “clouds and darkness are round about Him.” When we come into close contact with the teachings of Jesus Christ we have our first insight into this aspect of things. The only possibility of understanding the teaching of Jesus is by the light of the Spirit of God on the inside. If we have never had the esperience of taking our commonplace religions shoes off our commonplace religious feet, and getting rid of all the undue familiarity with which we approach God, it is questionable whether wh have ever stood in His presence. The people who are flippant and familiar are those who have never yet been introduced to Jesus Christ.

But yet he (Joel) writes on things he doesn’t understand and leads those who would believe him to stumble.