The VNP award for Christian Authenticity goes to….Jeff Lucas

Jeff Lucas, for the second time, wins the above award (See here for the first time). Jeff writes for Christianity magazine, although he is in fact a teaching pastor at Timberline Church, Colorado (Lucky them!). There is stiff competition for VNP’s “Christian Authenticity” award amongst Christianity magazine columnists and they have come up for it before. See here: 

http://viewsnewsandpews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/epistemic-play-pen.html

http://viewsnewsandpews.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/healer-dealers.html

Jeff’s latest article can be found in the June edition of Christianity magazine and is entitled A Dangerous Passion. As the title suggests it is a warning about what happens when passionate serious minded Christians, who see every issue in black vs. white terms, go on the rampage – as Jeff can testify from personal experience. Here are some quotes: 

Passionate Christians can be highly dangerous. I’ve reached that this awkward conclusion after too many years of pastoral leadership …. I’ve seen people wounded, churches split and lives ruined by sold out, white hot, do-or-die zealots…. 

And that’s just the start. The article is so worth reading that I scanned it and it can be read below. Jeff is certainly not against passion per se; his problem, I think, is with the mindless bigoted passion of the spiritual ultras who take themselves far too seriously. As I always say: 

Polarisation passion feeds. Passion polarisation breeds. Polarisation is passion's cause, for crusade and holy wars.

And here's another good saying that I have used before: (An epitaph found on a tomb in St Stephen's church in Norwich)

A scholar without pride, a Christian without bigotry, devout without ostentation.

(Click to enlarge)