Not For The Stout Of Heart...

In the earlier post, MacDonald acknowledged his own inconsistency: he knew he should not have “used strong language” to scold others for being harsh in their criticism of the Elephant Room strategy. But in yesterday’s post and video, MacDonald casts off restraint and reverts to angry-sounding rhetoric. Despite their starkly contrasting styles, both statements have one thing in common: MacDonald wishes those with concerns about what he is doing would just shut up.

He says it euphemistically: “We are asking that those interested in what we are doing allow the conversations to take place before making final conclusions about their wisdom or helpfulness.” But clearly, that plea applies to critics, not to MacDonald himself or to those who support his strategy. There are multiple layers of irony in that. MacDonald purports to be championing fearless dialogue with people he says he doesn’t necessarily agree with. But there’s a distinct and clearly discernible direction to the drift of the “dialogue.” It is painfully obvious that MacDonald is not so keen to listen and learn when someone more conservative than he wants to share a perspective. But let’s set all of that aside. What troubled me much more about the video MacDonald posted yesterday was his repeated insistence from beginning to end that the participants of Elephant Room 2 are a true Band of Spiritual Brothers
Not for the Stout of Heart, Either See also: Fractures in the Gospel Coalition? The Elephant in the Elephant Room T.D. Jakes (and the like) Part One: Isn’t ‘unclear leader’ an oxymoron?

Discussion

In the short video promoting his goals in the Elephant Room, and in the name of non-judgmentalism, Mr. McDonald has effectively passed judgment on all representative groups not representing his own. Those on his left were deemed worthy of being spewed from his mouth, and those on his right subjected to mocking derision.

Paul implores Timothy, in his preparation for high-profile ministry, to “flee youthful lusts…;” i.e., those desires peculiarly definitive of children. The appearance of success and an inordinate desire to be the de facto leader in almost any room certainly characterizes desires being peculiarly definitive of children. Our current crop of Christian leadership (with McDonald being the self-appointed poster child du jour) basks in the celebrity accompanying the fulfillment of such childish desires, deriding those who disagree. Some close friend of McDonald and others like him should apply some “…faithful…wounds…” in a timely manner before he wanders farther down his inclusive path than he intends to go at this time.

Lee