Thursday, April 22, 2004

The anti-Warren

Here's how Peterson describes his congregation in, Under the Unpredictable Plant,

These were the people for whom I was praying and for whom I was writing, these people whose spirits had taken early retirement, whose minds had been checked at the door. Suburbia lobotomized spirituality. In the flatness and boredom I lost respect for these anemic lives. These people who assembled in worship with me each week had such puny ideas of themselves. In a fast-food culture they came to church for fast-religion help (p.62).

He does come to say that he learns to see them in a different light, but still, this is the condition he sees them in. It's a good observation, but I pity the pastor who says that on a sunday morning.

It raises an interesting point though, which is that in order to see people as Christ does we have to both see them as they could be and as they truly are. I guess it is best to be honest about the condition of the people around us w/o being judgemental, and to honestly admit we fall into the same catagories.

It's refreshing to read a book by someone whose authentic criticisms are more uplifting than the guilt-producing idealisms that are often portrayed.

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