I dread reading the headlines

I’m going to share something very personal with you. As a pastor I dread getting up each morning and seeing what the latest headlines are. Just skip them, you suggest? Just say silent? Why ruffle feathers? Oh how I wish I could.

As a pastor, I am called to be a public witness — it is part of my ordination vows. Each day I see statements and acts that go against the Gospel and are antithetical to what it means to be a follower of Christ. My dilemma — do I speak out on these or stay silent? Silence implies agreement. Speaking out is considered “partisan.” The measure of what I speak about is this — how does it match up with Jesus? How others see these statements is out of my control.

My calling is to be a public witness of Jesus. I am compelled to make public statements — it is a part of my calling. A sermon is a public witness of the Gospel. Wearing a collar is a public witness. My prayers that I post online are public witnesses. I am compensated for studying the Scriptures and proclaiming what God has to say.

Prophets of old were compelled to speak God’s word to kings and peoples — often words that the kings and the people didn’t like. Preachers proclaimed publicly that slavery was a sin and evil from their pulpits — often facing great opposition from the people in the pews and in the nation. Pastors marched the streets in favor of civil rights — often in opposition to the popular opinion of the day.

Jesus calls pastors to certain things that we’d really rather not do many times…