One Man’s Opinion

I just finished all  six episodes of the Sundance Channels series One Punk Under God about my friend and  former boss  Jay Bakker. The documentary followed  Jay and Revolution through one of the hardest periods of both his and the ministries life. It starts off with Jay dealing not only with ministry, married  life but with his ailing mother, the wonderful Tammy Faye. He also is  desperately trying to reach his father Jim  whom he has been unable to connect with for years.  It shows  the real Jay who is dealing with a very hard situation,  watching his mother slowly pass  away while trying to salvage a relationship with  a father he barley knows. The first episode also takes  us back to Heritage USA where Jay’s  parents built their PTL  empire in the 1980’s.  To look at it now,  in ruins, is like coming across a ghost town,  it was almost post apocalyptic.  The first episode really brings the viewers up to date on who Jay is and where he has come  from.  It also shows the pain that he still carries years after his parents were destroyed by scandal.  It is a testament to how awesome  grace is at restoring people but also the reality of suffering.

In the episodes that follow you are given a look not only into Jay’s  personal life but into that or the ministry. This was  at times hard for  me to watch because of my attachment to the church  and the people involved. Jay makes a  bold stand after visiting a openly gay church. He meets with several gay Christians who touch his heart in a way  that is unique but also very real. Jay comes back feeling that he now sees the homosexuality issue in a new light. He doesn’t see being gay as a sin and wants to make that very known to both his church and the world.  This bold move nearly costs him the ministry and had potential to ruin his relationship with one of Revolutions key staff members. In the end things work out within the church but the backlash is enormous as you could imagine. The funny thing that struck me was in my three years with Revolution I had assumed  that we were a gay friendly ministry. I hadn’t ever even questioned it before I saw this. In my life there have always been gay people,  many of  which are Christians,  so to me I never made this an issue either way. i knew the majority of the church felt differently but I also don’t gauge my convictions on what 99% of the Christian church says. This announcement by jay came  as  no surprise to me I was just a bit taken back because of the ugly response it brought upon the ministry.  They lost their biggest donor which I can say being a minister myself is a huge thing to have taken away. I am proud of Jay for not putting money before what he feels God is telling him to do.

Now the issue I have had with the way the public responded to this show,  especially the gay issue,  is that is minor compared to what the true message is. The show goes on from this issue to deal  with jay’s relationships  with his mom,  his dad, his wife and even an old youth pastor who is now an agnostic. These relationships are real  and very complex. Those who  stayed focused on the gay issue just had a hissy fit missed  out of some of the most beautiful  and painful  pieces of Jays life.  His visit with his father brought me to tears because I saw the friend I  know who desires to please his dad  so  much it is killing him. I saw when Jay is with his mom the loving son that he  has always been and I saw when Jay was preaching the pastor that brought me back from the brink  because of his grasp  of true grace. To me the naysayers just saw one thing and let their judgement and self righteousness over  take them.  This show was not about gay issues  it was about the beauty that is God’s  love.  The encouragement that the Holy Spirit brings into our lives even when all hope seems lost. Jay Bakker may piss you off because of his views but if you can’t see the love in his eyes than you must be blind.  I know him not only as a pastor but as a friend  and there is nothing fake about him. His heart is bigger and more exposed than most in his position. He is a risk  taker but not for personal gain. His goal is not  to get rich or find success,  it is to love as  many people as he can unconditionally.  It is a hard road to travel  and I know it well. 

I back Jay 100% because he is one of a few Christian leaders  I know who do not put on a Christian face just to make peopel feel safe. I have learned from him to stand by your convictions and love people no matter what.  I also have learned in my own ministry that sometimes what the majority feels  is not what God wants, even in his church. We can argue over biblical translations and personal convictions but in the end I have one question. What is your ministry?

I often wonder  when people attack  pastors  like Jay  and myself,  what is to be gained?  Also how clean is your house that you feel  the need to come into mine and start telling me to get things straightened up? This is something that makes  me shake my head  anymore. I am to tired  these days to get angry I simply get sad. I am sad because our body, which is made  up of all Christians,  gets torn apart over petty issues that in the end won’t matter. We fight over stupid politics, morality and personal convictions yet rarely are we loving anyone outside of our little bubble.  Our  Christian culture is becoming the worst thing for Christianity because it just keeps devouring those who do not fit its  ever changing requirements. I can not understand why we make such big deals about things like homosexuality when gossip, greed and hatred seem to be the most common problems facing the church today.  The difference is these are issues that we all have so it is not in our interest to face the reality of our sin. We rather single out one thing and make it the be all end all issue of our time.  This is partly why so many of  my generation have left the church or worship  from afar.

I am not bitter my friends but I am concerned. I love my church, the people,  but the institution is breaking apart.  We have chosen to take sides, split camps and separate into little groups instead  of realizing that none of us have it figured out.  We are all ignorant of Gods  truth and we all make mistakes regardless  of how righteous we think we are. I want to  see people  able to worship  together even with our stains and blemishes. We must start loving each other  before  it is too  late. We are the kingdom of God  yet we act like a bunch of children  who are constantly calling each other names. I am just as guilty as the nest guy because I get upset  and want to fight. We can’t keep doing this,  I can’t keep  on going if it means every step  i take is just another argument.  Jay Bakker is a friend, but he is also a man of God.  You may not agree and that is ok none of us will always agree.  The point is to look beyond your initial judgement of people like Jay and see his heart.  See into the soul of a man who is taking risks to bring people to the cross and get hurting Christians back into the fold. that is what I do as well and when the attacks come from those inside of the body,  my brothers and sisters, it hurts more than I can say.  I love my church, I love you all and I hope to God we will one day see each other with out hostility. One day none of these “hot button” issue will matter. It won’t matter if you vote one way or another, because it is not why we are here. Jesus calls us to show  his love to the world not flex  our muscles. I  know what God wants from me and I continue to seek his guidance  in my life, I know Jay does the same but for some reason strangers often feel  they know our hearts better than we do.  Perhaps we  are wrong sometimes, I am sure we are alot, as are most Christians but we keep  seeking God in our lives to correct those  mistakes. I  would  rather love people  and be wrong than hide inside a bubble for the rest of my life and be right. Maybe that is a  reckless  way of living the faith but it is the only way that has worked  for people  like me, to offer critism  is one thing but to tear me down is another.  I will try to be more loving to those that oppose  me but i also hope for  the same from them. 

Paul  wrote in the book of Romans chapter 12 the basic guidlines for Christians live with each other by. I go back to this chapter everyday before  I  do  anything else because I  always find something that needs worked on. I believe it is essential to our being a family in Christ. Please take  a few minutes and reflect on the words that were given to us and are of what is expected of  us.