Too Busy to Love
Here's a great talk from Westminster apologist and professor Bill Edgar. It's called "A Biblical Theology of Entertainment" and it's nicely done. Speaking at LSU in 2005, Edgar makes the point that it is good and right for Christians to entertain themselves. Speaking of music, art, and sports, he argues that we should enjoy the goodness of this world. We should of course limit our pursuit of entertainment, but there is a rightful place within our lives for simply enjoying things. About the only thing the talk lacked is a discussion of moral principles by which to approach entertainment. That is essential. One audience member asked such a question and Edgar did not really respond sufficiently to it. I'm not sure if he's trying to leave place for individual Christians to work out such issues, or what, but that would have helped the talk.
Towards the end of the talk Edgar makes a great point about being friends with lost people. He mentions the example of George Whitefield, who became good friends with Ben Franklin, and encourages his audience to be friends with lost people not simply to evangelize but because friendship is one of God's good gifts to His creation. I loved this point. It made me think, though, about the calendar week of your average evangelical church. Are not most of us too busy with church activities to actually befriend lost people?
I'm not advocating an ecclesiology (theology of church) that does not place the local church at the center of the Christian's life. I wholeheartedly endorse such an idea. I love fellowship with Christians and seek it out all the time. However, I do think that we can all too easily fill our calendars and our lives with local church programs and functions and so lose sight of the lost people who are everywhere around us. We can fail to enter into meaningful contact with them and thus fail to establish meaningful friendships with them, through which we and they are bettered and through which the gospel is most effectively preached. If you can, listen to Edgar's talk, and consider this point (and others). If you can't, though, think about what I'm saying. Where are your priorities? Do you have any lost friends? Do you have any sustained contact with lost people? If no, then I'm guessing you're like me, and you need to spend more time with lost people and less time with Christians.
Are you too busy to love?
Towards the end of the talk Edgar makes a great point about being friends with lost people. He mentions the example of George Whitefield, who became good friends with Ben Franklin, and encourages his audience to be friends with lost people not simply to evangelize but because friendship is one of God's good gifts to His creation. I loved this point. It made me think, though, about the calendar week of your average evangelical church. Are not most of us too busy with church activities to actually befriend lost people?
I'm not advocating an ecclesiology (theology of church) that does not place the local church at the center of the Christian's life. I wholeheartedly endorse such an idea. I love fellowship with Christians and seek it out all the time. However, I do think that we can all too easily fill our calendars and our lives with local church programs and functions and so lose sight of the lost people who are everywhere around us. We can fail to enter into meaningful contact with them and thus fail to establish meaningful friendships with them, through which we and they are bettered and through which the gospel is most effectively preached. If you can, listen to Edgar's talk, and consider this point (and others). If you can't, though, think about what I'm saying. Where are your priorities? Do you have any lost friends? Do you have any sustained contact with lost people? If no, then I'm guessing you're like me, and you need to spend more time with lost people and less time with Christians.
Are you too busy to love?
posted by Owen at 7:28 AM
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