A Muddied Spring, a Polluted Fountain

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
(Proverbs 25:26)

“Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration. Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past 15 years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.” (Louie Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, in a written statement to FOX News, last week)

How can one “make much of Jesus Christ” without taking him at his word? How can one “call people to ultimate significance” by carving off part of that word as if it were not part of the whole He affirmed? When did the church start setting grace and truth in opposition to one another, rather than taking them to the cross? (See Psalm 85:10)

Here was the excerpt which created the furor — a quote which, quite ironically, Giglio had himself quoted, from the quasi-progressive book “After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90′s” by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen, (Plume, 1990).

“We must lovingly but firmly respond to the aggressive agenda of not all, but of many in the homosexual community. … Underneath this issue is a very powerful and aggressive moment. That movement is not a benevolent movement, it is a movement to seize by any means necessary the feeling and the mood of the day, to the point where the homosexual lifestyle becomes accepted as a norm in our society and is given full standing as any other lifestyle, as it relates to family.”

The “by any means necessary” comment (a veiled threat of violence) no doubt tweaked some on other levels. (Another irony is that, if it were not true, Giglio would have had little reason to back down.)

The quote was used most famously by Nation-of-Islam leader, Malcolm X, who cribbed it from French Existentialist, Jean Paul Sartre — both antichrists by definition. It also carries philosophical echoes with the Satanic creed “Do what thou wilt” and the anti-Christian credo that the ends justify the means — a credo used by a long list of despots.

By contrast, the call to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus is all about the means, trusting that He alone has the right end, since He Himself IS both Alpha/Creator and Omega/End. Jesus’ temptation by Satan, as chronicled in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 makes this doubly clear. The Creator and Lord of everything does not take shortcuts of expediency. His created opponent revels in and promotes them.

Presidential Inaugural Committee spokesperson Addie Whisenant commented:

“We were not aware of Pastor Giglio’s past comments at the time of his selection and they don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country…”

If they were interested in representing true diversity, removing this widely held and wholly Biblical viewpoint from the inauguration of the President of the United States would not further that goal. Parsing the statement carefully, it’s clear she’s not technically lying. The comments probably don’t reflect their “desire to celebrate”. It’s not about diversity at all, but about a singular agenda… diversity which does not disagree. (Again, the irony runs deep).

ADDENDUM: It dawned on me after writing this that one of the reasons brother Giglio’s 1990-era comment sparked such an outcry (leaving aside his more recent muddied-spring back-off from it) was because it touched a much deeper and more sensitive spiritual nerve in the enemy camp than would be apparent from the flesh-and-blood issue at hand. The “by any means necessary” line, in the context he used it says, essentially: We know who is driving you; he’s not a man, but the serpent. If he were wrong, there would have been much less of a reaction.

Adding to the irony, this item came across my windscreen this evening:

“I will seek to thwart this action by any means necessary, including but not limited to eliminating funding for implementation, defunding the White House, and even filing articles of impeachment,” Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman threatened Monday afternoon, in a statement.

His statement, of course, was a reaction to tactics by the administration which also amount to a “by any means necessary” (i.e., ends justify the means) credo. Deception, and co-option to the enemy agenda are sad facts of a world fallen n sin and in need of a Savior. Such things know no party lines. Satan loves nothing more than to incite “any means necessary” combat — the essence of the ‘house divided’ statement by Jesus.

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