Thread by @WokePreacherTV

Watched Matt Chandler's latest sermon last week, "Ethnic Harmony," and there's a moment that's stuck in my craw. I know I'm gonna get dunked on for clipping it, because it sounds very 💌nice! So I'll do more than just my usual and break down what seems wrong with it.

"I'm trying to give you lenses by which to study your Bible...From that being your foundation, I would just encourage you to seek out other things to read that'll stretch you." (1/2)

"If I'm reading your stuff + you start talking to me about rescuing evangelicalism from colonialism...that evangelicalism has been co-opted by whiteness...what I've had to discipline myself to do is not throw people in categories but try to figure out what might be there." (2/2)

So, commentary time:

<Several caveats to get out of the way: Ethnic harmony, yes. Christians of different ethnic backgrounds doing the best they can to understand and accommodate each other's cultures, yes. Evaluating primary sources, yes. Isn't that this entire acct's SOP?>

What bothers me here is I'd love to have heard a Colossians 2:8 warning from Matt. This dance of "you should read other books to educate yourself on race, some of them are pushing lies and I've discerned as much, but I'm not going to tell you who or which ones" is no bueno.

Where do you fall on colonialism, Matt? Where do you fall on "whiteness"? Where should your sheep exercise caution? If you listen closely here, the only warning is against close-mindedness, not against false teaching. That's a major red flag that someone's not reading the crowd.

Christians right now are uncritically lapping up the likes of Kendi, DiAngelo, etc. A shepherd telling his sheep "how about you get up close to see if these are wolves" rather than calling out wolves and taking some attacks from the wolves tells you there's a dereliction of duty.

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