Thread by @stevecusswords

My time at #SBC22 wrapped up. I am not SBC, have some friends and folks I highly respect inside SBC, but I am very much an outsider looking in.

I had the privilege of working with @BenMandrell and @Lifeway for a pastor breakfast. Then I spent afternoon at SBC sessions.

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@BenMandrell @Lifeway It was very good, as it always is, to meet actual humans outside of SBC Twitter. As expected, many people of goodwill, integrity etc.

Distance generates anxiety, proximity reduces anxiety.

SBC Twitter, as a general rule, generates anxiety.

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Twitter is by design, a distance mechanism. Words, not pics, brevity etc.

So it is helpful of course to meet real people to offset social media SBC.

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Afternoon sessions were fascinating, disturbing, encouraging.

Sex abuse Taskforce: looks to be in excellent hands. @R_Denhollander is on it, among others.

Hearing @BruceFrank1's speech was incredible. But also utterly horrendous that it had to be given at all.

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The pattern of men abusing, then colluding and covering up, minimizing, victim blaming etc is long established and we're all ready for a revolution of change where women and children can be safe to thrive in what should be THE Safe haven from the world: the church.

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Yet here we are with yet another colossal decades long abuse and cover up. I pray for SBC, especially for those of goodwill and integrity, true shepherds who now have to work through the mistrust that comes toward them because of the actions of others.

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I pray for the brave and tenacious survivors. I am sorry you had to work this hard. You should never have had to push like you did, but because of your work, abuse has been exposed. May this generation never carry what you've had to carry.

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One phrase I heard a LOT at SBC is 'We have a book,' meaning the Bible, of course.

And yet the tragedy of ignoring some of its clear teachings.

Fruit of the Spirit, for example.

It was largely absent, with some exceptions, from open mic time.

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The president actually told people to stop mistreating the 16 year old Paiges who were there to serve, there as a treat. People mistreating 16 yr olds.

Unconscionable.

The Fruit of the Spirit is never a part time, situational thing.

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It felt VERY much like an inside family fight. As an outsider, I want to remind, and perhaps call SBC to a reminder:

Very few of my family are followers of Jesus. What would they learn of Jesus, or of the Book based on yesterday's convention or SBC twitter?

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If they had sat through what I did, if they had followed many of you on twitter the way I have the last 60 days, they would have struggled to learn about who Jesus is, what he has done, and certainly they would have watched some behavior and said, 'no thanks to that.'

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I don't mean this as a cheap shot. A passing hot take from an outsider. I was truly honored to serve with some precious SBC people.

I'm just saying it is SO EASY for us to forget that we are never just in a family meeting. SBC convention, Sunday service, you name it.

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We always are hosting people who are not 'us.' We are always hosting unchurched folks, some desperate, some hungry, some cynical.

And how we treat each other IS our gospel.

And how we talk about 'the world' IS our gospel.

My parents are 'the world.'

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They are people of deep grace, they tithe to charities, they are open to the outsider.

They outChristian most of what I witnessed yesterday. I would follow them over some of you.

Of course, they have not bowed the knee to Christ yet, so some of you feel superior to them.

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'They are lost' you say. But what I witnessed yesterday was many people who are lost in need of the grace and mercy of Christ.

I've never understood spouses who treat each other badly and a stranger well.

Should you treat your family, those closest to you the best?

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I think some SBC forget that your massive movement, which is STUNNING in resource and reach, is not homogenous.

But the diversity of belief and perspective is pushed underground by the loudest (and therefore most anxious) voices.

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I was grateful to serve a tiny role, grateful to witness what may have been the most consequential SBC Convention in modern history.

I was alarmed at the lack of evidence of Gospel behavior in too many.

I was encouraged to meet many who evidence the fruit of the Spirit.

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I was grateful my unchurched family knows nothing about any of this. I shudder to think of what they would make of it. What would they know of Jesus if SBC Convention was their only 'book' to read?

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I'll continue to pray for SBC. I've been praying for some key leaders already. You face such complexity, deep pain, hidden sin, historic racism. Yet you have such a massive opportunity to actually display the gospel you love.

I know many of you do, I truly do. I see it.

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But can the overall SBC tone shift? Can the overall way of being together exude Fruit of the Spirit?

Can it display the teachings of The Book?

That's my prayer. For the sake of people I love dearly who don't know Jesus, may it be so.

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