What are we doing for Gomorrah?

This is a post I made for an online discussion for a graduate class I am taking. Kathy suggested I post it here and see how different the conversations are from the other site.

In his wonderful new book The Unfinished Soul (Broadman & Holman), Calvin Miller has collected "bits and pieces" from a variety of articles and books he has written over the years. The book is filled with fascinating (and often challenging) insights from the "poet laureate" of the evangelical world.In one vignette, Miller plays off the title of Robert Bork's book Slouching Toward Gomorrah, and wonders if that evil city wouldn't look right at home in today's culture. He closes with these thoughts:

"Gomorrah and its sister city at the end of this tale go up in burning sulfur in a single day. But I believe that sometimes brimstone is gradual. Which of Toynbee's twenty-eight civilizations, rotting from within, woke up and suddenly said, 'Whoa! Look at us! We're post-modern!' None. Neither did Gomorrah. With civilizations, it is always the case of the amphibian in the stewpot. The only way you can cook one is gradually. So when the brimstone fell on Gomorrah, Abraham and God were bargaining over eroded values in a culture which as the culture itself saw it no longer sinned. God's narrow view of things surprised everyone on Nightline.

"The odd thing is that the people in Gomorrah seemed not to have been aware that God was bargaining with Abraham over the death of their culture. But we who follow Christ should be ever aware that God has a requirement of those who haggle over just how many are righteous in any city. His requirement is that we, like Abraham, are responsible for doing our part in Christ's rescue operation."Imagine this: God loves Sodom and Gomorrah! The moment we forget that, it is not just Gomorrah that is dead. We, too, are dead. God holds no glee over the death of cultures. He grieves over urban evil and longs to call sinners back to their lost Edens.

"It's no easy job being God! To stand for holiness and yet love the unholy is almighty stress if not for God, for us. To live in Gomorrah and love it is our calling. But to live in Gomorrah and accept it is to accustom ourselves to gradual brimstone" (The Unfinished Soul).

There are three things I would like us to notice and discuss in this section. Calvin Miller is quoted as saying, “Sometimes brimstone is gradual”. The gradual decline our nation is evident, whether it is the observations of James Dobson and Focus on the Family or secular statistics that report the divorce rate which is around fifty percent as a nation. These numbers come from various statistics and some say as many as sixty-five percent of new marriages end in divorce, but it was concluded by the census bureau this included second and third marriages. And, I have read reports that put the number in evangelical circles as not a lot lower. Observations are made about the things that used to make people blush. The homosexuals coming out of the closet and one studio even making a mainstream movie about two cowboys in a long term relationship are clear examples. The movies my family found acceptable when I was growing up are near impossible to find now. But, the problem is not one specific issue or sin but a prevalent attitude or value system. Miller refers to being “post-modern”. It is a way of thinking that has confused people to the point where good is bad and bad is good.

Miller goes on to note, “We, like Abraham, are responsible to do our part in Christ’s rescue operation.” What is our part? It begins with our holiness. There has been it seems an effort on the other side of the fence to answer those looking for answers to questions. Post-modern thinking says find the answers that work for you. There have been those saying let’s look at finding answers through some old thought. Holiness is a concept many gave to the Pentecostals. And yet there was an effort to reintroduce holiness, discipleship and spiritual disciplines through such men as Richard Foster and Dallas Willard.

Second, our part is our reaching out. Evangelism has become a dirty word. Abraham didn’t just sit there and have nothing to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. Maybe, he tried to be untainted by their ways and would not take their money when he rescued them but he none the less aided them. How often do we get outside our walls and comfort zones and reach out to those in sin.

I left one last responsibility to the end because I see it as most important. Our payers may be the key. Abraham talked with the Lord and pleaded for Him to spare the cities. How strong is our prayer life in this area? I know some whose prayer lives have challenged me over the years. I say this not to draw attention to me but to challenge us. I pray for the people in our community. I have, under their suggestion, done drive by praying. I’m sure you have heard of these kinds of methods.

Miller makes a final declaration saying, “God loves Sodom and Gomorrah”. It is like the cliché I have heard most my life ‘Love the sinner but not the sin’. I saw a cartoon which has more represented our position against sin. A guy is standing at the gates. The caption underneath says, "You were a believer, yes. But you skipped the not being a jerk about it part". The challenge for us is to be holy and love just a fraction of the way God does. This will all preach. I’m using the cartoon illustration tomorrow.

James