There's a blog that I follow-Stuff Christians Like-that keeps me abreast on Christian trends.
Well, sorta...
The real deal is that SCL keeps me laughing uproariously at Christian trends.
The keen, 20-something-year old believer behind SCL, Jon Acuff, makes light of our legalism and inconsistencies, urging us to not take ourselves too seriously. This preacher's kid-turned-prolific-writer's tongue-in-cheek, unscripted coverage of all things Christians keeps my heart light.
And so you can imagine how elated I was when I discovered that he is a frequent guest columnist for CNN's Belief blog...I think the American public (the liberal public, at that) needs to hear a fresh...unpretentious...critically thinking...non-judgmental...practical Christian young adult voice.
Despite all of my support, however, I was pretty bummed when he made light of Ted Williams' testimony. You may recall that in recent news Ted Williams, a panhandling, homeless 53-year-old man became an overnight sensation and media darling when a motorist posted a Youtube video showcasing Williams' extraordinary Tenor-laced, radio voice. Since then, Williams has been featured on every major news network; he has continuously spoken of his journey to salvation with crisp articulation, passion, and authenticity. Though well-intending, Acuff painted a picture of Christian preachers hi-jacking and pimping Williams' testimony.
Notwithstanding, even parody and satire from my fave blogger won't cheapen Ted Williams' story. And so with that I'll stop here for a second to speak less of Acuff and more about Williams himself. Indeed, Williams' story has roused within me a few hopes...
My first desire is
that the issue of addiction gets put on the radar; that way, rehab centers and
outreaches toward those trapped in alcoholism or drug abuse can receive a flux
of support. Hopefully, we will all think twice before we ignore a begger.
You see, even beggers have God-given talents. If you're like me, you live in a busy, crowded city where it's easy to dismiss "street people" as part of the backdrop; for they seem to be as ubiquitous as skyscrapers. Perhaps...just maybe...Williams' story is transformative enough to propel us toward guided action that helps fund rehabilitative programs...
My next wish is
that we continue to pray for, believe in and cheer for Ted Williams. We must
realize that, though he misled many about his self-confessed 2-year sobriety,
his story still points to an awesome God who awesomely cleans us up. This week,
Williams admitted to not being as clean as he first portrayed himself to be and
voluntarily checked himself into an undisclosed 90-day rehab facility.
In my thinking, this news is neither surprising nor does it minimize the beauty of his rags-to-riches journey. Instead of scrutinizing Williams as a phony---as many have-a better way to see him is as a vulnerable, brilliant man who was too embarrassed to admit that he has been yo-yo-ing with his vices for some 30 years. We need to focus less on the fact that Williams is rehab-bound and instead on the fact that, because he recently, sincerely accepted Christ, he's heaven-bound...
Finally, I long for
Ted Williams to remember that-in spite of his being the subject of
worldwide discussions, many-a-preacher's messages and an occasional satire-what
made him irresistible to watch was the way he glorified God with abandon, even
while on tight-lipped, uberly-politically-correct networks.
I'm believing on Williams' behalf that his latter years will be better than his former years. I send positive and God-filled affirmations in this brother- in-Christ's direction. I counter the temptation to lose his touch, his purity...for fame has a way of strangling the light and leaving behind just the lime...
Above all, I pray that Ted Williams, like his namesake, hits this out of the park.