Late 1980s. Pastoring a church in Warren, Ohio. One of our older ladies was at the grocery store and she ran into someone she hadn’t seen in years. In the conversation she invited the other lady to visit our church. Since it was a Community church the other lady had no quick way to reference what we believed. We were not Baptist or Methodist or Church of God or anything else she might recognize. She asked our lady, “What do you folks believe?” Our lady told her, “Whatever our Pastor tells us to believe.” Not surprisingly, the lady never came to visit. When our lady told me the story, I came halfway unglued. Our lady thought she was paying me a compliment, but the reality was that she was telling the other woman that they were pretty much mindless and couldn’t figure it out for themselves.

          What is the problem in thinking for one’s self? Why are people so easily moved by the words of someone else? God gave us minds, we need to use those minds and come to our own conclusion. Obviously, I believe I am right in all my opinions. That statement is not meant to be funny. I believe I am right, but I have not come to these notions by listening to others. I do my homework.

          This week I read an article about a dire warning delivered by an actor named James Cromwell. I have no idea who Mr. Cromwell is. The article listed his biggest movies, which I have not seen. I have heard of two, but I haven’t seen them. He must be a good actor, though, because he was receiving an award when he made this statement. “This is nascent fascism. We always had a turnkey, totalitarian state — all we needed was an excuse, and all the institutions were in place to turn this into pure fascism,” Cromwell said. “If we don’t stop [President Trump] now, then we will have a revolution for real. Then there will be blood in the streets.” I haven’t heard of him as a political type, either, so I don’t really know his qualification to make such remarks. But I do know he used some big words, the same kind of words I hear on the radio occasionally in relation to the conservative movement. The way in which these people always use these big words irritates me, because they clearly have no idea what the big words mean. They are just parroting what they have heard.

          Mr. Cromwell, during his acceptance speech, was attacking the conservative movement about the upcoming midterms. The first thing I thought as I read the article was he said there would be blood in the streets, as in there would be a real revolution. Does he mean he will lead the charge up Pennsylvania Avenue where the president lives? Will he take up arms to back up his fiery words? Or will he cower in his home and watch the revolution unfold on TV? But then I looked at his words and marveled at the news outlets that think this drivel is important enough to print. “This is nascent (The word ‘nascent’ means having recently come into existence, as in being born) fascism (‘Fascism’ is a political movement that is a belief that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. This is how Webster’s dictionary describes it. What he is saying is that Conservatism is the new fascism. Since real fascism is everything the liberal agenda is pushing, new fascism cannot be to terribly bad.) We always had a turnkey (Turnkey means built, supplied, or installed complete and ready to operate), totalitarian state (This means centralized control by an autocratic leader or hierarchy, so he means that we had a ready made totalitarian state ready to go and the conservatives have come in and are ready to set it off. Which begs the question, how was it that it was ready to go when the conservatives came in unless the previous administration had set it up?)  — all we needed was an excuse, and all the institutions were in place to turn this into pure fascism (but he said it was a new fascism, not the old and pure fascism),” Cromwell said. “If we don’t stop [President Trump] now, then we will have a revolution for real. Then there will be blood in the streets.” All of my definitions are from the Merriam-Webster. My point is, this man is using big words (for him) that he has heard and he has no idea what they mean. Yet, the media prints it out as if it has any meaning at all. They don’t even realize how confusing and silly it sounds.

          Most people do not want to sound foolish. They want to sound intelligent and informed. So why not research? I put in hours each week on my sermons and Bible studies, simply because you folks deserve my due diligence. The reason I haven’t seen Mr. Cromwell’s movies is because I am putting forth effort into something I see as more important. What is so hard in making the effort?

          Getting back to the original story, I was much younger thirty years ago. Since then I have read many more books and listened to many other Christians talk and I have come to the conclusion that even Christians just give back what other Christians say. Most Christians do little of their own work. A few years ago a lady from our old church in Geneva, Ohio called me and said, “Our pastor (I had been gone from that church for eight years and they were already on their third pastor) said that speaking in tongues is the only way to really talk to God. Is that right?” I said, “What does the Bible say?” She replied, “I don’t know! That’s why I am calling you!” “OK,” I said. “You look it up first and then we will talk about it.” Of course, that isn’t what she wanted to hear. She didn’t want to look it up. She didn’t want to go to the trouble. I have no problem with answering a question if a person doesn’t understand something, but if it is there, in black and white, why not look it up?

          Every cult that ever was got started because people believe what they hear rather than what they have researched. Life is full of mysteries as it is, why make it worse when the answers to so many things are clear? Look at Christianity now. Why are so many struggling with cut and dried Biblical realities that have no wiggle room whatsoever? Because someone said abortion is really OK, that marriage is disposable by our choice, that homosexual activity is not sin, that promiscuity is permissible until marriage, that the truth of the Scripture is only in how you see it. One retiring pastor said to me a few years ago, “I am so glad to leave these issues behind!” I wanted to smack him. They are not issues! It is God’s Word!

          One day I, too, will walk away from the pastorate. Until then I will continue to do due diligence. I will study, I will stand for the Word, I will be a pastor to the people God has given me stewardship for. And when I have to walk away, I will miss it terribly. But, never, ever take what I say as the last word. Look it up and be right.