Left Behind Conference

I took some time off this morning to go to the Left Behind conference at Sunnycrest Baptist. It left me with the mix of feelings I have so often given the course of my life.

First, I believe that Sunnycrest Baptist Church is genuinely a force for good in this city of Marion, Indiana. This is a church that I think genuinely reaches out to this community. When I look at churches like it, I wonder how many lives are hanging on by just a thread--and it's the thread.

I might say similar things about the Left Behind series. From what I can tell, there are a lot of lives it has changed for the better. LaHaye tells stories of people who came to Christ after reading the books, and I believe it.

I noticed some things I liked about the way they presented their understandings. For one thing, they are so pre-tribulation rapture in orientation that it didn't quite have as much political impact as it might have. They emphasized that it was the rapture that would change everything, so the audience need not worry. They would be gone when everything went bad.

Of course there were some political implications, comments, and jokes. They were done in good spirit. There was one Gore play on words. Some careful wording distinguished between loving Muslim people and seeing Islam as the enemy of Christianity. The interpretations were up to date enough to include much stronger EU and post 9-11 anti-Islamic rhetoric.

But there was also some criticism of Bush's comments about Islam after 9-11 as well as some other policies that they felt were inappropriate given what was to come. One person was so bold as to say the audience would definitely see the rapture before they died (not said by LaHaye).

So why the mixed feelings? I left with the usual somberness because I feel that so much of this rehashed Darby model just isn't what the Bible says or what will happen. I find myself believing that I know that much of this force for good in the world is way off (and by "know" I mean I'm sure enough in my mind to say "know" rather than "think" or "feel").

For example, it would be hard for me to find a single Old Testament "prophecy" of LaHaye's sort that is fulfilled 100% literally in Jesus. LaHaye bolstered the faith of the audience by talk of the improbability that 109 prophecies about Jesus could all come true coincidentally in one person. I at least think I "know" that the vast majority of these 109 prophecies--perhaps all--were not originally 100% literally about Jesus.

So what am I to do? When I think a person's faith is inaccurately formulated, is it my task to correct them? I don't think it is if they're not hurting anyone. If they're hurting someone, intentionally or unintentionally, then I feel more of a burden. What about when teaching a college Bible class? I feel a little more obligation then, because college is not supposed to be Sunday School. But even then, its a dance, and I shouldn't be the one leading. My general rule is that "saving faith" trumps "truth" in my dealings with others.

So it's another day of life , another day of happiness and sobriety...