hero – [n.] anyone noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially who have risked or sacrificed his or her life.

heretic – [n.] anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.

So the other day I wrote that Kay Arthur is teaching heresy on my facebook page.

Now before you post a comment or write KeyLife…

I, Zachary David Van Dyke, am in no way stating in this blog that Kay Arthur is teaching heresy and I will not be using this platform to comment on Kay Arthur and what she teaches.

And I know she has pointed many people to Jesus…every single one of my mom’s friends who are on facebook let me know…and yes, I have read all 40-plus comments that have been posted on my facebook wall about the great, life-changing precepts of Kay Arthur. She is a hero to many.

But this got me thinking…why does it bother us when someone else thinks one of our teachers, leaders or heroes says something that is wrong or false or heresy?

I decided to do a google search that included the name “Steve Brown” and the word “heresy.”

As I read the various articles and blogs that google produced for me, I found myself wanting to cut and paste a lot of the things that my post-menopausal friends had written on my facebook wall. I was outraged at the misrepresentation of my teacher and friend (and unofficial hero), Steve Brown. These “Heretic Hunters” just didn’t understand the context or what Steve really meant. I just needed a chance to explain it to them.

Just as I was about to post a comment I remembered something Steve says often; “50% of what I am telling you is wrong. I just don’t know which 50%.” (This is for the guy who said that those who study under Brown respond with “brownisms” instead of Scripture.)

The other night, I went to hear Rob Bell (a man who has been called a heretic by many of his brothers and sisters in Christ). It was crazy. About 2,000 people paid (me included) $20 bucks to hear him talk for two and a half hours.

The excitement in the theatre was palatable leading up to his entrance and once he made his appearance from the middle of the audience, the crowd went wild.

At one point, Rob asked if anyone was wearing a cross necklace that he could borrow for an illustration. A woman on the 2nd row hurled her cross earring to the stage like it was undergarments at Bon Jovi concert in 1988. (I have never been to a Bon Jovi concert and was only eight in 1988, but I imagine that is what it was like.)

During the event, no one yelled out “heresy” but if they did, there is no doubt in my mind that someone wouldn’t have hiked up his skinny jeans, taken off his spiked belt and started a beat down. Unless of course, Rob reminded him that “Love Wins.”

I got to read a paper a ninth grader wrote for his English class. The assignment was to write about your hero. His paper was titled “Zach Van Dyke.”

Does he not know that I am often mad at God and don’t believe He is good…
that I can give an entire talk at youth group and not believe a word coming out of my mouth…
that I’m a very selfish husband and distracted father…

or even WORSE…

that I sometimes sound antinomian…
that I was moved by The Shack…
that I once posted on my facebook that Kay Arthur taught heresy.

I had a vision as I was working on this blog…not that kind of vision…maybe it would be better to say I started daydreaming about heaven…

I saw Kay, Steve, Rob and I (how presumptions of me) sitting around Jesus laughing about how many times we were so wrong and thought we were so right and thanking Him for being a Hero that rescues “heretics” like us.

So glad it’s all about grace.

Zach

 Email This Post This entry was posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 1:42 pm and is filed under Read, Zach Van Dyke. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.