Letter to the Editor

Faith ought to speak to life

To the editor:A recent Speak Out comment, "Church sign," deserves a few words of response. The writer, on the one hand, says, "You don't have to separate your religion from your politics," yet every other word in the missive indicates that's exactly what he/she thinks ought to be done. What is "political" to one person is "being relevant" to another. In fact, "Be Relevant" is the motto adopted by our youth group.

Faith ought to speak to life. The prophets of old spoke truth to power when they challenged the policies of Israelite kings. In his great priestly prayer, Jesus says, "As you sent me into the world, so I send them." (John 17:15, 17-18) A way to interpret those words is: Be aware, speak up and don't be co-opted by the powers of this world. To remind the culture that the church knows what's going on is an attempt to be relevant -- to speak the Gospel message. Is it a good idea to compartmentalize religion and divorce it entirely from the public sphere? Is that really what we want?

Follow the dictates of your faith, yes, but don't try to apply it to life -- that's being political. Huh? It sounds to me as if the writer doesn't want to read something challenging to his/her viewpoint while driving down Sprigg Street. My hope, as a pastor, is never to be critical without reason and to be relevant as the prophets were and as Jesus of Nazareth called on his followers to be.

The Rev. JEFF LONG, Pastor, Centenary United Methodist Church, Cape Girardeau