Farewell John Piper

The name John Piper has, for years, been entwined with deeply conservative Christian theology and practice. He's an eighty-year-old Reformed Baptist theologian at the opposite end of the spectrum from me both theologically and in practice. I once quoted him in a positive way, and it literally snowed in Arizona, where I live.

For years, Piper has represented a fear-based gatekeeping style of Christianity. In fact, he famously tweeted "Farewell Rob Bell" back in 2011 when Rob's massively popular book Love Wins was coming out (a book that had the audacity to argue God would love everyone for eternity). The tweet was a modern 'church father' telling the rest of Christianity that this guy was no longer one of us (years later, I got to talk with Rob about this tweet on episode 16 of my Cabernet and Pray podcast).

Needless to say, I don't resonate with Piper's theology or his approach to Christianity.

Which is why I'm a bit stunned by some recent reactions he got to one of his posts. These days, he primarily posts Bible verses with a sentence or two for commentary. On February 25th, he posted Leviticus 19:34. Before I tell you what that verse says, keep in mind that Piper is literally the definition of the conservative pastor, and Leviticus is one of the more legalistic books of the Bible. 

"You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."

He then followed it with the sentence: "Christians know the miserable bondage we were all in." Which means he was quoting this with a metaphorical journey in mind, rather than referring to literal strangers. Piper was perhaps quoting Scripture faithfully while also avoiding its plain application.

But many amongst his tribe were besides themselves by what they took this to mean. The MAGA worship leader Sean Feucht quoted Piper by saying, "Never imagined a theologian I once looked up to would became [sic] so unbelievably WOKE while weaponizing scripture to justify the illegal invasion of a sovereign nation."

You might need a moment to read that again.

First off, calling Piper woke for quoting Leviticus is hysterical. It's a bit like accusing a Republican of going soft for quoting Ronald Reagan. Second, Piper didn't even apply it the way Sean is accusing him of applying it. Third, I'd suggest the verse absolutely does imply what Sean is getting uncomfortable with, hence the dramatic outcry... to the Bible. He even quoted Piper's post again the next day and offered another rebuke. The problem isn't that Feucht is paranoid about scripture being weaponized (I'm on my guard against the same thing); it's that he only notices it when it threatens his politics. Sean's X account has plenty of posts and verses to explain why it absolutely makes sense for the U.S. to be at war with Iran right now.

Then there was Joel Webbon, another super conservative voice in Christianity, who quoted Piper's post and said, "John Piper has always been a pietistic leftist." Or Dale Partridge, another notable conservative pastor who quoted Piper and said, "I love Dr. Piper, but this folly must stop." 

Gatekeeping is fun until the gatekeepers come for you.

This is the challenge when we allow our politics to steer our sense of morality and Christianity. It sets up a scenario in which people are triggered by others in their own group who casually quote Bible verses. It should also remind us that there is often more going on under the surface than is said out loud (even when the "out loud" part is pretty obvious).

I'm not suddenly a John Piper fan after all of this, but it does make me sad for the versions of Christianity that we are seeing played out in the public square. It's a reminder that we are all capable of getting wrapped up in our politics, in our tribe, and in our own opinions to the point where we can lose the plot completely.

It's got me thinking about what causes us to disagree with others in our own circle and why. The hope is that we can rise above this type of groupthink, but we are all susceptible to it. In the circles I'm in, we can often let our hurts and frustrations lead us to throw it all out rather than sitting in the tension to create something better. Pain often makes it easier to run than to rebuild.

And rebuilding something better is what we need. Christian nationalism isn't a healthy way of applying the Bible or the teachings of Jesus. It is a way of reinforcing a type of politics using spiritual language. And when they tell on themselves by their reaction to God's desire for inclusion, we should take note.

Everyone in this conversation is doing contextual application, myself included. Anyone who attempts to read the Bible and apply it in any meaningful sense can't avoid it. The question is whether our applications make us look more like Jesus or more like our favorite politician. The Bible can be used to justify just about any political decision we want. It can also be a tool that helps us discern how God has been inviting us forward into something better, one generation at a time.

And just wait till they find out I've got Leviticus 19:28 tattooed on my arm.

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