Paranoia is defined as “a mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions ascribing hostile intentions to other persons, often linked with a sense of mission.” Also paranoia is defined as “baseless or excessive distrust of others.” Without treating the disorder of paranoia lightly or suggesting that it is not a serious affiliation, some have said, “You are not paranoid if ‘they’ are really after you.” The above definitions fit into a conversation I had recently with a friend many miles from where I live. This person called to let me know the time had come to make a change in his ministry direction. I share parts of the conversation with full approval of my friend. Because of confidentiality, his name or location will not be divulged.
Upon further questioning, it was revealed by my friend he found it necessary to take a biblical stand on moral issues facing members of the community where he serves. He was invited to an event reflecting a different lifestyle than he felt would be approved from the biblical narrative. He believed his presence at the event would be seen as approval and felt he could not be seen as endorsing the event. He made no public statements and did not denounce the event, he simply let those who issued the invitation know he would not be attending. Almost immediately, he began to feel a hostile attitude from some of the people in the community and in his church. He said his attitude toward them showed no sign of change and he continued to reach out to them and interact as he had in the years before the event. After several weeks passed and the hostile attitudes were spreading, my friend felt it necessary to list his reasons for not attending the event. Upon sharing his reasons for not attending based on biblical reasons, the attacks increased. The point was made by the organizers of the event that other church people and a few pastors had attended also. In their defense, some of the pastors who attended felt it necessary to attack the preacher who did not attend rather than explaining why they made the choice to attend. It began as a whispering campaign but soon escalated to public ridicule and charges by some that the preacher, having taken the stand on biblical principles, was acting in a non Christian way. Some of the preachers felt it necessary to denounce their preacher friend and to lecture him on how best to ignore the lifestyle choice of those who attended the event. He was told that the people in the community believed he was strange and acting very weird and by taking his stance upon the Bible and biblical principles was no way to ever win over the people making the alternative lifestyle choice.
At the time of our conversation, I was going through a similar experience. I had taken a stand based on using the biblical narrative as the basis of my convictions and some felt it necessary to remind me and lecture me about word usage and attitude that would be misunderstood unless I was willing to use the words of the world and adopt the attitude of the world as acceptable. Being a veteran of more than fifty years in the gospel ministry, I have found it necessary to take stands based on God’s Word discovering to do so is not always readily received by others. There are times when other preachers believe it is their role to set me straight on how to respond in the public square when dealing with moral or public policy issues.
My counsel I gave was to remain faithful to God. Just as in the first century, we need to have the boldness of Peter and John when they were commanded and threatened by government and church leaders; “Not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” “But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.’” Acts 4:18-20 NKJV.
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