Dr. Moore is the Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. From time to time on his blog, Moore to the Point, he posts ethical questions he’s received, allows time for readers to give their feedback and then gives his own answer. His answers inevitably display a depth of gospel wisdom that almost makes me wish I was a Baptist.
Today’s post was, in my opinion, the best answer of his that I have read to date. He makes one great point after another. Again, I really would urge you to read the whole article, but if you must have the abridged version, here are some of the highlights:
He argues against the oversimplification of historical figures and warns us against both demonizing those we see as “villains” and canonizing those we see as “heroes.”
The fetishistic use of historical figures is precisely what leads to the kind of “absolute good vs. absolute evil” characterizations we often see among Christians in the way they view current leaders…That’s the kind of hagiography that led to George Washington’s cherry tree inability to tell a lie. Well, George Washington was a great man, but he was also a liar. And so am I, and so are you. Unless there was a star shining over Washington’s birthplace (and there wasn’t), then Romans 3:10-19 applies to him as well as to all of us.So should a Christian display a picture of Robert E. Lee in their home?
I don’t know. I can’t tell you one way or the other because what’s more important than a single picture is the general ethos of a home…The issue is love of neighbor and the mission of Christ. That’s why the Apostle Paul refuses to lay down simple rules about eating vegetables or eating meat (Rom. 14:1-23). If that picture would hinder your being able to show hospitality and love with your brothers and sisters of every background and race, take it down.Moore concludes with this:
But, if you keep it up on the wall, let it be, like every historical portrait, a warning…(For) a gentleman as devoted to character as Robert E. Lee, who had thought long and hard about the evils of slavery, was so conditioned by his time that he couldn’t see past his blind spot. So what makes me think that I could have escaped a similar blind spot? And what is so common in our culture right now that we can’t even see it, as we think we’re serving the Lord?
Robert E. Lee was a complicated figure, a sinful rebel (in more ways than one) who bore the image of God. And so are we. Lee was gifted in commendable ways even as he used those gifts sometimes in ways that ought to horrify. So do we. We ought to be honest, in both directions, about Lee and about our neighbors and ourselves. And that ought to cause us to search out our own lives for that hidden sin, that secret hatred, that conforming to the pattern of this age that we don’t see and don’t think to ask about. Ultimately, no matter how we seek to whitewash our heritage or our personal stories, we’ll only conquer it all at the resurrection from the dead. Until then, we watch our hearts, pray for wisdom, work for justice, and love our neighbor.
Deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome some day.
