A lot of people I listen to and admire, namely Russell Moore (although I have some questions for him) and a former colleague, really love Wendell Berry. On the website "Christians Who Don't Suck," Berry is listed as one of those Christians who don't offend the website's owner, an ex-evangelical, sensibilities.
And I have some of his books and am working through Life is a Miracle. He's a fine writer, especially his poetry (I did not find one of his novels I read that compelling, but I can try again).
But the admiration some have for him eludes me, especially some of his activism and advocacy.
He is all about the family farm and environmentalism, and therefore he is all about anti-industrialized farms. He is against coal-fired plants and nuclear energy.
I think he's living in the wrong century. In a country of 340 million people, how are we to feed them only on the basis of current family farms? And how do we provide energy for them solely on hydro-electric and green energy sources?
And seriously, he doesn't use a computer. I get that, but it means someone else has to do the work of communicating with the outside world. I wish I had that assistant.
So I will continue to enjoy him as a creative writer, but scratch my head about his 19th century views on technology, women, and the economy.
He is pro-life, though... well sort of. And Christian . . . in how it suits him.
Which brings me to the question. Are most people who say they are Christians, even evangelicals, Christians when it suits them, or how it suits them? Do they pick and choose the beliefs and teachings that "work for them" and ignore the rest? Am I guilty of doing the same?
A stinging question for the new year, and even more, what does Jesus Christ expect?
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