I Demand that there be Hope

Today I listened to an interview Terry Gross had with Richard Cizik, former vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals on Fresh Air. He would fired in 2008 after an interview with Terry Gross where he stated he could support civil unions for homosexuals. People freaked and Cizik was thrown to the street.

Since then he has started a new organization called the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good. Good for you Cizik!

What heartens me is that Cizik is sharing a message of Jesus Christ, of personal salvation, but with an openness to other beliefs and views. He is sharing a message that states equality for all even if he doesn’t agree with their views and practices. Kinda sounds like Roger Williams, except that Cizik is a nice guy and Williams was an s.o.b.

That is all fine and good, but what really heartens me is that Cizik was willing to change and is still willing to change. He may end up in a place where he says that he was wrong about his pro civil union views, or he may end up in a place where he endorses Gay marriage. Regardless, he is willing to change.

This is not a simple thing for many people. There are many radical, tree-hugging, leftists who are so stuck in their views that they may never budge from their claim that by breeding flies we are breeding the potential for more and more wind power (just take some Aunt Jemima syrup, a couple of cardboard strips for wings, some foil, and watch the flies carry you away… thanks Frank for the thought). On the other hand there are many radical, God-loving, flag wearing, gun toting conservatives who will not budge from their claim that the only way to be free is to make sure the government ensures the lack of gun control, throws out anyone who looks foreign, and drops all taxes (screw the poor and the elderly and the weak and the children – they should take care of themselves).

On both sides there are people who are not willing to be moved, to have their ideas challenged, and their minds changed. This is probably one of the biggest struggles and issues in our churches and in our nation, people putting their fingers in their ears and going, la,la,la,la,la. Cizik’s openness to be challenged and change gives me hope. But then again, I could be wrong.