Tuesday, August 17, 2010

A Couple Kernels of Corn.

“It’s a load of crap but I found a couple kernels of tasty corn I’d like to share with you.” What would you say to a friend who was so blunt as to present a paper bag to you in this way? Would you search the contents of it for those kernels or place the bag on your neighbor’s porch and light it on fire while ringing the doorbell?
Sorry. I’m an overly critical personality. Anybody who knows me knows this about me. This is especially true where theology is concerned. I have little patience for heterodox books.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. It isn’t that I won’t read a book written by a non Lutheran. I will. I have. I have found some interesting stuff among non Lutheran authors. I particularly have enjoyed Capon and Eugene Peterson. But I am at a loss of why people constantly send me articles and or books with essentially the above tag line, and then are frustrated when I’m critical of the book. Why don’t you just tell me what you found to be “helpful” in this book, help me cut through the crap maybe?
But know I’m expected to dine on these articles and books, inwardly digest them and tell you how tasty those kernels are. My taste buds aren’t that refined, a mouthful of crap tastes like a mouthful of crap to me, I can’t distinguish the tasty kernels. If you don’t want me to criticize it do me a favor and don’t present the article or book to me that way. Fish out the kernels for me.
Well, that is what I have to say. I think we Lutherans might be better off if we spent more time reading Lutheran theology rather than sifting through reformed and Arminian crap for tasty kernels of corn.

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