Responding to Glenn Beck is probably a waste of time. I don’t think that most people take him seriously.[1] His show is like a depressing Daily Show (comedy news), depressing because we are laughing at him and not with him. But this time, I think he points out something helpful. I find myself wanting to agree with him.
This past week he has been attacking the Christian idea of social justice. He said, “I beg you look for the words social justice or economic justice on your church Web site…If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. … Am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!” Later, he compared Christian social justice with fascism and communism.
Christian leaders from all sides of the church have been speaking out against Beck. There is a fuller description by ABC news. I, however, see his point. The radical social justice theme of Christianity is troubling. The Old Testament is filled with troubling ideas like the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) not to mention the prophets. What would happen if we “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an everlasting stream” (Amos)? It wouldn’t work out very well for me.
I wish this “social justice” theme was limited to the Old Testament, so we could explain it away with dietary laws, but Jesus has to bring it all up again. The Sermon on the Mount (Sermon on the Plain in Luke) is terrifying—blessed are the poor? Not to mention Jesus’ ministry theme in Luke 4. If only Mary could have sang a different song (Luke 1). This year as my church is focusing on the Gospel of Luke (from the lectionary), it has surprised me to find such a focus on the social implications of the gospel. I have written a study guide called The Gospel According to Saint Luke: A Participatory Study, that goes in further detail on how the Jubilee theme is core to Jesus’ message in Luke’s gospel.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Christianity was only about spiritual matters? Loving God would be much easier if we didn’t have to love our neighbors. Unfortunately “social justice” is not peripheral to the gospel it is central. Maybe Beck misspoke, or maybe he said what we’ve all been thinking—following Jesus is hard work—too hard. Reading the story of the rich young ruler (Luke 18), can keep you up at night. One really can’t blame Beck or anyone else for wanting to go a different direction, the real challenge is for those that want to follow him. Unfortunately, this blog posting will eventually find its way to my church website and it contains the words “social justice”. Run as fast as you can.
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Well-put fine sir. Totally agree.
Glen Beck has less than a junior high school grasp of history and world affairs, a complete lack of honesty and integrity, and a total disregard for the intelligence of his audience. His presentation is full of unfounded conspiracy theories and when he is caught in a lie, which he often is, he just switches from being a “reporter” or “political commentator” to being an “entertainer.”