Influence and the Freedom to Use It

I contribute ideas to a handful of different forums - mostly unsolicited. One thing I’ve realized lately is that influence and the freedom to use it are inversely proportional. In forums where I have the least influence, I have the most freedom to express my thoughts because there is no risk - I have nothing to lose. In forums where I have the most influence and therefore the best opportunity to effect positive change, I have the least freedom. I have to be a good steward of that influence and the price for challenging the status quo in most group cultures is a loss of influence.

It isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As Christians, we should be careful about ideas that challenge long-held tradition because it is probably long-held for a reason. In our circles, you can challenge ideas incrementally, but it is frustrating to have attained a level of influence only to realize, you are loath to use it if you want to keep it. I think as Christians, we are too quick to dismiss ideas that don’t align perfectly with our dogma and summarily dismiss the people who express them.

I’ve been thinking about this for a few weeks. I take more time to write in June and so I have carefully considered the best forums for particular posts. Yesterday, I came across a thread that made a similar point. It reminded me of the dangers of having our minds so made up that we refuse to even consider differing opinions and we harshly reject the people who voice those opinions.

Rob Bell sat at the top of an empire until his highly controversial book, ironically called “Love Wins.” In it, he questioned our doctrines on hell. I have not read the book but I was among the throngs of Christians shouting, “Crucify the heretic.” And we did. He found a new home in the religion of Oprah and I have no idea how that turned out. But I have since learned a little more about that book. I still have not read it. I’m not sure he actually came to any definitive conclusions in it. I think he asked leading questions. Hard questions. Questions Christians weren’t prepared to deal with.

In the years since, I’ve actually had opportunity to recommend Bell’s book - still having not read it. That might seem highly irresponsible and hypocritical but in interacting with victims of spiritual abuse, one thing that traumatizes children who grow up in abusive church cultures is the fear of hell. It becomes a barrier to establishing a relationship with God as an adult because they have a notion of a vindictive God that they cannot reconcile with the message of the Gospel. Bell’s book presents an alternative view. Whether you accept that view or not, it is a path to God for some people. We can understand that the “wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life,” without a full understanding of the meaning of “death.” Not one of us has a full understanding of it.

A friend of mine posted a quote by a modern evangelical leader (John Maxwell) that I think is relevant and speaks for itself, “Being one step ahead makes you a leader. Being 50 steps ahead could make you a martyr.”

We live in an era where it is said that the key to successful leadership is influence, not authority (Ken Blanchard). I think we have seen this paradigm shift in Christianity as well. Authoritarian models don’t work in the current culture. Due to social media, we all enjoy a level of influence far beyond that of previous generations.

Perhaps it is time to extend a little more grace to those who would dare to use their influence to proffer ideas that go against the status quo. Perhaps our yardstick for heresy needs to be re-calibrated so that we aren’t rejecting people who simply push the boundaries of orthodoxy. I could list many modern day martyrs who got too many steps ahead and lost their platform entirely. We don’t have to accept ideas but we need to stop rejecting people just for having them. Have dialogue. Agree to disagree. Love God. Love people.