Daisy Cutter Doctrine

Skye Jethani at Out of Ur has an interesting article on church conferences that are always pimping the latest and greatest tactics, presented by motivating speakers who lead large churches (after all, they are successful at the mission). Jethani says,

When Christians with a consumer consciousness try to wrap their imaginations around such a large undertaking [making disciples of all nations], they will automatically think about products or corporations that have impacted the world and emulate the same methodologies. So we ask, how does Coca-Cola impact the world? How does Disney impact the world? How does Starbucks impact the world? And we forget to ask the only question that really matters: How does Jesus impact the world?

He continues,

For example, through much of its history the church in Europe employed conventional (worldly) means to advance its spiritual mission. This resulted in the gospel being spread by the sword. We now look back at the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the slaughter of native peoples in the Americas mournfully. Centuries removed from those atrocities we wonder—how could people do such things in the name of Christ? Did they not see how inconsistent those methods were with the ways of Jesus? At the time, of course, they did not.

Today we consider ourselves more enlightened, but are we? We may not use the sword to advance the church’s mission anymore, but the sword is no longer the conventional instrument of power and influence. Today the church emulates the methods of corporations and business, and most of us never pause and ask whether such tactics are consistent with the ways of Christ. Like the Crusaders, we seem content to leave such judgments for future generations whose vision will be sharpened by history.

Whether Jethani parses the problem just right, or has the right solutions, is up for discussion.

But his comments seem worthy of reflection.