"Radicalized"

Back in 1970 Jim Lovell radioed from the Apollo 13 spacecraft, “Houston, we have a problem.”  Well, in a different way, today’s “radical” Christians have also run into a crisis:  “Devoted disciples of Jesus, we have a problem.”

What is it?  If you follow the incessant news coverage of the Boston Bombings, you'll notice countless sobering claims about how Tamerlan Tsarnaev had become “radicalized.”  Some years ago, apparently, he was not a “radical,” but an uncle has concerns that since 2009 his nephew had been an “extremist.”  In late 2010 Russian authorities first took an interest Tsarnaev, and in 2011 they told the FBI that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strident believer.  In 2012 he spent six months overseas, visiting the North Caucasus, an area of separatist movements and extremist Islamic ideology, and a hotbed of militant Islamic activity.  U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul believes Tsarnaev received training during his trip, and became radicalized [source].  Bottom line:  a thousand times over the word “radical” is being cast in deadly dangerous colors.  To be called “radical” is fast becoming a way to be pegged a terrorist.  Being radicalized means becoming dangerous.

Shift gears to Pastor David Platt.  In 2010 he wrote a really good book for Christians entitled Radical:  Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.  Trouble is, in our post-Boston world it’s become desper­ately difficult to use the “R-word” positively.  Today the term just drips with scary, even evil, connotations.  Is it possible to rehabilitate this once-helpful way of portraying legitimate devotion and zeal?  One wonders if every reference to Christ-honoring, neighbor-loving, self-giving, truth-telling, whole-hearted, compassionate Christian “radicalism” will need to be qualified and clari­fied and explained into oblivion.  After all, we do want to make sure no one suspects Christ-followers of the least trace of the kind of extremism that motivates the committing of murder. 

That’s where we stand as the church in 2013.  Our challenge is to encourage each other to keep on pursuing the Lord passionately ("You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" [Jeremiah 29:11]).  And don’t waver in your commitment just because sloppy journalism portrays any and all religious passion as “fanaticism.”  Christ is not honored if we turn lukewarm in our love for him just to avoid criticism.  And yet, at the same time, let’s be vigilant more than ever to convey the biblical fact that the way of Jesus in this world is the path of peace.

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