So one of the many things I have the privilege of doing is helping tend the Web Store for a friend’s band. Recently the band has been challenged by an opportunity to perform in a very public and noteworthy venue. That’s prompted some interesting responses from those who claim to be fans. Today, I saw an email from a supposed fan that pushed me over the top.

In his email he was chastising the band for calling themselves a “Christian” band but playing “secular” venues and music. He pointed out verses of Scripture (out of context mind you) which he thought helped him build his case for an isolationist approach to living “the Christian life”. What he must have forgotten was the verse which was in his email signature and went out on all of his emails:

” And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ”

—Mark 16:15

How can you “Go” if you stay in the walls? And it actually carries a meaning of “as you are going”. How can you preach lest you are in venues that provide and audience for the message? He likens the band to Satan who elected for power and tried to overturn God. He called for them to drop out of the commitment to participate in the venue in order to keep commitments to “the Christian community”.

I watched the End of the Spear the other day. First time I’d seen it. One of the things that struck me about the movie was the comment of the dad about the missionaries not shooting the natives if the missionaries were in danger because the natives were not ready to meet Jesus and the missionaries were.

Too bad this guy who sent the email was a missionary who was ready to shoot the missionaries for going to the natives.