LABELS THAT HINDER
Most historians trace the major schism in today’s church to the late 1800s when evangelical leaders, convinced of Jesus’ imminent return, concentrated the work of the church on saving souls. Other Christians who interpreted the concern with evangelism as indifference to human suffering, began to concentrate on social missions. Over the years the gulf widened and mistrust grew. Non-evangelicals turned away from “soul winning” more and more, while evangelicals began to see “social action” as a red- flag label. How supremely ironic. For it was the evangelicals who led the massive social reforms of the . . . nineteenth century — cleaning up abuses in the coal mines, pioneering child labor laws, introducing public education and public hospitals, and abolishing the slave trade. That is social action! But when we allow ourselves to be trapped by stereotypes, we evangelicals all but disown our own proud heritage. Chuck Colson, Who Speaks For God?
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