The former Christian rap/rock trio DC Talk had really hit their peak of popularity when I was in college, and from CD purchases to concert tickets, there's no denying I was a big fan. Those days seem a distant memory as the three musical artists that comprised the band have taken their own very distinct paths, particularly Kevin Max (Smith).
In fact, Max made waves last year when he announced his departure from evangelical Christianity altogether. Embracing the chic label "Exvangelical," Max explained his rationale.
"I don't think the God that I believe in is going to just all of a sudden ignore me because I don't believe every single thing that's written down somewhere [in the Bible]."
I wrote at the time that by rejecting the authority and inerrancy of God's revealed word, the issue wasn't God ignoring Max, but Max choosing to ignore God. Perhaps that gentle rebuke landed me among the "theobros" that the singer recently lashed out at as he announced his New Year's resolution:
First, what a glorious and worthwhile objective to spend each day seeking to be more like Jesus. Imagine how much improvement our marriages, families, workplaces, churches, communities, countries, and world would experience if we all sought to do so. That said, I'm a bit perplexed by Max's list, and think that it reveals a startling superficiality in understanding who Christ is and the example He really set for us.
Specifically, did Jesus "choose unpopular friends," or "upset religious people" simply for the sake of being different? Was He just telling "stories to make people think" in order to be known as a great philosopher or deep, contemplative theorist? Was He "kind, loving, and merciful" just to be known as the nice guy from Nazareth? Or was there something more that motivated Jesus?
Along those lines, I'm intrigued and more than a little confused by Max's inclusion of "hang out with sinners" on his posted meme. In fact, I'm curious who Max, as he "progresses in his thoughts and views on life," would say qualifies as "sinners"? If I had to make a guess, it sure seems from his tweets that those, "right-wing fundamentalist Theo-bros" would certainly make Max's list of the unregenerate. They are the ones who drove him to "exvangelicalism" after all.
So, is the former DC Talk vocalist saying that he plans on spending more time hanging out with the theological conservatives he has grown to despise? I'm going to guess not, and therein lies the gaslighting of this self-congratulatory post by Max. This isn't about humility at all. Much the opposite, it's a post to say, "I'm a better person than those guys with whom I disagree." It makes me wonder if Max will ever accept conviction and recognize that he has far more in common with those unforgiving fundamentalists than he would care to admit.
Here's what's true for Max, me, you, and everyone else who has ever lived or will live:
- There is a thing called sin, it is prevalent, and it condemns us all.
- Regardless of whether that sin manifests in the forms "right-wing fundamentalists" love to point out (sexual immorality, blasphemy, godlessness), or in the forms "exvangelicals" love to point out (pride, greed, judgmentalism), we have all fallen short of the glory of God and on our own have no recourse or hope of redemption.
- The substitutionary death of Jesus, the One the Father chose from the opening pages of Creation to save His sinful creations from themselves, provides each of us a way out.
That's why relegating Jesus to a moral teacher you merely seek to emulate, choosing to publicly announce your interest in "being more like" Him as you might also say for Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or Confucius, is insufficient and inadequate to overcome that eternal gulf separating us from God's glory.
Being like Jesus is a noble pursuit, but it won't save Kevin Max, those sinners he wants to hang out with, those unpopular people he wants to befriend, or those people he wants to tell thoughtful stories to.
So my prayer for Kevin Max this year is the same as my prayer for myself: that our restless, self-centered hearts would surrender more fully to the Sovereignty of God and the unmerited salvation of His Son, and that we would preach Christ crucified more boldly and more passionately and more urgently than ever before.
