There's Hope For TodaySample

“Don’t look at me, look to Jesus,” said the worship leader with purple hair. “We’re just here to glorify Jesus,” he said, as the band broke into a funky-town-boogie-sidestep-shuffle.

“Let’s rock, let’s give it up, let’s worship,” he shouted as he pranced around, a sad caricature of an aging rock star. “It’s not about me, it’s all about Him,” he cried, as he ripped off a tortured guitar solo. I felt like I was witnessing a poor brand of Christian karaoke. When Paul said, “We are fools,” he was not endorsing foolish and infantile behavior. He was chiding the sinful Corinthians who supposed themselves to be super wise. Paul’s use of biting sarcasm has oft been used to defend outrageous flamboyance on the part of charlatans and pretenders. If a man teases a rabid Doberman, he is a fool, and no Christian virtue can be found in his dangerous acts.

Christians cannot defend stupidity by claiming that we are “fools for Christ.” Neither should we accept carnal, self-serving behavior as somehow “spiritual” because Jesus’ name is invoked, or Paul’s statement is quoted out of context.

God is not honored by carnival hysterics, but by sincerity, integrity, meekness and humility.