2008-08-26 Posted by Andrew Beckner

How Would Jesus Vote? Don Miller at DNC 08

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Author and Emerging Church leader Don Miller gives the benediction during the first day of the Democratic National Convention. Added some Democratic Party platforms into his prayer, which I think he shouldn't have done. Now, he's entitled to his political leanings, but I don't think they have a place in a prayer, even if you do think universal health care and minimum wage are moral issues.

I'm disappointed he didn't get any television time...I suppose if he'd not used the name Jesus and instead prayed to some relativistic, wimpy god who answers to any name you want to call him then maybe television wouldn't have cut him out. But you start praying to "Your son Jesus, who gave His own life," then we suddenly get nervous. Pray to god, it's fine. Pray to God, well, that's just not PC, is it?  

Of course, here's one criticism I had of the prayer, and I hope I'm not being too nit-picky. When Miller says "who gave His own life against the forces of injustice," I wonder at Miller's meaning here. What he prayed was technically true, but is Miller saying that Christ's death was merely to expose injustice? If so, that makes Jesus no better than Martin Luther King Jr. or Gandhi. Yes, Jesus died because of man's injustice. But let's not forget that He was not murdered. No one took Jesus' life. He gave it willingly to redeem man's sin.

His death was to redeem injustice, not expose it.




What are your thoughts on Miller's prayer? Do you mind that he read it from a Teleprompter? Should he have bowed his head? Do you think television should have showed the prayer? Why or why not?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not good.

I was more amazed at him praying for the advancement of a political agenda rather than for God's will. Standing there, reading from the teleprompter just enhanced how politically motivated the "prayer" was.

And I'm sure the GOP will make a similar, if not worse, offense.

But, this is just one opinion.

7:59 PM
Andrew Beckner said...

Thanks for your comment. I agree that far too often both parties use faith as a means to advance a political agenda when the purpose of it is to share Jesus. All Evangelicals have an obligation, when they are given a platform, to tell people about Jesus. I can only hope that those listening to the prayer learned something about Christ.

10:48 AM
Anonymous said...

I think it would be far more interesting to pan the audience to catch their reaction throughout the prayer. I have no problem with him not bowing his head or reading from the prompter, but like you, I find his choice of wording of the "...injustice..." interesting. God uses injustice many times to further His purposes. I don't believe God causes injustice because this comes about because of the fall of mankind. God knew all of history before there ever was history and yet His plan goes on for the greater good. Injustice! Yes, from a human point of view it was. Most likely from God's also, BUT, God looked beyond what many did and saw individuals who would have the gift because of the injustice being performed that day on the cross Isn't it just like God to turn injustice into justification!?! Yep, I think Don Miller chose the wrong wording. But I'm sure not many in that convention hall could make the leap of seeing the injustice in the light of what it gained for each of them/me/us this marvelous gift!
So was Don Miller's prayer, spiritually motivated or politically motivated? God knows the heart!

LKanawha

1:58 PM

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