A Few Classmates. Losing our Religion. And…an Alaskan Wolf?
Hunting in the harsh winter of Alaska presents significant challenges, and for an Eskimo, the risks can be life-threatening. In these extreme conditions, the threat of frostbite or freezing can become a reality in less than thirty minutes. This is why it’s crucial for hunters to be innovative and resourceful. One such practice involves coating the blade of a sharp knife with animal blood and placing it in the freezer during the day. At dusk, the hunter walks a considerable distance from home and carefully positions the knife in the snow, ensuring that the blood-coated blade is exposed.
In the stillness of the night, a wolf, driven by instinct, picks up the scent of blood on the wind. Yet, as he draws closer to the enticing aroma, a sense of unease washes over him; something feels off. Despite his hesitation, the primal allure of the scent tugs at him, creating a poignant struggle within his intelligent mind. He may circle around the blade-filled blood five, ten, or even twenty times just to make sure everything is safe. After he realizes it’s safe, the wolf will still cautiously approach the knife and once he is a few inches away, he will lunge at the knife, licking away at the blood. Soon he is so engrossed in his meal that he does not realize he is actually cutting his own tongue and mouth and drinking his own blood. I know this is gross but please bear with me for a few more sentences because this scenario is very important to understand.
Later that morning, the Eskimo takes a moment to gather his thoughts and prepare for the day ahead. As he makes his way to where he had left the knife, a sense of reverence fills him. Upon arriving, he is met with a poignant sight: the knife rests gently in the still mouth of the wolf, which lies lifeless in the snow. The proud Eskimo smiles because he knows he has provided for his family.
As I read, Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, by Russell Moore, I reflected on the struggles faced by the Eskimos during the harsh winter months. In this narrative, the wolf unwittingly consumes itself, which parallels what I see happening within Evangelical America. We may believe we are confronting our adversaries, yet in reality, we may be causing harm to ourselves. It’s a poignant reminder of the importance of compassion and understanding, rather than division. Galatians 5:5 reads, “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”1 This is exactly what is happening in America. “People are going to have-from now till the Apocalypse-arguments about what is true and what is false, what is real and what is fake.”2 I believe not only argue about “what” but we really argue about “who” is right and who is wrong. Once again, we are devouring ourselves by devouring others. To make matters worse, Moore says, “Our problem now, though, is that, increasingly, we are called not just to argue about what is true, but to say things that we know to be false, just to prove that we are part of the tribe to which we belong.”3 When we reach a point where we feel compelled to make false claims just to fit in with our tribe, it can lead to hurtful actions that drive wedges between us and others. It’s important to remember that these divisions can cause pain not just for those around us, but also for ourselves.
So, what’s going on? Moore’s premise, which he iterates a few times in his book, “We see now young evangelicals walking away from evangelicalism not because they do not believe what the church teaches, but because they believe the church itself does not believe what the church teaches.”4 Moore reflects on the profound disappointment many feel regarding the Catholic Church’s approach to the sex abuse crisis involving priests and minors. He emphasizes how this failure to act in alignment with its own principles has left many in the laity feeling betrayed, as it seemed that financial considerations and preserving institutional power took precedence over the well-being of victims. Drawing a parallel to his own community, the Southern Baptists, Moore expresses concern that they, too, have struggled to fulfill their essential responsibilities in addressing issues of sexual abuse. The other issue he highlights as a concern for Southern Baptists and many evangelicals is the struggle with Donald Trump. He chose not to endorse Trump, expressing feelings that the candidate was unfit for leadership, which unfortunately led to criticism directed at him. In Moore’s perspective, both the ongoing crisis of sexual abuse and a strong inclination to support Trump have led many to see that Southern Baptists and evangelicals are grappling with their beliefs about the importance of character and virtue in political leaders.
What I’m observing in Evangelical America is a deep sense of frustration, hurt, and conflict. There seems to be a struggle with feelings of anger and mistrust, leading to a cycle of negativity that affects relationships. It’s painful to see people who once cared for one another becoming divided and distant. People are biting and devouring one another, and in turn, hurting themselves. Lukianoff and Schlott responds by writing, “When criticism transforms into public shaming, it stifles learning.”5 Even though public shaming is not healthy, maybe part of it is because Evangelical America has failed to believe what it actually teaches. When we don’t believe what we teach, it leads to frustration for many. When we don’t believe what we teach, we lose our credibility, authority, identity, integrity, and stability.6 The result can be devastating because “Cascades form. Small groups, loosely connected, but united by a common purpose.”7 But these cascades can be unhealthy and dangerous. This is why Evangelical America is in crisis. And maybe that is not a bad thing.
I won’t try to provide an answer myself, but I want to highlight the wisdom and insight of my classmates. Each one of them brings credibility, authority, identity, integrity, and stability to the table. I deeply respect their perspectives, and for the sake of brevity, I’ll focus on six individuals whom I believe will continue to greatly contribute to making our country a more stable and nurturing place for all.
John Fehlen – John’s leadership gifts are off the charts, giving him the ability to lead just about any church, non-profit, or company. Yet, he is a total team player and leads best by collaborating. It’s rare to see a leader who can do it all by himself and yet he chooses to work with others to get the job done.
Cathy Glei – Cathy is an excellent processor of information, which makes her responses to others so encouraging, thought-provoking, and even creative. Her unique ability to process life adds to her credibility and integrity because others know she will not be biased in her approach to problems.
Travis Vaughn – Travis brings a sacred curiosity to life because he has a keen desire to gain knowledge and understand all viewpoints. His healthy self-confidence helps him be a quick decision-maker, and yet he asks such deep and penetrating questions that show a unique understanding of the complexities of the world.
Esther Edwards – Esther is a disciple-maker! She understands and knows how to come alongside a person, group, or church and lead well. She leads well because she reads people well, which leads to caring for the whole person (spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally). Her “whole-person” mindset is unique and brings stability and identity to her leadership.
Adam Harris – Adam is a leader who lives and calls others to live outside of the box. He honestly engages in conversations to have a deeper understanding of people, God, life, and circumstances. His intelligence is wrapped in a caring humility, which gives him so much authority from others. He uses his authority to ask inviting questions that help others to feel important and a necessary part of the team.
Jennifer Vernam – Jennifer has been gifted by God with the leadership ability to help people, groups, and organizations see their need for change. But it’s what people see in her that makes the change happen so effortlessly. Jennifer has a unique ability to see all sides of a problem and help others see what she is feeling and understanding. She is a rare leader.
- Galatians 5:5. New International Version
- Losing Our Religion. Russell Moore. 69.
- Ibid. 69.
- Ibid. 69.
- The Canceling of the American Mind. Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott. 21.
- Losing Our Religion.
- Cascades. Greg Satell. 93.
About the Author
Todd E Henley
Todd is an avid cyclist who loves watching NASCAR, photography, and playing Madden football. He is addicted to reading, eating fruits and vegetables, and drinking H2O. His passion is talking about trauma, epigenetics, chromosomes, and the brain. He has been blessed with a sensationally sweet wife and four fun creative children (one of which resides in heaven). In his free time he teaches at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and is the Founder/Executive Director of Restore Counseling Center.10 responses to “A Few Classmates. Losing our Religion. And…an Alaskan Wolf?”
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Todd- First off: thank you for your kind observations and words of encouragement- a great way to start off today! Also, what an interesting post! The analogy of the wolf who is destroying itself by following its instincts is a fascinating parallel to what is going on in Evangelical America today. It resonates with me as we watch the institutions that have been central to so many of us act in such strange and contradictory ways.
What I most liked reading was your observation “this is why Evangelical America is in a crisis. And maybe that is not a bad thing.”
Indeed.
Like many of us, I can point to times of crisis in my own life that have proven to lead to times of amazing transformation. Let’s pray we are on the cusp of that in Christ’s Church, and that we remain open to fully grasping that change when it comes!
Todd, like Jennifer stated, reading your posts was so encouraging. Your highlighting classmates embodies a way of overcoming the tendency to devour one another. Seeing the good in others and calling those things out publically creates a different vibe and Spirit that our country and churches need. You truly model humble leadership, and I would follow your lead in a heartbeat my friend! Thanks for the encouraging words and convicting wisdom.
Hey my brother. As always, you say or white something I’ve never heard before, which causes me to think deeply. You mentioned “convicting wisdom” I’m sure you’ve been using that word since preschool but it’s my first time hearing it and I’ve been sitting with it for a few hours. What must happen in a person’s life to have convicting wisdom and how does it differ from wisdom. Thanks for giving me something to ponder on. I appreciate you man!
Hey Jennifer, your suggestion of fully grasping the change and being open to it is paramount and essential to remember. It’s also sound wisdom. I’m even wondering how challenging it will be to grasp the change, especially if it goes against my nature or even my belief system. But it’s still something to prepare for. Once again, thanks for the insight.
Todd,
Descriptive and excellent analogy in your post! I also appreciate how you called others out for their gifts and leadership abilities. I am so encouraged when I see others do this!
Thank you, Pam Lau! You are so descriptive in your encouragement! 😊
Hi Todd,
Your writing provides a clearer picture of the church’s dire conditions. You write, “What I’m observing in Evangelical America is a deep sense of frustration, hurt, and conflict. There seems to be a struggle with feelings of anger and mistrust, leading to a cycle of negativity that affects relationships. It’s painful to see people who once cared for one another becoming divided and distant. People are biting and devouring one another, and in turn, hurting themselves.”
It is heartbreaking to read about these conditions. Is there any hope, however small, for the restoration and purification of Christianity there?
Hey Dinka! That is an excellent question. Yes, I believe there is hope for Christianity, even though I think Christianity will most likely continue to change. What will that change look like? I’m not sure. Many will accept that change, and many will struggle to accept it. We will better understand what it will look like after this generation passes away.
Way to start your post with such a vivid story! It was well done and drew me in and gave a visceral feeling. Why are we so intent on consuming? Thank you for your post and I agree, calling out our classmates for their skills was moving and I agree with your assessment on each of them.
Why are we so content on consuming? That’s a really good question. Maybe one reason is we think it actually helps us to feel better, because we think we won or are winning. It also puts us above others and that always feel better than being second or not winning…and all of that is the wrong mindset anyway. Thanks for bringing that question to my attention.