Opinions and the Church.
Why does this point get muddy once we try to carry it into the church? Saying things like, “Everyone’s opinion isn’t equally valid,” feels so elitist. It feels like telling people to just shut their pie hole, pay the bills and do what the pastor says. That makes me sick to my stomach.
But if we understand it correctly, it’s not elitist, it’s just reality. My mechanic’s opinion about the dying goat sound coming out of my engine is more valid than the opinion of my Uncle Marty* who skims through Hot Rod magazines once per year.
Yet, it still feels wrong when we try to make the same point in the church. After all, every Christian does have the Holy Spirit. And as a good Baptist, I believe in the priesthood of every believer. I also believe that every member is not merely a valid part of the body of Christ, but a vital part of the body.
But let’s be honest. The body functions much better when the opinion of the foot carries more weight than the opinion of the elbow in all things “walking.” The same Holy Spirit that we all have has apportioned to us various gifts and personalities. There are things that the arms do that the eyes can not. So what if it’s true that there are some things in which you and I really don’t know what we are talking about? Maybe the church would function better if feet gave all of their energy to being feet and not opining about what the arm ought to be doing.
Yet, Google has made everybody an expert on every subject. Perhaps the church ought to be subversive in this area and pursue humility. Such a humility would seek to know what we are called to know and leave the rest up to other parts of the body. Opine on areas where we know something and realize that our opinions ought to carry little weight in everything else. After all, it is the way of the fool to take pleasure in airing his opinion (Proverbs 18:2). As if it always matters and needs to be heeded. But the way of the wise is to seek truth and understanding.
P.S. This is why I haven’t aired opinions on many topics. This doesn’t make me a sycophant, it just means I’m not in the position to have an opinion that actually matters.
* I don’t actually have an Uncle Marty. I’ve always wanted one because I’m sure he’s cool, with all his magazine skimming and such.
