A Perfectly Skewed Logic - Mourning George Carlin
- Dr. Tom Ricks
- Jul 3, 2008
- Series: A Perfectly Skewed Logic Devotion
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A Perfectly Skewed Logic |
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Saturday, June 28, 2008 Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. George Carlin died on Sunday. In the media and other places around the country, the loss of one of the most prolific comedic minds of our generation was mourned. At age 71, his heart, which had given him significant problems for the last 20 years, finally gave out. The man who knew nothing as sacred and has been called the voice of the “indignant counter culture” is no longer among us. Carlin’s routines were vulgar. He did not hesitate to mock authority, government, and one of his favorite targets, the Christian faith. Here are just a couple of quotes by George Carlin: If this is the best God can do, I'm not impressed. I would never want to be a member of a group whose symbol was a guy nailed to two pieces of wood. Now I realize that as folks are reading this, two things are true. First, some of you do not know who George Carlin was. You have never heard of him, nor have you ever been exposed to any of his humor or satire. Secondly, those of you who do know who George Carlin was are a bit shocked that a minister of the gospel would have any interest in one who was diametrically opposed to our faith. In response, I would suggest that those of you who have not heard of George may want to consider engaging in the culture just a little more. If we are going to offer the truth in a lost and dying world, we need to have some passing understanding of how the world thinks. You do not have to listen to someone as raw as Carlin, but the objections and questions he raised about Christianity are not dissimilar to the way many of our unbelieving families, friends and neighbors think. Secondly, to those of you who think I may be out of line by listening to such a blasphemous comic, I can only say I am sorry, but I think anyone who asks the question, “Why do we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?” deserves some small attention. However, this is not the purpose of my thoughts today. Chiefly, I am sad. When I heard this news yesterday I began to replay many of his routines in my mind. All of his sacrilegious attacks on God the Father and our Lord Jesus have now been silenced. His adamant refusal to believe there is a God, much less put his faith in Christ Jesus is no longer fodder for comedy. George Carlin spent his adult life mocking belief in anything spiritual and he earned millions by ridiculing those of us who base our lives on the promises found in scripture. So, why should I mourn him? I grieve for Carlin because of Hebrews 9: 27. It does not matter to me that he hated Christians and Christianity. I could not care less if he used us to be the brunt of his anti-Christian humor. It means nothing that he was profane and sacrilegious. All that matters now is judgment. That awful word that makes me shudder when I ponder it for any length of time. Unless Mr. Carlin repented and turned to Christ Jesus for salvation, the only thing that now awaits him is the judgment of a righteous and holy God. That knowledge makes me cringe. I pray that someone got to him; I desperately hope that before he took his last breath he saw the glory of God’s love and forgiveness in Christ Jesus and embraced it for himself. If he did not, then he must answer to God without the cover of Jesus’ mercy and, as the author of Hebrews reminds us, “Our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).” However, beyond my lament for George Carlin and his eternal destination, there has also been within me a resolve that has been awakened. Perhaps like you, I sometimes hold back sharing my faith because it does not seem to be the right time or I am a bit concerned about what the person with whom I am speaking may think. Carlin’s death reminded me that this is utter nonsense. Eternity hangs in the balance and if I love you and love the Lord Jesus, I will offer you his grace no matter the cost. You want to make fun of me? Go right ahead. Spit on me and my message of salvation through Jesus alone? That is your prerogative. Mock my faith, my intellect and my ability to reason if you so choose. I will not stop you. But keep me from speaking about the unfathomable glories of his love and mercy? Not hardly! Silence the message of the gospel? Not a chance! Keep me from warning you about what awaits you if you reject him? Sorry, that is not going to happen. There is too much at stake; your eternal soul. Each one of us will face judgment. It is unavoidable. We will stand before the eternal bench, as people forgiven by God, because we put our faith in Christ Jesus and his work on the cross or we will stand alone. Naked, with all of our guilt and defiance, with only the fearful expectation of God’s justice applied to rebellious men and women who rejected his offer of life and peace. There is nothing at all funny about that! Only By His Grace, Tom |