EXPLO 72 AND CHURCHES OF CHRIST

By the time you read this it will likely all be over. EXPLO 72 that is, which you have no doubt heard about. 100,000 young people are expected to descend (or ascend) upon Dallas for a mass evangelism seminar, a history-making event sponsored by Campus Crusade. Large classes will be conducted all over the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, designed to train young people to witness for Jesus in their own communities. In the evenings they will overflow the Cotton Bowl for more of the same.

The conference gets its name from its stated aim, “Training for EXPLOSIVE Spiritual Revolution,” and it has gained much support from civic as well as religious leaders. The Dallas mayor is periodically on TV urging the city to help make the event the greatest of its kind in history. He points out that 60 nations will be represented as well as every state in our nation. 10,000 laymen will also be on hand to gain further spiritual insight.

The daily conferences will be held at the larger church facilities, on university campuses, at Market Hall (where Kennedy was going on that fateful day), and at huge convention centers in both Dallas and Ft. Worth. Scores of hotels will be filled to capacity and thousands of homes in the area have opened their doors to the visitors. A full-page ad in Dallas papers has EXPLO officials asking for a small miracle: an additional 28,000 beds. A similar ad in our own Denton paper asked for 2,000. Even floor space will be accepted, they pointed out, for these kids are coming with sleeping bags and are prepared to rough it.

This caused us to offer Wynnewood Chapel, which could accommodate a large number if floor space was sufficient. The officials were pleased to have it, but have since called and said it would not be needed after all since enough homes have responded to their call. Some sessions will be here in Denton on one of our university campuses, so Ouida and I signed up for four delegates, even though I will have to be away part of the time. The worker discretely asked, “Do you prefer Caucasians?” I replied, “We’ll take ‘em whatever color you have: black, white, red, purple . .” She got a laugh out of that and was pleased that we had beds for all four and would provide breakfast and transportation to their conference center.

There are upwards of 200 Churches of Christ in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, some of them with million dollar facilities. Our folk across the country will no doubt wonder what contribution those of us here in the area are making to the success of EXPLO 72. On the information sheet sent to me by the officials I see that numerous churches have offered their facilities, but insofar as the Restoration tradition is concerned this includes only the East Dallas Christian Church, the largest in that wing of discipledom. The Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and even the Seventh Day Adventists have offered facilities.

One would suppose that some of our folk might lend a helping hand to this momentous event, especially since the EXPLO officials have made it clear that this is strictly a non-sectarian effort to win our culture for Christ. But this is supposing too much, and it may well be that it is precisely for that reason that we keep our clean hands off: it is non-sectarian. If they used our literature, our teachers, and our doctrines — and only ours — then of course it would be “Church of Christ” and we’d be all for it. It would also be sectarian. And there wouldn’t be 100,00 here from all over the world. We should rejoice that EXPLO seeks only to lift up Jesus in the hearts of these kids, for they well know that these youth could not care less for all our distinctive theological peculiarities.

But I must not leave the impression that the Church of Christ has completely ignored EXPLO 72. Some of our leaders gathered for at least two sessions to ascertain what our folk might do, if anything, about this significant occasion. The elders of the Pipeline Road congregation in Hurst, between Dallas and Ft. Worth, sent out a report of what was decided. The report was sent out, they explained, because there was a great deal of interest in what these leaders recommended for the Churches of Christ to do in reference to EXPLO 72.

Some of the preachers at the meeting suggested that we might prepare our own literature for the occasion and pass it out to the youth at the conference centers, clandestinely of course. It was indicated that some of this might be done.

It was decided that it was too late to plan for any kind of cooperative effort in reference to EXPLO 72. They did not mean, of course, that they might cooperate with the mass effort, but that it was too late for the Churches of Christ to do anything at the cooperative level. As for showing hospitality to the youth coming from around the world, our leaders showed an awareness of the need, referring to the ad asking for 28,000 beds. They thought maybe some of our more mature folk could provide lodging for these kids, “with a view to teaching and influencing them for good.” But they added: “A consideration of 2 John 9-11 made us cautious about this.” They also hesitated to suggest that we show hospitality of this sort because of “the short time available in which to train our people for this type confrontation.”

The report, which is signed by five elders, concludes with: “Although we cannot say how God may use the various congregations the week of June 12-17, we are confident that all will work together for good if we truly love Him and walk within His purpose and calling.”

So, you see, our folk are aware of EXPLO 72 and we are standing by to see just how God may use us during that week. My, but aren’t we alive!

It reminds me of a movie I once saw about a battle in the Civil War. The opposing armies were strung out along a broad front, ready for the groat confrontation. By lamplight in their tents the opposing generals worked through the night on their battle plans. The battle was to be crucial, perhaps even the turning point of the war. The weary soldiers were busy moving equipment into position, ready to attack at daybreak. During these days of preparation there was a different kind of powwow in the neighborhood. Some kids were having their own little war, holding conferences, planning strategy, and making the best use of their imaginary equipment.

The best I recall the lesser contest was staged by the “Our Gang” kids, and since I was a kid myself, it was that war that concerned me. What did I care about the Civil War contest, however momentous. I was willing to miss the main event so as to watch a game of tiddlewinks!

Plato says something about how the good and wise man simply has no interest in the trivial, that his concerns are necessarily weighty. But as the pyramids defy time my brethren can defy even Plato. While all of Dallas is showing the noblest impulse of its history, our leaders gather in solemn assembly to weigh the momentous issue as to whether some of us might provide a bed for a kid from Nebraska without violating 2 John 9-11!

I am sure there is, however, some brightness in this picture. We have no way of knowing, but I will venture the educated guess that a lot of our folk are opening their homes to these young people, and they will rejoice with them if Jesus becomes more vital to them. Too, some of our own youth will be involved, and we will benefit from it all, in spite of ourselves.

Poor 2 John 9-11. How we do abuse that passage. The apostle would surely be surprised to learn that his warnings against the Gnostic heretics would be used against one who would dare to open his door to some kid who has come to learn more about the Christ. It is unthinkable that we have allowed ourselves to become so blind that we deliberately use the word of God in such a way as to preserve our exclusiveness. In that same disputed passage John makes it clear the people he has in mind when he insists that they should be given no greeting nor welcomed into our homes. Verse 7 says: “Many deceivers have ‘gone out into the world, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as come in the flesh.” He goes on to call such ones the Antichrist and says that the believer must beware of such, “so that you may not lose all that you have worked for.”

Then he goes on to say that these deceivers “run ahead too far and do not stand by the doctrine of Christ.” Then comes the lines that have become a Church of Christ albatross: “If anyone comes to you who does not bring this doctrine, do not welcome him into your, house or give him a greeting; for anyone who gives him a greeting is an accomplice in his wicked deeds.”

Seen in its context, it is evident that “the doctrine of Christ” that is not honored is the truth that Jesus is indeed the eternal Word become flesh, a doctrine the Gnostics would not accept because of their thesis that flesh is necessarily evil. It is a serious fallacy to suppose that “the doctrine of Christ” applies to all the teachings of the New Testament. One may be honestly mistaken about baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the church, prophecy, the kingdom of God (We of course are right on all these things!) and still be as innocent of the condemnation of 2 John 9-11 as any of us.

I will receive anyone into my home who sincerely loves God and is seeking to follow him, however mistaken I think he is on a score of things. The Gnostics had a bad heart, and they were seeking to undermine the church and to destroy the simple trusting faith of the saints, and all this to build up their own party. Today we cannot put well-meaning Baptists or Roman Catholics in such a category, even if they are wrong on this or that point of biblical truth.

It is our basic attitude in all this that is most tragic. That the leaders in this meeting about EXPLO should conclude that there is not time enough “to train our people for this type confrontation” is evidence that we simply haven’t the right attitude toward other disciples of Jesus. Confrontation implies defiance and antagonism. And must our people be especially trained to share with a bunch of high school or college kids about Jesus? Why must it be made such a big deal?

This kind of behavior suggests that we are unsure of ourselves, and so we act intemperately and even desperately. Why can’t we allow things to hang loose, looking to the Lord to put it altogether? Why not just sit down in a circle of these kids and listen and share and pray and praise? And possibly even learn? We don’t have to be trained for a confrontation. I suspect that our clergy have been running things for so long, and running scared while running, that they have lost out on what is really going on, and along with it they have overlooked the power of Jesus in one’s life.

Considering the claims that the Church of Christ has made for itself all these years, I suppose it does loom as something of a threat that other believers (whom we hardly consider true believers) should be able to conduct such an impressive program without our help. For one of the greatest spiritual conventions in the entire history of Christianity to be held in a Church of Christ stronghold, and to take place as if the Church of Christ did not even exist in that area, is indeed something of a shock treatment. I can just see some kid from Hawaii being asked upon his return home by some of our folk, “Oh, that was held in Dallas, was it? Then I suppose you had some exposure to our own Churches of Christ that are so strong there?” His innocent reply would have to be: Who?

Let us all be thankful that what is done for Jesus in this world does not have to begin and end with us. Like wisdom and like truth.

This negative attitude of our leadership does not discourage me at all, for I see it as reactionary to something vital and precious that is taking place among us. Our people are changing. If Church of Christ folk across the land could all read this article, they would be more sympathetic with my attitude toward EXPLO than that of those leaders that met at Hurst. The truth is that such leaders are going to be left behind if they don’t get with it, for the church of Jesus Christ on earth (not necessarily the Church of Christ) is moving on to victory and a lot of our folk are going along. This is because so many have their eyes on Jesus and they are turning to him as never before.

I believe in our people, and I gloriously believe in the future. That victory will be ours in terms of a more spiritual and more responsible brotherhood of disciples is now beyond question. — the Editor