What if John Piper’s diatribe is really a need to convince himself about an angry God?

The Piper dust up has really gotten me thinking about something.  How often have we seen someone really go out on a limb to prove a point about God, or doctrine, or something of significant importance?  And in the wake of that, the person digs in and offers a second helping meant to convince even more.  Piper was no exception.  His first post, which really hit a vein and caused such a stir, required clarification. I didn’t really buy the first post, and I really didn’t buy the second one either.  No worries, John had no shortage of people singing his praises of God’s condemnation in the comment section.

If Piper’s posts did anything it was make me take a serious look at our need to convince. What is the root problem in this desire for intense persuasion?  Is it truth?  Is it the Spirit?  Possibly.  But what if it’s a little more sinister than that.

What if our need to prove something to someone else is really our need to convince ourselves?  What if the denial of the crowd is really trying to tell us something…and we’re just not listening?  What if the moment we dig our heals in is actually the signal that we’re not quite convinced of our own argument.

Because if truth is truth, it’s stands on its own merit.  It resonates in a way that is undeniable.  It speaks louder than we could ever do.  It really, really, really doesn’t need us like we think it does.  And the more we attempt to convince the world around that something is true, the more is potentially reveals that it’s wrong.  We do this don’t we.  When someone calls us out on something, instead of listening, we dig in deeper and work to convince more.  Instead of resonance, which is the absence of noise, we get resistance, which is the presence of noise or a blockage.

To be fair, I would offer that Piper may be getting it right.  If my argument is true, I must leave open the possibility that I am wrong about his original assertions.  Humility demands that I resist the need to continue to defend what is true to those who are not listening.

And this leads me to wonder that like me, Piper is working out his own image of God, if on a much larger stage.  He’s gonna get it wrong sometimes.  And when he does, I want to offer him the same grace that I would want when I’m wrong.

So, much love to John Piper.  Keep working it out brother.