On the February 1st Larry King Live program, Larry had on as guests four evangelicals that were featured in TIME magazine as the most influential evangelicals in our country. Barbara and Tim LaHaye of "Left Behind" fame, Frankilin Graham, T.D. Jakes, and Brian McLaren. I would encourage you to read the transcript of this show and try to discover the tenor of the answers. Of course Larry plays devil's advocate to a great degree, but he raises many of the issues and difficulities that many in our world raise with a "Christian" worldview. He gives less opportunity for McLaren and Jakes to talk then he does to Graham and the LaHayes, but I think that is because of the difference in their answers. Jakes, and even moreso McLaren, are less confrontational in their responses and much more capable of creating an opportunity for meaningful dialogue. I think Mr. King was a little more interested in the confrontation than the dialogue for the purpose of his show.

Here is what comes across clearly to me: if we are going to be able to give away the Kingdom to those we come in contact with, then we need to become more capable of meaningful dialogue with our culture and not come off as condemning and confrontational. A response from one of the callers seems to make this so obvious;

CALLER: Good evening, Larry. Good evening to your panel. I would like to preface my comment to Mrs. LaHaye by saying that I highly respect Reverend Jakes and Mr. McLaren because they seem to be the most compassionate, understanding and open-minded of the evangelicals....

Look how the caller describes Jakes and McLaren... compassionate, understanding, open-minded. Other words that are used to describe Christians during the show are pretty typical stereotypes of Christians in our culture... intolerant, judgemental, and overbearing. Which set of these would describe Jesus?

I wonder how I would be described.