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ROARING LAMBSWritten by Bob Briner
The rally cry is silent. The imperative has dissipated. The church—or most of it—has retreated from the culture; it’s time for the lambs to roar. So compels the late Bob Briner in the newly updated edition of Roaring Lambs. These sheep, he explains, are brave, assertive believers willing to permeate all of life’s interaction and expression with a measure of salt and light. Four of the volume’s nine chapters deal with the application of faith to life, and getting past the reactionary, headstrong (and ultimately indefensible) stance of Christians. The remaining five sections take to task the lack of initiative in culture-shaping arenas: television, film, literature, the visual arts, and the Christian academe. Without dispute, godless and objectionable fare dominates the box office and Nielsen ratings—yet what is the church’s answer? Picketing particularly offensive shows; by “scorekeeping,” providing all who care with the number of times the “f” word was said in an R-rated flick; denouncing all TV as unacceptable and evil. “The world rolls its eyes, snickers, and moves on.” Briner notes that if all this demonstrative energy were poured into just one affirming, professionally-produced movie, it would be far more impacting. Contentions are leveled with this solution-based articulation, always teeming with questions for readers to consider. Why, with interest in spirituality surging, don’t prose-writing pastors and the giants of Christian publishing present the truth in that format? How is it that virtually no Christian painter is featured in art galleries—aren’t we the ones who know the Great Creator? When will Christian higher education stop meaning second-class institutions? None of this will occur overnight, and to win a hearing, believers must be competent and above reproach in their professional tasks, visionary in their artistic technique, and non-threatening when they breach the subject of eternal matters. To be sure, “roaring lambs” have penetrated the mainstream for centuries, and Briner doesn't leave praises unsung for C.S. Lewis in literature, Chick-Fil-A in the corporate world, and Dave Dravecky in sports. Odd considering the much-touted Roaring Lambs CD, the author's biggest shortcoming is not bringing to bear upon music—At the Crossroads by Charlie Peacock surveyed the CCM realm thoroughly, and is an excellent companion to this book. Though he was lost to cancer in 1999, the well founded, clearly presented driftings of Bob Briner live on, sparking passion for the bigger world of ideas.
- Josh Shepherd
June 2000
June 2000
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