The Most Dangerous Man in Dallas
Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
But whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear,
Is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
- Proverbs 28:14–15
The old cliché “we live in uncertain times” is a standard trope, but at this moment in history, this line holds disturbing resonance. As we continue to navigate a mysterious virus with unknowns of origin, cause, transmission, treatment, and lasting effects, the uncertainty can be overwhelming. America has leading scientists and minds working tirelessly to uncrack the code of COVID-19, but at this moment, we are still left with unanswered questions. It leaves us on edge, fearful, frightened, and scared.
With so much uncertainty, we look to experts and researchers to provide everyday practices and habits that could help us reduce the impact of this global pandemic. We are constantly updated with new discoveries and insights, but there are few certainties. Wearing masks in public spaces can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Staying six feet away from those who do not share our home can assist in lessening the transmission chances of the disease. And, large public functions in indoor spaces can greatly increase the probability of catching and spreading the virus. Beyond this, we are left with so many questions.
As we journey through this frightening time, we look towards leaders and those in authority to advise us on how to protect ourselves and others. These trusted figures are often local political figures, who partner with state and federal appointees and elected officials to direct and implement policy. We can certainly acknowledge missteps throughout the process, but we all hope our leaders have placed health and safety as a top priority. We all hope that they have created an environment that is lessening the impact of this deadly virus.
Leadership does not end with political leaders. Our communities are full of people who have the ability to lead and inspire the women and men they serve to make wise and moral decisions. In an evangelical hot bed like Texas, a majority of our fellow citizens look towards ministers and pastors for guidance. In downtown Dallas, one man shepherds a congregation of 14,000 members and not only influences their decisions, but has a strong influence nationwide, even having the ear of our nation’s president. His name is Robert Jeffress and on Sunday, he proved to be the most dangerous person in Dallas.
First Baptist Church Dallas is purposeful in the promotion of their pastor. Dr. Jeffress is the face of the church and his biography on the church website sets his intentions clearly. The first sentence reads, “Dr. Robert Jeffress is Senior Pastor of the 14,000-member First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas and is a Fox News Contributor”. The church values their pastor’s influence in the secular realm and it is common to see him on conservative media shows and outlets throughout the country. His relationship with President Trump and the Trump administration is so important to the congregation that they held an enormous service this past Sunday that included appearances by HUD Secretary Ben Carson and Vice President Mike Pence. The patriotic themed service included over 1,000 congregants, including over 100 participants in the choir and orchestra. The service provided a high production value and a lively atmosphere. What it failed to feature were health precautions and standards. One of the most influential leaders of the Dallas community held a rally for America under the guise of Christianity, proudly failing to wear a mask and showing a lack of leadership and care for the safety of his church members. Though some attendees wore masks, the live feed showed numerous members without masks despite the overwhelming evidence of their importance. The choir stood less than six feet apart and did not wear masks, despite the overwhelming research that singers are “super spreaders”. During the American lovefest on Sunday, First Baptist Dallas and Robert Jeffress put the whole city at risk.
Sadly, this should come as no surprise. Jeffress is a controversial religious leader who uses the Bible and Christianity as a cover for his hate and fear. I know this is a bold statement that will make some readers angry, but I would argue that through his teachings and appearances, Jeffress has proven this to be true. I do not write this piece to condemn the man or his soul, for this is not my place or purpose. But, I do rebuke his actions, his thought process, his continued bigotry, and his apathy towards the safety and health of others. Robert Jeffress lives a life that avoids three key themes that are crucial to the heart of Christianity.
Context — Read a book from Robert Jeffress, and you will be confronted by his fundamental reading of Scripture. I capitalize Scripture to give it the reverence as he would, but his reverence lacks understanding of structure and meaning. After reading his book Not All Roads Leads to Heaven, it became clear to me that Jeffress feels Biblical accounts of events, including those in Genesis, truly happened. The Garden of Eden. Noah and the Ark. The Tower of Babel. Jeffress sees these stories as actual events, not as parables and stories that helped the Hebrew people discover the mystery of life. He has a long history of recklessly referencing Scripture to back up his opinions, cherry picking individual verses out of context for proof.
Robert Jeffress seems to have no understanding of historical context or even over-arching themes regarding passages and references that might conflict with his narrow points. You think women should have a leadership role at your church as a deacon or perhaps even a pastor? He’s got a cherry picked verse to argue against it. You think homosexuals have a place in the fellowship of a church? He’s got a cherry picked verse to deny them based on their sexuality (and yes, I sat through that infamous three-part sermon series in 2009). The struggle with a lack of context is when you reference a large collection of written oral histories, prophetic lectures, and letters like the Bible, it’s easy to misquote and misinterpret. And as history has shown us, this can lead to some really horrific outcomes. Need an example? First Baptist Dallas had a pastor in the late 50s who cherry picked the Bible to condone segregation. Also keep in mind, First Baptist Dallas is part of a fundamental denomination that initially formed because of their support of slavery. Certainly the church doesn’t promote these ideas in 2020, but co-opting Scripture to defend bigotry and hamper Biblical, progressive truth is part of its lineage. Fundamental theology is a path with a clear legacy of hatred and bias.
Compassion — Read all the red letters in the Gospels, and you’ll find a man who talked at length about compassion, love, grace, mercy and care. Jesus spent his days preaching about a love that knew no boundaries and limits, and he surrounded himself with a group of misfits who were outcasts from society. Sure, he did have words of condemnation, but they were reserved for religious zealots and stubborn minded spiritualists who were busy trying to carry out law and order. Jesus was spending so much time spreading love and compassion, and getting his hands dirty doing the hard work that that worthy work requires, that he didn’t have time to hunt for another chance to get a slot to speak at the temple or special speaking engagements at rallies in the town center.
Jeffress is a smooth talking Southern gent who is constantly making judgmental declarations, but engages his charm to allow his controversial statements seem less threatening. And if that doesn’t work, he hides behind the Bible and his narrow interpretation of its contents to avoid personal responsibility for his comments. In his books, sermons, and countless appearances, Jeffress is quick to mention how Catholics, Mormons, Muslims, homosexuals, transgender persons, and so many other non-evangelical humans are doomed. The end goal for Jeffress is always Heaven, but he fails to put proper emphasis on the teachings of Jesus: showing compassion and love to others while on earth. Jesus did not come to help you punch your ticket to the afterlife. Jesus is the example to follow to fulfill God’s truest and richest plans for humanity.
Curiosity — Robert Jeffress is extremely confident. This becomes quickly apparent in every tv appearance Jeffress makes, as he efficienty lays out his his arguments, his counter arguments, and most importantly, he delivers them with true belief. He won’t be swayed and he will leave any discussion with the same opinion he entered with. His lack of curiosity is a common issue for evangelicals and it is the reason so many are turned off by Christianity. Loud and prominent voices like Jeffress are so unbending and unyielding that there is little room for the possibility of mystery and humility.
This brand of Christianity continues the narrow road on which evangelical theology is the only way to understand the mystery of life. It discounts the countless mystics, spiritualists, and philosophers throughout the ages who have wrestled with the deeper concepts of being. History and philosophy beyond the comfortable realm of evangelical thought have no weight or meaning in the world of Robert Jeffress. This lack of curiosity, which quickly becomes arrogance, leaves Jeffress at a major loss in reaching a state of humility that is required to continually seek truth in a vastly mysterious and beautiful creation.
Jeffress lived into this theological space on Sunday when he opted to move forward with a patriotic pep rally at his church. With hundreds of American flags waving around the congregation, many viewers were left wondering if they were watching a God centered worship service, or instead, the worship of the false idol of America. What really was the purpose of having so many people under one roof in a space reserved for spiritual growth when the bulk of the content was focused on worship of a flag?
The decision by First Baptist Dallas leadership to hold a worship rally that blurred the lines of God and country was unwise, but it was not their greatest error. No, the biggest failure on Sunday was the openly arrogant and irresponsible decision of Jeffress to appear without a mask during a dangerous and deadly health crisis, missing the opportunity to set a firm example to his congregation that health and safety matter. And the larger issue remains that not only did Jeffress fail to create a safe environment for his congregation, but his leadership failed in comprehending the severity of the crisis we face. He seems unaware of his responsibility as a leader of 14,000 people to guide and nurture them to take this crisis seriously, and the ripple effect of this event could have truly deadly consequences. Robert Jeffress failed as a spiritual leader on Sunday and he failed as a leader in our community. I pray that no one present at Sunday’s service had COVID-19. We won’t know the impact of Jeffress’ poor leadership for another 10–14 days. For the sake of every person in that congregation and for their friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, the strangers they may encounter, the staff of the grocery store they shop at, the front line workers who are working tirelessly to keep us healthy, and anyone else who might come into contact with those who attended the patriotic rally at First Baptist Church Dallas, I hope everyone remains healthy. Because if this is a super spreader moment for my community, God have mercy on Robert Jeffress.