Sword of the Spirit?
Some Christians are quick to criticize things that don’t fit their mindsets. Church folk called rock and roll “the devil’s music” when it first came out in the 1950s. Nowadays, most believers accept Christian rock as an alternative. When I worked for Billy Graham’s film ministry , some pastors refused to show our movies for various religious reasons. In 2016, Hillsong NYC experienced flak because the youth pastor parodied “The Naked Cowboy” , a popular Times Square street performer during a women’s conference. That incident came to my remembrance after another conference three weeks ago generated even more controversy. James River Church in Springfield, Missouri has an annual Stronger Men’s Conference. The opening night features entertainment ranging from weight lifters to monster trucks. This year’s conference had a sword-swallower originally from Moldova who appeared at the 2014 Olympics and on TV’s “America’s Got Talent” plus is a two-time Guinness World Record holder. Alex Magala