My friend organized a lecture by author/commentator Eric Metaxas at All Saint's Church in Dallas. First, I had not really heard about Metaxas apart from his Bonhoffer biography. I was totally unaware until about two days prior to the lecture of his immense groundswell of popularity that had gained momentum in the last year or two. His speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, his involvement in a very well-received film (and his authoring the book inspiring it!), more or less creating the Veggie Tales series: all of these things speak to an incredibly adept, multifarious intellect. The man can think.
And I enjoyed his speech immensely. He spoke on a topic that is unfortunately applies all to well to my life: rote religion in contrast to an animating, genuine faith. It's a great topic, and one that everyone needs to hear. While I admit that this message would convict me, I would also hazard that it should convict many others in the Church. Metaxas did a good job delivering this truth.
In spite of my enjoying his speech, I don't know how much I buy into his schtick. More on this later.
The Last Meeting
"For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it's still not yet two oclock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it's all in the balance, it hasn't happened yet, it hasn't even begun yet, it not only hasn't begun yet but there is stll time for it not to begin against that position and those circumstances which made more men than Garnett and Kemper and Armstead and Wilcox look grave yet it's going to begin, we all know that, we have come too far with too much at stake and that moment doesn't need even a fourteen-year-old boy to think This time. Maybe this time with all this much to lose and all this much to gain: Pennsylvania, Maryland, the world, the golden dome of Washington itself to crown with desperate and unbelievable victory the desperate gamble, the cast made two years ago...." ~ Wm. Faulkner
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