Criticism

I read this by Don Miller earlier this week and it just resonated with me in a deep way. When I had a few moments to talk with him at Wildhorse in March we talked about this very thing and he shared some similar thoughts.

When the recent political season came around, and I said a prayer at the Democratic Convention, and then later campaigned for Obama. I read many ridiculous things about myself after that. Some of the comments were mean. But I know they weren’t talking about me. They were talking about somebody they thought was me. I slyly slipped away to avoid the conversation, because while my name was being thrown around, my identity was secure for other reasons, and I was bored with the hype.

Don openly says he knows nothing about church or how to run a church, yet I think these words are incredibly poignant for pastors. Often time the criticism pastors receive is created from a fabrication of who they are as people.

“I know they weren’t talking about me. They were talking about somebody they thought was me.”

We could all learn something from that statement.