Glenn Beck on the Path of Jesus

“Does Glenn Beck hate Jesus?” The gotcha question was asked by Amy Sullivan in her March 4 article in Time magazine.

Sullivan’s Time-bomb exploded when Beck was at the most vulnerable point in his fledgling but soaring TV career. He had painted a bullseye on his chest by attacking the “social justice” crowd, which he said included left-leaning Liberation Theologians and their quasi churches. Though correct in his assessment, he awkwardly and weakly attempted to explain that biblical admonitions to help your neighbor in need are directed at individuals and bonafide churches, and not governments. The point which I hope he was trying to make, but missed with some viewers, is this: individual Christians and churches that abdicate to government their personal moral responsibilities to those in need, are misguiding gullible people into dependence on government and away from reliance on the God of all grace.

Beck tried at first to brush aside the “hate Jesus” question, but it hasn’t gone away. Nor has his cable channel’s acute mindfulness of audience share.

Oh, you’re a shrewd little devil, Amy Sullivan!

The inevitable showdown
The Sullivan salvo confronted Beck with a moment of truth that had been a while in coming. Over the months of watching him on TV, I had no doubt that other Christians wondered if the Catholic-turned-Mormon knows and loves the Jesus who we know and love. A showdown still looms.

Spiritual crossroads
From the start of Beck’s stint on Fox News, he saw a political struggle between Democrats and Republicans. That evolved into a struggle between Liberals and Conservatives, and that further evolved into a struggle between Progressives and Conservatives (particularly Libertarians). He pegged America’s problem as political and stumped for a Conservative political solution.

Meanwhile, after recuperating from heart surgery, I resumed writing “Frankly Speaking” articles for my web site. Then, in February of this year, I sensed that something uncanny was going on. Some of the topics I wrote about were also later brought up by Beck. Response? Coincidence? Are he and I on the same path? Here are some examples of articles I wrote and what Beck talked about:

February 9: “America: A House Divided”
I wrote that our country is divided, that we are at a spiritual crossroads, with some people heading down the path leading to Antichrist and slavery and others on the path of Jesus and freedom.

Beck later mentioned that our country is at a crossroads with two paths. One path was to follow a person such as Adolf Hitler, who was an “evil man,” and the other path was to follow Jesus, who was a “good man.”

February 23: “Glenn Beck, the Constitution, and Jesus”
Among other things in this article, I commented on Beck’s recent speech at CPAC in which he said that big spending, big government Republicans needed “a come-to-Jesus meeting.” Did he mean that in a salvational sense or was it only a comedian’s hackneyed expression to say that wayward Republicans need to get off the wrong political path and get on the right one?

On March 25, Beck told his viewers and studio audience that if we want America to change for the better, then, gesturing to his heart, “We need to change.” He then asked his studio audience what kinds of changes had they made in their lives. One man said he changed the way he handled his money. Another said he was returning to school. I was hoping that someone would say, “Jesus changed my heart,” but time ran out and Beck’s program ended.

Glenn needs a little help from his friends
Meanwhile, Glenn could use a little help from his friends. Prayer support, to be sure! And some godly counsel. In addition, he has friends right there at Fox News who quite likely would want to help him—Sean Hannity, Brit Hume, Mike Huckabee, Kelly Wright, Lauren Green, Gretchen Carlson, Shannon Bream...and other on-camera as well as behind-the-scenes people. Glenn could invite them on his program, and ask them one simple question: “How has your life changed?”

I pray that one day soon we will hear Glenn Beck testify that “God has given me a new heart” and made known to me the path of life” (Psalms 16:11).

Glenn consistently urges his audience to “Question with boldness, hold to the truth, and speak without fear.” The time has come for him to do the same with regard to his spiritual life.

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©Copyright AD2010 Frank Allnutt. All rights reserved. Content herein may be quoted, subject to the "fair use" doctrine of U.S. Copyright Law.

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