Serving Caviar When They Needed Chicken Pot Pie
Caviar Theology does not feed the masses.
-Anna Hampton
He entered the room as a Distinguished Preacher, a Doctor, a Theologian. His audience? Weary and soul-tired veteran missionaries, looking for a cup of cold water. He proceeded to share a message which, he informed us, he had shared with his Upper-Middle-Class-Mostly-White-Elders a few weeks prior.
Then commenced 50 minutes of theology, scrambling to get the right answer when addressed by The August Person. In a room filled with numerous degrees and hundreds of years of veteran cross-cultural experience, no one dared to say the wrong answer. The pressure was on to respond with something of substance, even though his listeners had no time to study or formulate words.
At times, the Distinguished Preacher revealed he would only speak for another 30-seconds, but the clock always showed another five minutes when he came up for air. It was as if the missionaries were sitting at a white-linen-sterling-silver-set table with 3 forks, 2 knives, 3 spoons, and 2 different wine goblets, being fed caviar and lobster.
What was really desired and needed was some good soul food, comfort food, in a relaxed atmosphere with red and white checked gingham tablecloth and pass-the-food-around-the table atmosphere, a table set with silverware thick and solid enough for a man's hands and pretty enough for the women to enjoy; and something like Chicken Pot Pie with Crusty Sour Dough Bread with warm butter dripping off it; and Chocolate pudding cake melting with real vanilla ice cream.
Now that would have been encouraging teaching.
Instead, the veteran missionaries in the room, many of whom were dealing with complex problems like death threats, cross-cultural marriages, grief and loss, were totally missed in the heavy fire hose of theology they were drinking from.
When Jesus said, "Feed my sheep," he didn't say "feed them theology because that is the fountain of truth."
Jesus actually never taught theology as it is taught nowadays. He fed his disciples and all those he interacted with just what they needed. His interactions with Mary were startling different from his interaction with Martha.
It was a disappointing and wasted hour.
