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The apostasy of the "radical middle" and the death forgiveness
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Of the many errors which infect the church today, there is perhaps none more disruptive to her unity than the accommodationalism of those who wish to be referred to as the "radical middle." The term itself is an oxymoron. There is nothing "radical" about these pitiable souls who are all too eager to find some accord between Christ and Belial. These are the ones who eschew all discernment between right and wrong, good and evil, in order to be hailed by the (secular and religious) media as "peacemakers." Inevitably, by trying to placate both sides, those in the "middle" have taken the side of those who wish to accommodate the world and undermine the church.
The apostasy of the "radical middle" is more dangerous and deadly than any other because it is rooted in a selective misrepresentation of the words of Jesus himself. Jesus commands us to "love one another," these moderates constantly remind us. But the love Jesus commands us to have for one another is a love that is not afraid to take risks. It is risky business to love one's brothers and sisters so much as to be compelled to correct them when they are wrong. To the members of the "radical middle," such loving correction is neither loving nor correct, but is perceived as a threat to the unity of the church. "Love" is reduced to mere tolerance and "unity" is diminished to a willingness to overlook offensive behavior for the sake of appearances.
One is left to wonder, then, just what place forgiveness has in the "radical middle." Confronting errant members, holding them accountable, and restoring them to the fellowship is a process saturated in love. The ultimate outcome of every dispute addressed within the context of loving one another is forgiveness and reconciliation, punctuated with a huge exclamation point by "UNITY!"
When "love" is reduced to tolerance and "unity" to just getting along, accountability and discipline are the two most obvious casualties. But the far more tragic result of the apostasy of the "radical middle" is the death of forgiveness. Loving one another, according to Jesus' commandment, means taking risks. The most dangerous of those risks is forgiveness. Perhaps that is the risk the "radical middle" is most unwilling to take.
