The LCS Factor

[Paul Cox]

Speaker,

I think I remember you mentioning something on the other forum about you believing that the day would come when Witness Lee would take his proper (proper in your view) place in Church History. I think at the time I stated something to the effect that my view is that that proper place would be a speck, hardly noticeable to the human eye.

At any rate, you have made similar statements over the years. Maybe that is what has led some to believe that you are overly concerned with preserving Witness Lee's reputation.

Personally, I believe that not only Witness Lee, but all those who have gone before us should certainly be honored for whatever positive contribution they have made, while at the same time we should not spare any of them the critical eye. This is how we learn for the future.

I will give you an example. In my whole time in the Local Church the image of John Nelson Darby presented to me was nothing less than heroic. Of course, it had to be that way, because he was named in a long line of "Apostles for the age," Witness Lee himself being the most recent. Any criticism of Darby would have certainly opened the door for examination of Lee himself. Can't have any of that, you know.

I was delighted, yes delighted, to find out what a crumb JND could be. Actually, I shouldn't say delighted, but rather relieved. I no longer have to hold to the Apostle for the Age, succession thing. I can consider any of these brothers against any of their peers.

One of JND's peers who was never introduced to us in the Local Church was Robert Chapman. If you put his life against that of Darby, considering the matter of humility and brotherly love, it's clear that Darby should have been sitting at his feet.

Please forgive me for saying so, but sometimes it does indeed seem that you are a little overly concerned about preserving the reputation of Lee. But we must remember that that reputation is an illusion created by him, and expanded by the hero worshiping Blended Brothers. Shine the light on Luther, Darby, Chpman, Nee, Kaung, Lee and anybody else, and let the chips fall where they may.

One other thing: I don't know about you, but I didn't suffer the degree of abuse that has been described by some on this forum. I wouldn't dare tell them that we just need to move on and learn how to be stronger for having had the experience. While that may be true on some level, it displays a sort of insensitivity to their plight.

I can tell you personally of a dear couple I know who couldn't have been more gung-ho and absolute for the "Recovery," and in a very real way I can say, without mentioning the brother's name, that he was a crucial part of the backbone of the whole "Recovery," on the whole Earth.

Now they are gone, because of abuse, and even are having doubt as to Jesus being the Messiah. How do you tell them that they just need to dig deeper and learn to be stronger because of that experience?

My wife and I sat and prayed with this couple over the years. Our first-born are almost the same age. I worked with him for a time, and there is no doubt in my mind that he knows the Lord, and had a burning spirit that I haven’t seen among any of the LSM pretenders. No one can say that they are where they are because they never really knew the Lord. I haven't the least doubt that they are where they are because of their direct involvement with a brother who worshiped the ground that Witness Lee walked on.

One more, "other thing." Brother Speaker, I have to balance all that by saying that I have appreciated your thick skin over the time that we have been together on these two forums. Many times it is your thick skin that has left me without words. Now dats saying supum. Thick skin comes with age and experience. And I guess being the object of examination by classrooms full of teenagers over the years hasn't hurt either.

Roger

[SpeakersCorner]

Roger,

Thanks for mentioning my "thick skin." I'm actually an overly-sensitive guy to the max. I like to say it's because I have a "keen spirit." But, trust me, even after 33 years of dealing with high schoolers, they still could crush the butterfly in me at times.

On the forum I have the benefit of time. I can't tell you how many fiery rejoinders I haven't sent. Once in a while I post hastily and, if it's in the heat of the moment, almost always regret that I did.

Concerning my over-protective stance on Lee, I think a lot of it is to balance out the other side that voices concerns here. I have no interest in exalting him as I once did. But when I read how terrible he was, that his theology was heretical, etc., I feel the need to provide a counterpoint to the discussion.

I do not want to diminish the hurt of anyone who has gone this way. Those scars are real, real, real. I've got a few myself, some that are still tender. But like every kid in a bragging contest about his injuries, I treasure those scars. Scars are miniature storybooks. A person with none has no stories to tell (well, at least not injury stories).

This goes to the heart of my entire present view of life: it is a grand story, one which we each play an individual part. I teach literature and have read a lot about plot development over the years. I've boiled it down to this:

Hero faces obstacle, tries to hurdle it instinctively, apparently succeeds but then discovers he not only failed but the obstacle got bigger, tries again with more thought but still without revelation, again thinks he succeeds but quickly discovers the cycle has repeated, cycle continues until the obstacle gets so huge there is no way to overcome it except by looking at it from a different perspective. In other words, by getting some revelation. The revelation may save his life or it may come too late, but it does save his soul.

Well, that's our lives. I believe the local church experience for many is a complete tale. And for a lot of us, we've been trying to hurdle the obstacles in too natural a way, unwilling to get real revelation. I'm not sure what that revelation is -- for everyone it's likely different -- but I think continuing to try instinctive solutions doesn't work. That's why I promote trying to see this LC thing from a different perspective, that actually it all has value.

Anyway, my apologies to any who think I tread lightly over their hurts. I know the hurts are real and I know it's hard to deal with them. As Red Green famously (actually, not so famously) said, "We're all in this together. We're rooting for you."


SC