Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. - Matthew 10:16 (ESV)
As the key verse reminds us, we are in the midst of wolves beloved and must therefore be as wise as serpents. As Barnes Notes on the Bible teaches us, Christ is probably instructing His followers to imitate that serpent's ability to avoid danger. Barnes says correctly that we need caution and wisdom in the midst of a world that will seek our lives. Harmless as doves indicates that we ourselves should behave innocently, not provoking any danger. Some of the most voracious wolves are found in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and their dominionism that is spreading like a cancer throughout the church today. I do not believe it to be hyperbolic to say that millions of people will be standing before Christ saying "Lord Lord" who thought hating people in His name was a Christian cause. Not all heresy is created equal beloved. It is easy to spot dominionist lunatics like Mario Murillo, Jack Hibbs, or Eddie Hyatt, the author of the above linked article. When you teach that everyone who votes differently than you, or chooses not to vote at all, are evil and hell bound, you make yourself low hanging fruit for discernment. At least you should be. It is the more subtle teachings however that cause the real damage. There is an old quip that says discernment is not merely knowing the difference between right and wrong but rather right from almost right. A little leaven spreads through the entire batch. When we start to allow smaller heresies into our theology, they pave the way for larger ones. We do not just wake up one day in a cult - we slowly immerse ourselves until we cannot tell the difference anymore. Today, I want to discuss two recent examples that embody this concern perfectly. The second one we will deal with is related to censorship and free speech, in light of the recent development with Facebook. The first however deals with the above linked article from Eddie Hyatt, where he weighs in on another hot topic these days, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Let us reason once more beloved, through this article.
"In listening to news reports of the horrific fires that have ravaged Southern California, I kept hearing "DEI," or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, mentioned as a factor in the disaster. One example cited again and again was the Los Angeles Fire Department, which hired its first LGBTQ chief who is committed to DEI. She began hiring and promoting people based on the group with which they identified rather than their qualifications as a firefighter." - Eddie Hyatt
Let me start by saying up front, this is a devotional about God and what we should be doing as Christians. So, if you found yourself reacting viscerally to the mere notion of discussing DEI, perhaps you need to check your carnal viewpoints at the door. I know it is hard, but we are not called to pick a side in every cultural battle. THAT is the definition of NAR dominionism. THAT is what the Seven Mountains heresy is entirely based upon. Consider that Philippians 2:3 reminds us to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, which is all political/cultural opinion is, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. I know that is radical to consider but God does not waste His word. That means even the people you think are politically wrong or culturally deranged - count them as more significant than yourself! The church today has become so enamored with this world and reviving what was never alive to begin with that we are constantly focused only on ourselves. That is what grievance is. Christian love however is focused on others and not ourselves. To consider their position and plight.
So, now let us address Mr. Hyatt's obviously carnal position. The right wing in this country has waged war on the entire concept of DEI and in doing so, grossly misrepresents what it is and creates false narratives for their base to spread disinformation on. So, when Eddie says that he kept hearing "DEI" when it came to the raging fires in Los Angeles, that is because his folks kept bringing it up. Right wing provocateurs such as Charlie Kirk or Ben Shapiro float the false notion that if only straight white men were in charge, then the fires would all be magically out by now. Mind you, they do not do this because they have any genuine concern for the people dying and suffering. They are doing this because the government of California is Democratic, and they must oppose everything Democratic. We know this because when horrific events happen in Republican states, they all praise whatever goes on there, or they pivot to blame the federal government if the president is Democratic. The stench of hypocrisy is obvious. So, the narrative starts with provocateurs and then spreads to more traditional fake media like Fox. From there it goes local by being made into memes for people to spread throughout social media. Then people like Eddie come along and go, "oh I kept hearing DEI as a factor in the disaster." Yeah, because you keep pretending it is a thing.
While I expect such garbage from the likes of Shapiro and Kirk, who could care less about the cause of Jesus Christ, it becomes far more problematic when pseudo-Christians like Eddie Hyatt and Charisma News regurgitate the disinformation talking points. While DEI can be abused, the mere fact of its existence does not reflexively mean that unqualified people were tapped for key roles. Eddie wants to smear the fire chiefs of LA because they are lesbian. As if that is the reason they were hired and there were more qualified straight people. Take Kristin Crowley, the Fire Chief in charge, who had some criticism of the Democratic Mayor I might add. In 1998 she finished in the top 50 on the Firefighter's Exam, out of 16,000. During her 25 years in the LAFD, she has held the role of firefighter, paramedic, engineer, fire inspector, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, fire marshal, and deputy chief. Is Eddie Hyatt smearing her for politics? Absolutely. The notion that DEI has contributed to this horrific tragedy is beyond unseemly. He makes the same disgusting charge that the likes of Kirk and Shapiro would level - that people were hired not based on qualifications. A charge he knows nothing about and certainly cannot prove.
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