An Atlanta man learned Monday that his family home in Carrollton, Ga., had been demolished. Apparently the destruction crew showed at the wrong address.
According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report, the house had been built by the man’s father and was filled with wonderful memories.
“It’s where all 10 Byrd children grew up, where they gathered to pray, where they lined up youngest to oldest for Christmas gifts, where they recall dad dispensing life lessons from the front porch,” the newspaper reported. “It’s where neighbors would walk over to eat watermelons, peanuts and sweet potatoes, and rehearse for the choir.”
Such is the case for many who once called the Southern Baptist Convention home. It is where many of us grew up, gathered to pray, shared joy and learned life lessons.
But that home is long gone too — although the demolition efforts will continue in Louisville later this month. Bring your own crowbar or sledgehammer.
The focus will be on such important Kingdom causes as whether to change or retain the current failed bureaucracy and whether it is essential to be baptized by a “true Baptist” in a “true Baptist” church in order to be a “true Baptist.”
And, of course, they will have to decide what to do with the California nut they laughed with for years, and even elected as SBC vice president, who recently told Fox News that he is praying for the death of President Obama. Even Southern Baptists can only embrace extremism so far.
However, it is encouraging to hear some new voices recognizing that what was sold as a conservative resurgence turned out to be a demolition derby.
But, for most of us, seeing our former house destroyed is no longer deeply emotional like it must have been for the Georgia man and his family this week. We are living comfortably somewhere else.
So swing away.
Director of the Jesus Worldview Initiative at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and former executive editor and publisher at Good Faith Media.
