It's an old description. "It's a mile wide and an inch deep." It is meant to describe something that appears huge and significant, but turns out to be shallow and pointless. It's an apropos characterization of a lot of things these days. America's public education system would fall into this category. I suppose the effectiveness of our government might, too. But what disturbs me most is the perception I have that the church in America would also fit in this depiction.
I was talking to someone about it the other day. "Perhaps," I offered, "it's just that the pastor doesn't feel like his congregation can handle anything deeper at this point." My cohort found that doubtful. "I don't know," he said. "Seems like if there is depth then it would leak out. If there is depth in a pastor, then he couldn't help but try to share it with his congregation. He wouldn't want to preach to the lowest common denominator, but would want to try to raise that lowest to a higher level."
Sadly, he made sense. It would be easy to suggest that it's a problem of American church-goers, not necessarily their leadership. It would be hard, if not impossible, to support. Finding a preacher who dispenses more than milk from the pulpit is hard to do. It speaks poorly of the spiritual leadership in our churches. It speaks just as poorly of the spiritual condition of those who endure it.
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