Our discussion of Brad Wilcox’s firesides has been a hard and valuable one, and Dan Ellsworth closes with this plea for more forthrightness about the uncomfortable challenges Zion requires of us all.
The understandable tribal response to controversial moments like Brother Wilcox’s talk is to put up walls. However, if we pause the impulse, there is much we stand to gain.
I get together with some friends to discuss Brad Wilcox’s recent comments–and the strong response they received. We talk about intent and circumstances, but also the reason the comments were hard for so many.
Note: we tried to get this right. I guarantee we didn’t manage perfectly. A group of thoughtful people talking it out helped me though. There were some really good moments and insights, and if nothing else, I think we modeled what it looks like to grapple with something hard in as faithful a way as possible. That sounds me as worth doing.
While freedom of expression will always be important, perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to provide defensive cover for those making serious errors—especially if that forecloses opportunities to learn and grow.
