A War'in Peace Plan

Have you heard about Rick Warren's Peace Plan?  A lot of people have.  What have they heard?

“The Elements of the Peace Plan is not new or different than traditional missions. The difference is not so much in what is done, but rather both how it is done and who does it.” This is another quote of Rick Warren’s originally from an article at his website, Purposedriven.com titled, "What makes the Peace plan so different?" (lowercase letters intentional, as that is how it is published.) It is quite amazing that he says that the “elements” of the plan can be both different and not different at the same time. Which is it? Is it “not new or different” or is there a “difference?”

To infer that it can both different and not different at the same time is, for lack of a better word,  simply Zen. It could possibly be a mistake in linguistics, but it has been said many times, much like a motto, and such convolution of words and their meanings is common with Warren, that it warrants investigation.  "The elements of the Peace Plan are not new or different than traditional missions.  The difference is not so much in what is done, but rather both how it is done and who does it.”

Really?

One cannot help but investigate this when they stop to consider that Warren is thought to be a Christian Pastor and that "Christian" pastors are not to be in the business of using tricky words to fool or confuse people. The scripture in 2 Corinthians 4:2 tells readers that those who tend the sheep of God, “ do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”  Christians read this in their bibles and they often wonder how their brother in the Lord, (Rick Warren) is able to in good conscious, repeat the same confusing messages over and over and over to different audiences. They are left scratching their heads in amazement that one would so boldly proclaim:

“It is not new or different, but the difference is…revolutionary!”


Globaldayofprayer.com has an article written by Rick and Kay Warren together, it is titled, Facing the world’s five evil giants. Later in the same article the Warren describes the same plan he says is “not new or different” as “revolutionary.” Meanwhile, back at the dictionary, Wordnet at Princeton defines the word “revolutionary” as “markedly new or introducing radical change.” This is pretty tricky. One minute he is talking about how his Peace Plan is just like traditional missions and the next it the Peace Plan becomes something “revolutionary.”  It's mesmerizing.

Like a magician with a magic wand, Warren wields words before his audience and “presto change-o” like magic... " not new" becomes “revolutionary,” and so few people seem to notice.  They applaud him as words like "transformation" magically replaces "repentance," or "meditation" becomes synonymous with "prayer."  The permutations of scriptures is nearly infinite!  The mesmerized audience, seized with awe by such success and showmanship, applauds.


They love it.  Seems that they can hardly wait for more.

What does Rick have to say six years after the unveiling of his P.E.A.C.E. Plan? He says,  "The church was global 200 years before anybody started talking about globalization. Nothing has as many people groups, as many languages, as many contacts as the church..." and "...We, (Saddleback Church) will be the first church in 2000 years of Christianity to literally go to every nation."

So, was the church global  already, long before Rick was born, or  Rick really going to be "the first "to facilitate the church going "global?"

....How amazing that everything already done he can do better... and "first" too!

It's like magic! 

See him address the world on important issues on Larry King Live 2009.