Authenticity or Hypocrisy: Who Decides?

I have been reading quite a bit lately on the postmodern turn, and specifically, the response of Christianity to this seeming change in the way people synthesize truth today. One of the basic postmodern trends we see today is a longing for authenticity. In church life, this means people want their leaders and services and everything else to be "real."

I just finished another book by Mark Driscoll, a brilliant if somewhat confused young pastor in the Seattle area. Mark is, for me, the perfect subject of the statement that "you have to hate him a lot not to love him a little." In fact, I appreciate him more than a little, and also hate a few things about him a lot. While I could write about how I agree with his "missional" emphasis, and how I enjoy his doctrinal tenacity, and appreciate his heart to see the Spirit (He calls him "God the Ghost") draw people to Jesus through the Gospel, I just want to discuss one little thing here briefly. I find it fascinating that, in this area of "authenticiy", one man's "realness" is another's "hypocrisy."

Mark makes no bones about the fact that he cusses. In his book "Blue Like Jazz", Donald Miller actually described Mark as the "cussing pastor." And while Mark occasionally suggests, with some subtlety, that maybe, perhaps, in a way, conceivably, it might be good for him to restrain himself a little more, it is clear from his own references to it that cussing is one of the ways that he shows the watching world that he's "real." And, while I am sure that to a certain segment of Mark's target audience, cussing demonstrates a certain earthy "authenticity" unlike the stoggy, tie-and-suited-preacher of their youth, for me rough, course, gutter speech used to further the Gospel message seems grossly hypocritical. Vulgarity for Jesus just doesn't seem right, somehow. Challenging hearers to live righteously while wearing profanity as a banner of authenticity puts Mark in the same camp with those preachers of yesteryear who said one thing while doing another. I guess some modernity has found its way into the postmodern camp after all.

But, lest this end with you thinking that I have it out for Mark, be assured that this is not the case. I think he's brilliant, and I believe God is using him in amazing ways to bring freedom and forgiveness to the broken in this world. I just wish he'd clean up his language. I don't think the use of gutter speech demonstrates the kind of authenticity a follower of Jesus Christ really wants.

What do you think?

David