Politicians honor a pastor? You’re kidding, right?
In a rare and admirable moment when respect overpowered politics, the Oklahoma state senate passed a resolution Tuesday honoring the life and legacy of pastor Billie Joe Daugherty, who died last year of lymphoma. The state house of representatives and senate passed concurrent bills containing language you don’t ordinarily find in congressional documents:
Reverend Daugherty was one of America’s best-known and most charismatic pastors. He preached that “God loves you, sin separates you from God, Jesus died for your sins, you can be saved by confessing Jesus is Lord.”
The Oklahoma State Legislature celebrates the life and legacy of Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty, a dedicated family man, a gifted leader, a tireless spokesman for the gospel, a great Oklahoman, and a great man of God.
This resolution was passed by politicians! Who want to be re-elected! Where’s the outcry? Where are the church-state people demanding that this sort of thing stop? In short, what makes this situation different?
No doubt part of it is because Oklahoma is a Bible belt state. One imagines that there might have been more reluctance to pass such a resolution in some other states.
But would there be?
| It has nothing to do with what Daugherty claimed or taught. It’s all about what he did—help people.
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The fact is, this case is different because it isn’t about giving a canned perfunctory prayer before a government meeting. This resolution isn’t about trying to legislate morality or what to teach in schools. This resolution is a recognition of a life well-lived. It has nothing to do with what Daugherty claimed or taught. It’s all about what he did—help people.
The world gets upset by many things people are saying in the name of Christ. They especially take note when our lives don’t match up with what Jesus taught. But you never hear the American Civil Liberties Union filing suit against a church group for running a homeless shelter. You never a public outcry against Christians running a non-profit job placement service.
One of the things the Oklahoma resolution said was, “In 2005, Reverend Daugherty was assaulted during an altar call, which produced a black eye and cut that required several stitches. Reverend Daugherty visited his assailant, forgave the man, and authored a book about the incident: ‘Knocked Down But Not Out.’ ”
His life had impact because of its integrity and love. It makes you wonder whether Christianity might be better off if more of us were known for our integrity and love. Apparently that can even overcome a politician’s fear of public opinion.
