Tony Campolo has been a friend for decades. We first met in a brief encounter when he spoke at my college. Our friendship grew through letters — remember those? On several occasions through the years he spoke and advocated for ministries D’Aun and I were involved with.
Last month Tony had a stroke. The word is he is getting better, but this latest episode reminded me how much I appreciate the man. He was a mentor from afar, always full of encouragement, and even when I didn’t agree with him (or found his advice unhelpful) he always modeled love in his desire to help.
Last week another friend, Fred Smith, wrote a wonderful article he titled Snakes on a Plain. The article explores the subtleness of false gods and idol worship. What Fred does so well is bring out the way we domesticate our idols — making them safe and ever present. The things that once were good and helpful slowly become idols we are loath to remove from our lives.
The article reminded me of a conversation I had with Tony nearly thirty years ago. We were hosting a retreat in the Sierra’s and Tony was the key speaker. It had gone well. Tony and I were sitting on a deck enjoying a beautiful view of the Sierras. As we debriefed about the event Tony went on a rant about all the things wrong with the Church, specifically the pious clinging to minor theological points. It was brilliant, truthful, sometimes hard to hear, and funny. Classic Tony!
He finally wound down and there was a moment of reflection.
“Tony,” I eventually said, “you are right. The Church is too often making an idol of their theology instead of God. It’s as if we’ve begun to worship the Father, Son, and Holy Bible.”
There was silence again, which is always confusing when dealing with Tony. I expect him to talk about anything and everything! But I could see he was reflecting on this. Then he smiled and nodded his head. He liked the imagery. A few months later I even heard him say the same line in one of his talks.
Get well, Tony. The world needs you. And thank you for all you have done for so many.