An open letter to the Hillsong worship leader who is “losing his faith”
by David Robertson, Premier Christianity:
The Hillsong worship leader Marty Sampson has announced he’s “losing his faith”. In an Instagram post, Sampson said, “How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it. How many miracles happen? Not many. No one talks about it. Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it. How can God be love yet send 4 billion people to a place, all coz they don’t believe? No one talks about it.” 48 hours later, Sampson deleted the post. He then posted a collection of photographs of well known Christian apologists including William Lane Craig and John Lennox, explaining “I don’t know these men personally, but I do watch them regularly and listen to their arguments.” Here, David Robertson responds by penning an open letter to Marty Sampson
Dear Marty,
I am so sorry to read your Instagram post about how you are ‘losing your faith’. I suspect you know this already but be prepared for the reaction. There will be those who laud your “courage and openness” and others who lament your “backsliding and apostasy”.
Forgive me for writing this but your post sparked so many emotions and questions…
Firstly there is a deep sorrow that someone who once sang “for endless days we will sing your praise” has now decided to walk away from Jesus. You no longer see “his wounds, his hands, his feet, my Saviour on that cursed tree”. (‘O Praise the Name’). As someone who loves and follows Jesus and knows what life without him is like, I cannot help but feel a deep sorrow for you, and also for those whom you have served with.
Hillsong are not every Christian’s cup of tea and I’m afraid that your public renunciation of your faith will do harm to them, and to the wider body of Christ. I can already feel the schadenfreude of those who dislike Hillsong – “see we told you that they were shallow and not ‘real’ Christians”. They conveniently forget that Christians from every tribe have fallen and left the faith. The joy of atheists who hate the God they don’t believe will also fill the web.
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