Junk Christianity

You've heard of "junk science."

Let me introduce you to "junk Christianity."

I received a press release today from a high-rolling public relations outfit that specializes in "Christian ministries" – including "America's Pastor" Rick Warren and his mega-church.

I almost fell off my office chair when I read it.

I'm still stunned, dazed, bemused and deeply troubled by what I see as disrespect and irreverence for the Word of God, misrepresentation of God's promises and a disturbing kind of know-nothing modern-day idolatry.

It seems a group called Light the Highway has declared Interstate 35, sometimes known in less spiritual circles as "the NAFTA Superhighway," to be the "Highway of Holiness" proclaimed in Isaiah 35:8. Beginning Oct. 28 and running through Dec. 1, Light the Highway will hold its "35 days of I-35," culminating, we're promised, in "5 Nights of Miracles" in the Dallas area.

In case you're running to your Bible to look it up, Isaiah 35 is about a specific time and place – and it's not Texas or Minnesota or even the USA. It's about the coming of the Lord in triumph and renewal and the passage specifically refers to Israel. There is a highway mentioned in Isaiah 35:8, but it is certainly not I-35:

"And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein."

Isaiah 35 mentions Carmel, which is a prominent mountain and forest area in Israel. It mentions Sharon, a coastal plain nearby. It mentions Lebanon, just to the north. It does not mention Laredo or Duluth.

By the way, this highway of the future may already exist – but, again, it is not I-35. It is more likely Via Maris, sometimes called the International Highway, which passes through Mount Carmel along an ancient travel route that connected Egypt with Syria. Via Maris literally means "Way of the Sea."

But enough of the history and geography lessons – what is plainly written in the Bible, in this case, is being distorted and twisted to suggest, somehow, that this clear, unambiguous text was actually a prophecy about Interstate 35.

Give me a break!

"God has given this scripture to us, not as a word of encouragement, but as a commission," explains Cindy Jacobs, the founder of Light the Highway. "God spoke to us about a highway we have that goes all the way from the bottom of America in Texas, to the top of America, in Minnesota."

Somehow I missed that description in Isaiah 35. Must be the translation.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to "radical evangelism," one of the activities Jacobs promises will be part of her "Highway of Holiness" campaign. I'm not opposed to 24-hour prayer. I'm not opposed to praying for sites of "impurity" – like abortion clinics and porn shops.

What I do oppose is claiming the Bible says anything about Interstate 35. What I do oppose is claiming the clear, concise, unadulterated promises about the future of Israel and the Jews are actually meant for any other land or any other people. What I do oppose is cheapening prayer and evangelism by tying them to blatant misinterpretations of the Word of God.

"Light the Highway is a movement, and we are creating something real, something tangible, something permanent," says the organization's website.

But it's not real – not if you claim Isaiah 35 is talking about a highway that runs from Texas through Minnesota. It's not tangible – because it's built on an unbiblical foundation. It's not permanent – because God will not be mocked.

Oh, by the way, another benefit of this program, says the organizer is that its online community website will "revolutionize intercession on a global scale."

With all due disrespect, God doesn't need a website nor a fanciful story about a biblical promise realized in the U.S. to make the prayer of His people more effective.

And that's lesson No. 1 in "junk Christianity."

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