Perspective is a great help

I listen to sermons, lectures and interviews on my morning drive. It provides me some spiritual nourishing and some academic engagement, and often both. This morning was a great example. I have been listening to different interviews posted by Nine Marks, a ministry that believes that churches are God's main means of impacting the world today. I have benefited from David Powlison and Donald Carson and today I listened to Os Guiness. I actually met Os in 1973 at L'Abri. I was lying on my bed reading his book, Dust of Death, when he came in looking for some help moving furniture. As he was talking with Mark Dever, the question came up about Frank Schaeffer's book, Crazy for God, which I mentioned a few blogs ago. Os gave an entirely different perspective on the book than I got while I read it. I read it, enthralled by the story of a young man growing up in the family of a man who tremendously influenced me through his work at L'Abri. I remembered Franky as an outspoken young man. By the time I met him he had married and really had only limited personal interaction with him. But I heard stories about him and watched him grow up and become himself. His book fascinated me because it gave me a view of the Schaeffers that partially rung true. I did realize as I thought of the book that Frank has his own blind spots, and maybe particularly so in regards to his family. But I was touched by reading it. I have talked about it with others and encouraged some to read it. And then I heard Os Guiness talk about it. He said he was disgusted with the book. He felt that Frank was cruel and treated his parents wrongly. He acknowledged several virtues Frank had exhibited in the work at L'Abri, but gave an entirely different perspective of Franky's childhood. Frank said he was basically neglected. Os said he was spoiled, and liked it. Frank revealed that he had little guidance from his parents in many areas. Os said that Franky had learned to wrap his parents around his finger so he could do what he wanted and he reveled in it. Looking back on the book now, with just a few remarks by Os, makes me realize what a good thing perspective really is. It gives us an image that is much closer to reality. It helps us find those blind spots. And it gives me pause, teaching me to be a bit more humble in my acknowledgement, admiration or even criticsim of others. It turned me to Proverbs 18:17 tonight, "The first to present his case seems right, until another comes forward and questions him."