A. W. Tozer has gained quite a following in Christian circles (and with those outside the circle as well). I’ve been reading a book called “Favorite chapters : the best of A.W. Tozer.” compiled by Warren Wiersbe.
Today I laughed.
There is a small paragraph in which he pronounces a profound truth, but prefaces it by saying, “It is my belief (and I shall not feel bad if no one follow me),” and he goes on to talk about “every good and beautiful thing which man has produced in the world has been the result of his faulty and sin-blocked response to the creative Voice [which he has previously explained is God] sounding over the earth” (p. 24). Later in the paragraph (which is actually excerpted from Tozer’s book, “The Pursuit of God”), Tozer writes “Could it be that a genius is a man haunted by the speaking Voice, laboring and striving like one possessed to achieve ends which he only vaguely understands. That the great man may have missed God in his labors, that he may even have spoken or written against God does not destroy the idea I am advancing. God’s redemptive revelation in the Holy Scriptures is necessary to saving faith and peace with God. Faith in the risen Saviour is necessary if the vague stirring toward immortality are to bring us to restful and satisfying communion with God. To me this is a plausible explanation of all that is best out of Christ.”
And this is where I started to laugh. Of course, Tozer has put forward a very convincing case. In fact, the voice of Tozer sounds like the voice of God at this point! One contemporary of his, who worked with him in the denomination, said that Tozer could be wrong – and on the floor of assembly or in business meetings a number of people would dispute him.
So, here is a belief of Tozer’s that I’m sure he figures is true (some of you may not completely follow what is being said above, let’s just say he said it with conviction and passion!). Now, he ends the paragraph with the following:
But you can be a good Christian and not accept my thesis.
I guess I’ve just come out of meetings and discussions that went all over the board, and even spilled off the edges of the board. I trust we can have the same charity towards one another of which Tozer speaks. I would hope people agree with me, I will fight for my view! But am I willing to accept that the other person “can be a good Christian and not accept my thesis?”
I laughed, and then prayed for unity!