Out of Step

I spent the weekend thinking about two men whose lives and ministries stayed out of step with our times.

Fred Rogers

I finally got around to watching Won’t You Be My Neighbor? It's a documentary about Fred Rogers, the beloved host of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, which aired from 1968 to 2001. Fred Rogers was incredibly quirky, but he strongly believed in love, the dignity of every person, and the importance of children.

Whatever you think of Fred Rogers, there’s no question he was out of step with the times. His producer stated that his formula was to "take all the elements that make good television and do the exact opposite." Television critic Joyce Millman noted that Rogers avoided merchandising and flashy trends, believing that children's fundamental needs remain constant over time.

Mr. Rogers was easy to dismiss as long as he was alive. Even as a child, I found him a little hard to take. He was never trendy, and he didn’t worry about it, and it’s this that gave him his power.

Eugene Peterson

Around the same time, I read a tribute to Eugene Peterson, the pastor and author who died on October 22. Peterson wrote some of the best contemporary books on pastoral ministry. He sounded like he was from another time, surprised that pastors had turned into religious businessmen focused on success. He confused everyone, sometimes supporting ideas we could agree with, while at other times backing books and movements that puzzled us.

Peterson had no interest in the things that fascinate pastors. He called us to abandon our modern preoccupations. “The vocation of pastor has been replaced by the strategies of religious entrepreneurs with business plans. Any kind of continuity with pastors in times past is virtually nonexistent,” he commented. “I don’t love the rampant consumerism that treats God as a product to be marketed.” He called us to recover what we’ve lost. He was ignorant of the rock stars (like Bono of U2) that fascinate so many of us.

Ballast

Peterson had two things in common with Rogers: a strong set of convictions, and a willingness to stay out of step with the times. And it gave them ballast: a sense of stability in a culture that will otherwise toss us around.

Every day we’re bombarded with messages: blog posts (with listicles), books, tweets, and courses. The message is the same: follow these steps to succeed. We prioritize technique and results above character and conviction. Our greatest fear is to be found ineffective and out of step with what’s happening now.

I’ve come across many people who prefer reading books from two hundred years ago over new ones and enjoy singing songs from out-of-print hymnals rather than the CCLI Top 100®. They hold strong convictions, many of which sideline them from being mainstream. They’re more concerned with recovering what’s lost than keeping up with what’s new.

Fred Rogers and Eugene Peterson offered something precisely because they were rooted in conviction even when it was unfashionable. Being out of sync with the times isn't inherently good; true virtue lies in holding strong convictions, even when they're unpopular.

Those of us who keep up with the times will be forgotten with the times. But there’s a type of ministry that lasts, not from trying to keep up but by remaining rooted to what matters most.