I want to thank all the people that have messaged me this week calling me to a more traditional form of Christianity. I hear the concern and love behind those efforts, but I am probably a lost cause. It just seems to me the claim that the author of the galaxies speaks only to us Christians glorifies ourselves, and actually shrinks God to our own petty dimensions. I long ago broke the trance that my own nation and religion are always right, and those of others always wrong. It does not take much imagination to picture being born on the other side of those boundaries, and frankly for any group to assume itself to be the only proper version of humankind seems vain to the point of insanity.
Threatening me with hell doesn’t help either. A torturer God would be beneath contempt. If I am wrong, and God is not universal love, I would rather be tortured forever with Gandhi and Carl Sagan than spend eternity with the Grand Inquisitors of Christendom. So, thank you for your concern, but if seeing Christ in every face is a heresy I am content to be damned.
May I join you in your kingdom of lost causes?
Kathleen, definitely.
1 Peter 2:1
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
Mr. Rigby, you are in the right track. Keep doing the good you do and silencing the ignorant talk of this foolish people.
Thank you. Where are you, Ivan?
I am agnostic and you are the only theist I will quote, read, or agree with on many things. I am not commenting to sully your blog or your ‘kingdom of causes’. I simply want to say that I find so much in your postings that I agree with. I have quoted you (with appropriate credit) on my facebook page and I want to thank you for remaining ‘faithful’ to your views. I am pleased and privileged to have found your blog. Thank you.
I am honored. Please know you are honored here.
I agree completely except as an atheist.
There are many churches in Austin that are “traditional” Christian. You and St. Andrews are just fine the way you are.
Laura, that was my conclusion, too. There’s nothing wrong with being traditional, but what is needed radical honesty. We are highly imperfect but I’m proud of any congregation willing to struggle about how the church needs to change to be helpful to future generations.
If Jesus’s only ministry had been one of healing and comfort, as it was in the first days of his ministry in Galilee, he would have died a much loved rabbi. There’s a difference between the Galilean Jesus and the Jerusalem Jesus. It is a difference in cost – the cost of engaging with the power and with the powerless. (to paraphrase Dr. Peter Storey, professor emeritus, Duke University, and former Methodist Bishop of the Johannesburg/Soweto area for 13 years.)
Following Jesus means both comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. One cannot be a full disciple of Christ without speaking out passionately against injustice. During the Civil Rights Movement, we heard more who understood their call to prophesy. Of course, the prophetic ministry is the one that will get you in trouble with the “rulers and authorities,” not to mention those wanting to play it safe.
What did Jesus tell Peter when he wanted Jesus to avoid danger and not face the consequences of speaking out? “Get thee behind me, Satan!”
Sure glad we still have some ministers of the Word who have the courage to follow Jesus in speaking prophetic truth. I guess it wouldn’t be well received if you started quoting Jesus’s response to Peter.
You said that very well Susan. That would be a great post just by itself.