Last week, I stumbled upon this little gem and I'm pretty sure my co-workers thought I was hacking up a lung as I coughed and shook my head in utter disgust (also perhaps partly due to the UMMMM SUBZERO TEMPS around this place that has me warming up water just to keep my blood from freezing but annnnyway).
It was an internal conniption, people, and whooo-eee are those hard to contain in a cubicle.
The point is, it's completely mind-blowing to me, Rev. C. Thomas Anderson and Rev. Tom Brown, that we both claim to know the same God.
I'm the last person to pretend I have it all figured out and I'll be the first to admit that there are certain things in the Bible that I do not want to hear and desperately wish I could explain away.
So, I may not like that message any more than you. And I may not live it much more than you either, which I'm not proud of but at least I acknowledge it.
And when you both say so smugly:
"That's so pathetic, to say that Jesus was struggling alone in the dust and dirt," Anderson says. "That just makes no sense whatsoever. He was constantly in a state of wealth."
and:
"Jesus did not affirm himself as being part of the poor class..." [Brown said.]
(both quotes from here)
Well, it makes me like you just about as much as I like him.
(which, for the record, isn't very much)
And now, today, I read this, which is basically a similar reaction to this report, which compares conservative, religious activists and what is deemed "progressive activists" (those who are not defined by a single faith tradition) and their priorities in terms of hot-button issues such as Iraq, the environment and poverty...well, it is disheartening to say the least.
But just when I am losing heart...Hope peeks it's little head around the corner. And I don't know what all of these people believe but I can't help but look at them and see a Jesus that has been so twisted, so ignored, so shoved-to-the-side-because-Your-message-is-too-uncomfortable...that, well, I think we are all in danger of forgetting He ever existed in the first place.
4 comments:
Just thought I'd hit your blog and wowie, wow, wow! It took me a LONG time to just sort through and process all the info you gave out! Thank you for providing me some serious stuff to think and pray over, friend!
Wow. What a discussion to be having at Christmas time! haha
This argument between the two seems like such a waste of time. In the end, it seems like they agree that Jesus commanded us to help the poor. Whether or not he was poor or not has very little relevance to what we KNOW we should be doing. Think of all the people they could have helped during the time it took them to be interviewed for that story!
Or both of them agreeing at the end that Jesus did call on us to help the poor would have been nice...there's too much discord between OURSELVES -- Christians.
It's like some people WANT to seek out differences just to have an argument...all while the rest of the world is like "these people can't even get along with each other, let alone those of other faiths and worldviews. Thanks, but no thanks."
It would be nice to see more bridge builders and those driven toward reconciliation...just my one, two cents : )
Rachel--thanks lady! You have any conclusions, you let me know b/c I tend to just spew this out into cyberspace with no real solutions...and I'd love to hear some! :)
Josh--just call me Debbie D! haha. And I agree. It's frustrating...but probably mostly so because I am just as guilty at living a disjointed life. p.s. Was that a clever reference to Missy or do I just have her on the brain? haha.
reference to Missy? OF COURSE! : )
I KNEW you would catch it!
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