Tag Archives: peace

Apr 6 2013

this went thru my mind (on violence)

 

V-for-violenceChild abuse: When the Abuser is Your Parent

“Karly, however, our guest blogger suffered at the hands of her own father. Such is the case for many children whose parents abuse them, or allow them to be abused, creating forever a complicated relationship. Toss into that mix the expectation that an abused child is thus ‘obligated’ by their own theological leanings or social mores to  forgive their abusers and life grows even more hair-pulling complex.”

Faith, music, peace, violence & weapons: Imagine There’s No Weapons by Ben Witherington

“Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the U.S.A. since John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980. … Here’s a little lyrical tribute I’ve written to John [Lennon], to be sung to the tune of his classic hit— Imagine.”

Fear, Jesus, Mark’s Gospel, retribution & vengeance: Easter Shouldn’t Be Good News [essential reading]

“Why is there fear on Easter Sunday? The oldest gospel we have, the gospel of Mark, ends in the most curious of ways … Why is there fear on Easter Sunday? … Easter is not Good News for the guilty. It is not Good News to find out that your victim is alive. We know what’s coming. We’ve seen the Hollywood movies where the victim comes back from the dead to seek revenge. So if Jesus is alive, if the victim has come back, we had better hide in fear. Judgment day is coming. That is how we expect the story to go. As did, it seems, those who first encountered or heard about the resurrection. And we can understand why they jumped to this conclusion. Every story we know works this way. The victim comes back, kills the bad guys and the moral calculus of the Cosmos is balanced again. This is the Hollywood Ending.”

Film & violence: The Ends of Violence: The Conclusions of Clint Eastwood [a very interesting (and surprising to you?) 18 min. video; too bad it doesn't include Gran Torino]

“Unforgiven gave me a chance to to sum up what I think violence does to the human soul. … In A Perfect World … violence wipes out the possibility of forgiveness, because it wipes out the possibility of meaning.”

Gun violence & race: Juan Williams: Race and the Gun Debate

“One thing you don’t hear much about in the discussions of guns: race. That is an astonishing omission, because race ought to be an inescapable part of the debate. Gun-related violence and murders are concentrated among blacks and Latinos in big cities. Murders with guns are the No. 1 cause of death for African-American men between the ages of 15 and 34. But talking about race in the context of guns would also mean taking on a subject that can’t be addressed by passing a law: the family-breakdown issues that lead too many minority children to find social status and power in guns. … The statistics are staggering. In 2009, for example, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 54% of all murders committed, overwhelmingly with guns, are murders of black people. Black people are about 13% of the population. The Justice Department reports that between 1980 and 2008, “blacks were six times more likely than whites to be homicide victims and seven times more likely than whites to commit homicide.”

War: Experts Defuse Unexploded WWII Bomb in Central Berlin

“It happens more often than you might think: Streets cordoned off and bomb disposal experts called in to deal with unexploded bombs that were dropped on Germany nearly 70 years ago.”

Mar 20 2013

the church Jesus goes to

 

I know where Jesus goes to church. Without a doubt. He goes to the church that lives deliberately, boldly, and consistently …

pursuing peace and reconciliation. Though it lives in a world saturated with anger, disrespect, snarkiness, and insult, with a will it refuses to go there. It’s done with living by rage, choosing righteousness instead. It’s not defined by its own insecurities and its ability to utter barbed wit in retort to those who mock it, but by its humble confidence in its Christ and its dependence on the provision of God’s Spirit in every situation, no matter how dark or difficult. Imagine: a church made distinctive to all by not being abrasive and hard to live with.

unruled by its wants. Though surrounded on every side by people chasing after every kind of lust and sanctifying all sorts of unfaithfulness in every relationship, it isn’t seduced to do the same. It doesn’t seek its own will, but whatever God’s will is for it. Instead of searching for meaning in whatever it perceives as sexy (not just sex itself, by whatever is “sexy”), it finds its meaning in its Lord and Savior, for he is enough, and more. Picture this: a church known to the world for its contentment and reliability.

by its words of honesty. Though the culture in which is resides is given over to dishonesty and deception, it quietly walks its talk. It practices what it preaches, not merely what’s “practical” in the moment. Its ways aren’t determined by always choosing what works out for its own best interest, but by going after the truth that true love can truly rejoice in always. Capture this vision: a church perceived as genuine and true by all who care to truly engage it.

extending mercy generously. Though its world is largely driven by retaliation and payback, fueled by fear and the never ending yearning for hard justice, it walks by faith on higher ground. It thrives on the Spirit of compassion, not the spirit of competition. Its life map is not of doing whatever would instill fear in others of it, but to do whatever would help install faith in others in the God it follows. Draw it in your head like this: a church characterized by selfless giving and costly care.

loving the unlovable. Though seemingly all of society continually calls it to elicit indifference, ill will, hate, or anything and everything else that dehumanizes, it chooses to love with the love of the divine instead. By so doing, it traffics in forgiveness, not fierceness or fighting. This is because it seeks its definition not in its enemies, but in him who allowed his enemies to spike him to a tree. Place this before your eyes: a church that will mount the cross with its Lord, and die with him. Daily.

After all, what else could a person honestly conclude after reading what Jesus candidly said in Matthew 5.21-26,27-32,33-37,38-42,43-48?

And so, I have to ask: what might a church become if it understood and made these matters its chief means of worshiping and following Jesus Christ? In a week? A month? A few years? Over the course of a lifetime? Or after several generations?

Would it not become more and more like the One it worshiped? And wouldn’t that be what both the Lord, and they, wanted most of all?

Let’s find out. Let’s go to church with Jesus!

Jan 11 2013

this went thru my mind

 

Alzheimer’s: Speaking More Than One Language Could Prevent Alzheimer’s by Nancy Shute

“The latest evidence from the bilingualism-is-good-for-you crew comes from Brian Gold, a neuroscientist at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington.”

Bible manuscripts: Cambridge Digital Library

Codex Bezae

Christians, guns, self defense & violence: * An Unexpected Topic–But Just In Case: How to Respond to an Active Shooter [required reading]; * Swords into Ploughshares: Voluntary Disarmament in the Kingdom by Caleb Coy [essential reading]; * Youth Fires Shotgun at 2 High School Students, Hits One; Suspect in Custody

* “An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. … If you find yourself involved in an active shooter situation, remain calm and use these guidelines to help you plan a survival strategy.”

* “…  rather than being on the front lines of peace and laying down of earthly weapons, contemporary American Christians often put themselves on the front lines of stocking up on weapons in fear of the next big revolution.  Why do we do this?  I have no answer other than to point to our love for our nation and it’s 2nd amendment exceeding our love for the kingdom and it’s greatest commandment. If we look to the first century, we will find a different story.  We see a people willing to be martyred before their enemies as witnesses to their faith, a people with a tendency to refuse to become soldiers, or attend public executions (unless it was their own people). …

“As a Christian I will try to demonstrate how to treat potential threats and enemies as I believe Christ would have us do.  ”Do good to those who hate you”. “Pray for those who persecute you.” “Resist not the evil-doer.”  Jesus wasn’t just talking about the guy down the street that gets on our nerves, as if his kingdom were some kind of sitcom. He meant something very earth-shaking. He was preparing us to be ready for martyrdom in any generation, in any land.”

* “The gunman was in custody Thursday after he was talked into dropping the firearm by his teacher and another school staff member, said authorities …”

Fear: Fear: This is a Heart Issue [Part 2] by John T. Willis

“Fear is a powerful motivation in personal, church, and national life. Sometimes this is positive, sometimes this is negative. Here are some motivations which affect our lives.”

Life: * Take Back Your Life in Ten Steps by Tony Schwartz; * Moving Forward by Scott Elliott

* “You’re smart, hard-working and good at what you do, but the truth is you also too often feel your life is just a relentless set of demands you have to meet, and too rarely a source of satisfaction. You long to feel more in control of your days, but the reality is you’re frequently racing just to keep up. This is the story I hear over and over at every level in organizations, from first line managers all the way up to CEOs in large companies. I’m convinced it doesn’t have to be this way, and that the solution has to do with deeply embedding a series of simple practices into your life. … The suggestions are in order from the most basic and fundamental, to the highest level.”

* “… let me offer you several practical things you can do in 2013 to alter the direction of your life.”

Jan 3 2013

this went thru my mind

 

Apologetics, C.S. Lewis & witness: Why ‘Mere Christianity’ Should Have Bombed by John G. Stackhouse, Jr.

“Sixty years ago, London publisher Geoffrey Bles first released a revision of three sets of radio talks by an Oxford literature don. The book was called Mere Christianity, and there was nothing ‘mere’ about it. A somewhat disjointed set of C. S. Lewis’s views on a wide range of theological, philosophical, and ethical matters, the book became the most important and effective defense of the Christian faith in its century. As Mere Christianity (henceforth “MC”) goes into its seventh decade of publishing success, rivaled still by no other apologetic, it’s worth taking a look at its unlikely success.”

Benevolence & violence: The Bad Samaritan by James McGrath [required reading]

“… what ought we to say about those in our time who claim to be followers of Jesus, and yet sound more like the Samaritan in the image above than the one in the original story?”

Bible interpretation: Pete Enns: “Hey, Get Away from My Bible!“–Christian Appropriation of a Jewish Bible

“We trust the first Christians in their interpretation of the OT, not so much because of how they interpreted it but because of the one whom they were proclaiming in their interpretation. That may not make much sense. It may even sound a bit odd, so let me try to explain.”

Church & ministry: Lies We’ve Been Told But Have Bought Anyway by Dave Jacobs [required reading]

“If you work really hard you can grow your church. … Great preaching and great music will bring great growth. … Mission statements are really important. … Outreach events result in church growth. … If a church isn’t growing there must be something wrong. … All healthy things grow and reproduce. ..”

Computing, hacking, & security: Anonymous: ‘Expect Us’ in 2013

“Along with a statement released over the weekend, which stated that the world should ‘Expect us 2013,’ the hackers issued a video boasting of cyberattacks which took place last year — including temporarily shutting down the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) and attacks against the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) web site in protest at the closure of file-hosting website MegaUpload.”

Critics, criticism, leadership & ministry: Death, Taxes & Criticism by Dan Bouchelle [required reading]

“Nothing is more ubiquitous than criticism including death and taxes. No matter what you do you will be criticized. If you don’t do anything you will be criticized. If you take criticism to heart and respond with explanations you are defensive. If you give into criticism you are indecisive and unprincipled. If you ignore criticism you are out of touch, inflexible, or pig-headed. If you listen but don’t response as desired, you are insincere. You can’t avoid criticism. You can only decide from whom you want it to come and for what reasons you want to receive it. But, come it will. Anyone in leadership learns this in time.”

Evil, God, pain, suffering & violence: “Why, God?” Asked the American People, and Would Not Stay for an Answer by John Stackhouse

“We certainly don’t want to look any harder than easy, quick, simple solutions …”

Gossip & slander: The Most Ignored Sin by Jon Zens

“Bob Mumford once said, ‘The Christian army is the only one that shoots its wounded.’ Regrettably, I have observed his statement to be all too true.”

Leadership: Behavior Lessons for Leadership and Teamwork by Deborah Gruenfeld [required reading]

“Before a critical meeting with your boss, an important customer, or your teenage son or daughter, do you spend time mentally roughing out and revising what you are going to say? If so, social psychologist Deborah Gruenfeld has a message for you: You are misdirecting your energy. Spend time instead practicing how to walk, stand, sit, and quickly grasp how other people are moving their bodies.”

Murder, respect, violence & words: Jesus on Murder

“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.” (Matthew 5:21-22) … As Christ’s church we are called to believe this seeming stretch of a connection between insult (which we routinely accept and sometimes proudly practice) and murder (which we roundly condemn and mourn).”

Non-violence & peace: (Dis)Arming the Disciples by Drew Strait

“For Jesus, the evil of Rome would be defeated not through personal armament but through a revolution of God’s love displayed on a Roman cross.”