0031 A Personal Story

And now for something completely different.  A bit of life shared. 

2020-08-04

0030 Violence: Liberty and Order

Before looking at other forms of violence, both in the Bible and the world, there is a framework necessary to understand: The Liberty-Order Spectrum.  All freedom means no order, while all order implies no freedom. These extremes don't exist, either in the natural world, nor in the social.  None the less, if we are honest with ourselves,  we want freedom for me and my version of order upon everyone else.  Understanding where we find ourselves on this spectrum can lead to be better understanding of others at different positions along it.  I propose this framework as a way forward to help us dialogue and better understand individuals and groups instead of write off and judge at writ.  

 2020-07-28

0029 Violence: Can Christians use Violence?

Regardless of whether God Himself uses violence or not, our role as followers of Christ is rather clear.  While violence will always be the most expedient way to resolve a difference, to start and maintain a kingdom and to ensure personal protection, the path of Christ is the path of love towards enemies, of forgiveness and ultimately to sacrifice.  

2020-07-21

0028 Violence: God of Peace.  Part of the dialectic on God´s character and violence.  Here I take the position that God is best revealed through Jesus Christ and it is through Him that we can best understand the scriptures and God Himself.  While Jesus certainly isn´t "nice", He is a peace maker and suffers violence rather than commits it to others.  At heart, He is about reconciliation, bringing all to Him to which He invites us, not forces us.  

2020/07/13

How is the Bible so full of blood if telling the story of an all loving God?  This is not an easy question and the best answer is the one that's comes after wrestling with God.  To help in that wrestling process, this episode provides one argument of a dialectic that God is free and is best suited to use violence as necessary even if that unsettles us.  Next, the second part of the dialectic will take a different approach to God.  Give it a listen!

0026 Violence: From Cain to Noah:

Two family lines are drawn. One from Cain where violence increases and one from Seth, where violence also increases.  We add violence from insecurity to violence from comparison to the list of violent causes.  Even after the flood, God admits that violence is within the heart of man even from youth.  This is the last look at the beginning of violence from Genesis.  

2020-06-29

Upon separating himself from God's presence, Cain embarks upon a journey of searching.  Yet the more he searches, the less he finds.  Railing against the God of Creation, he tries countless new beginnings only to find himself the same more than ever.  Eschewing the punishment of being an errant and vagabond, he builds a city where surrounded by houses, he will live homeless the rest of his days.  In fear, the seeks protection only to be more consumed by paranoia as his security increases.  This is the human condition cut off from God's ever waiting presence.

2020-06-15   

God is just, but His mercy out runs His justice.  We often hope for God's justice upon others and His mercy for ourselves.  God is God and will do what He will do.  How He treats Cain is far different that what justice what demand, yet still holds consequences barred by mercy.  

2020-06-08

I have to break with the series and process so much of what is going on right now.  I am sorry if I offend anyone, as this is almost stream of consciousness, but I can´t keep it in.  The question that got under my skin was this: What is fair? If my son breaks one of my daughter´s toys, the fair thing is for him to lose one of his toys.  So, if a group of people abduct people from another group, work them for centuries as slaves with no recompense for their labor and suffering and then give them legal rights yet they still suffer and fear for their lives...what is fair then?  Anything less than the obvious is an act of mercy.  

2020-06-02

When Cain finds himself offended, God presents to him a choice: Do well and be accepted, or don´t with sin lying at the door, and it will rule you.  When confronting the offense which comes from comparison, there a choice that leads to life and choices that lead to death.  Everyone has to make that choice and many times daily.  Cain chose sin, and the first true victim dies at his hands.  

2020-05-26