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Eating the Mascot

2/28/2017

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​Tradition has always seemed stale to me. It wreaked of thoughtlessness. Doing something over and over again simply because someone before you did it felt like such a waste of time. But as I mentioned in a previous entry, I have since recognized that tradition is the glue that holds us together. It is a thread that connects the beginning to end. As Chesterton says, tradition is the democracy of the past. Rather than tradition being a gift we give to our ancestors by appeasing them in our actions - an obligatory nod to their archaic practices - tradition is really the recognition and celebration of a gift our ancestors have given to us. 
Any good, lasting tradition revolves around some worldview notion that was deemed so valuable, it was preserved in the form of tradition. Even seemingly benign or childish traditions, like Santa Claus, contain entrenched worldview teachings. Santa, for instance, holds central this idea that good works are rewarded with material blessings. Your success is up to you. This is the American Dream. Work hard and do good and you will rise up. In Mexico, Dia de los Muertos emphasizes the importance of family and heritage, the importance of legacy and being remembered, and the view of the continuation of a soul beyond death. While these traditions, and others, may often look shallow and eccentric (especially in our modern culture with heavy marketing), lasting traditions are often built on very deep beliefs.

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The Politics of Jesus

2/17/2017

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I explore and summarize John Howard Yoder's "The Politics of Jesus," which has become a very influential book in my life. The book takes a look at what Christ came to do and how what he did should influence our daily lives.

1. The Cup of Suffering: Jesus's actions were very meaningful, as he sought to establish his Kingdom in part by flipping our power systems upside down.
2. Drinking from Our Cup: While Jesus performed some actions that were specific to fulfilling his messianic role, Christ's moral life and actions are largely prescriptive for believers today. We are called to share the same cup.
3. The Cross and the Kingdom: The cross is not something that might happen for believers, it is the sure result of following Christ and living a Kingdom oriented life. 
4. The Kingdom and kingdoms: Since we serve in God's kingdom which is not of this world, yet remain living in the kingdoms of humanity, we must face the reality of conflicting interests and gauge how to handle these. 
5. Questions and Conclusion: 
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The Politics of Jesus (5): Questions and Conclusion

2/15/2017

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Go back to The Politics of Jesus (1): The Cup of Suffering
I am still trying to sift through where I line up with Yoder's thoughts – especially as they pertain to the implications of pacifism and the abstention from government. I think his work is a very important one to consider due to the messiah complex we slap onto politics, but it would be a terrible thing to simply swing the pendulum the other way without careful consideration. I want to pose each concluding point as questions to consider and leave you to grapple with the answer I believe Yoder would give.

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The Politics of Jesus (4): The Kingdom and the kingdoms

2/15/2017

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Go back to The Politics of Jesus (1): The Cup of Suffering
Christianity's View of Government’s Role:
 Thus far Yoder has set up the idea that Christ's life of willing subordination is a model for us as Christians. This subordination is done within the context of culture, but more pointedly for the Christian, it is done within a specific culture of a new kingdom, the Kingdom. It is here that reconciliation takes place and where the world sees the inexplicable, undeniable, compelling love of God. But that leaves the Christian with a very important question. If we are in a new Kingdom and we are to live as Christ, what implications does that have for our relationship to human kingdoms - to the political sphere?

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The Politics of Jesus (3): The Cross and the Kingdom

2/15/2017

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Go back to The Politics of Jesus (1): The Cup of Suffering
The last third of the book was probably the most influential for me because it tore down the theological dissonance I had brought to the table. The first two-thirds of Yoder’s book made sense because I knew the Bible pretty well, and a lot of what he said was Sunday School stuff. "Jesus said love your enemies." Yes. "Jesus said turn the other cheek." Of course. "Jesus loved the outcasts." Undoubtedly. "Jesus pushed back against the powerful religious institution of his day." Correct. But for some reason - my stupidity, the Western heritage and unique bias Christianity has in the U.S., etc. - I had always left Jesus's words where they were - with him. I never took them upon myself really. I had willfully and/or subconsciously made Christ's difficult expectations for me either suggestions, symbolism, or applicable only to him and his mission. But Yoder demolishes those options in his last section of the book.

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The Politics of Jesus (2): Drinking from Our Cup

2/15/2017

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Go back to The Politics of Jesus (1): The Cup of Suffering
​Many may agree with the assessment up to this point. Yes, Jesus was called by God to lay down his life. However, individuals begin to diverge in opinion when Yoder argues that this life Christ lived is prescriptive for Christians today. Surely there were different expectations on the savior of the world than there are on his followers in modernity. The actions we see in the gospels are descriptions of the Son of God, not prescriptions for the sons of God. But Yoder begs to differ.
 
If the gospel message is that Christ came to establish a new kingdom - his Kingdom, then it seems clear that he showed us what Kingdom life looked like - what it meant to be a citizen and participant in his Kingdom. Yoder points out several lines of reasoning for why we can be sure Christ's actions are prescriptions for our lives today.

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The Politics of Jesus (1): The Cup of Suffering

2/15/2017

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This past election was an out of body experience for me. Since I have turned 18, it is the first presidential election in which I have felt more like an observer than a participant. The 2016 presidential election was such a huge polarization of candidates, I just couldn't get on board with either of the major parties. If you’re not on board with the Republican or Democratic parties, your actions are relatively meaningless as it relates to affecting the outcome of the vote.

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A Call to Christian Ineffectiveness

2/9/2017

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I have always had a strong moral compass, though I can't say it has always pointed North for the right reasons. I must admit that many of the times I have chosen to do good,  I simply did so in order to avoid disappointing others and the consequences of punishment that would follow. Intermingled with my moral tendency to favor approval was another ethic that surrounded me - the Puritan Work Ethic. Growing up in farmland Pennsylvania, I was surrounded by industrious, hard working people who worked often, worked hard, and worked well. This work ethic was directly tied to my moral ethic, for God instituted work before the fall (it was not a curse), and whatever we did was to be done to the glory of God. Now I'm not saying that I necessarily adopted such a work ethic in practice, but its ideology has definitely been a big part of my life.

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Shine Your Light (excerpt)

2/1/2017

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The theme for this year's conference is "Let Your Light Shine." It is a very appropriate charge to us as Christians. In fact, it is the Christian charge. John 8 tells us that Jesus is the light of the world, and we are told all over the scriptures that we are to be like Christ. Christians are little Christs - we are to be little lights.Elsewhere, John tells us that "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 
So for we as Christians to shine our light, it is vital that we understand we are illuminated objects reflecting our luminous source. As the main text of Matthew 5 tells us, this shining light that we are to be will illuminate our good works. Ephesians 2:10 - the oft overlooked successor to the wonderful declaration of grace in verses 8-9, reinforces that as Christ's workmanship, we have been formed to complete good works. This is not only a charge, but an inevitability to the one who follows Christ. For as Romans 8 declares, all things work together for the good of the Christian - with good defined as being conformed to the image of Christ. True Christians will be lights just as Christ is light, and we will do good works just as Christ did good works, and we will share that good with the world, just as Christ did. Certainly we will be imperfect as we go through this process of sanctification, but through the Holy Spirit, Christians will be markedly different than the world. ​

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    *The views and ideas on this site are in no way affiliated with any organization, business, or individuals we are a part of or work with. They're also not theological certainties. They're simply thinking out loud, on issues and difficulties as I process things.

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