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Archive - October, 2009

Taking the Gospel to "The Found"

October 7, 2009 in GODSTUFF with 15 Comments

For all the talk that goes on in Christian churches today about reaching “the lost,” I would love to see a little more emphasis on reaching “the found.”  When people who identify as Christian but are mired from month to month and year to year in pornography, gambling, addictions, and bad marriages (at nearly identical rates to those who do not claim to be Christians), something is profoundly wrong.

There are several directions we can go with this.  1.) We can say that the reason Christians are nearly identical to non-Christians in terms of how we actually live is because what we believe is not actually capable of bringing transformation; 2) We can say that we’re missing a critical piece of the whole thing — something upon which the promise of transformation itself rests and without which there can simply be no significant transformation; 3) We can say that the problem is that we just aren’t trying hard enough.  (As some popular writers are in fact saying.  See my post “Not Crazy about Crazy Love“.)

I think the answer is #1 and #2.  I think the reason Christians en-masse are not experiencing significant life transformation is because we missing a critical piece of what Christianity actually is.  Continue Reading…

Truth series conclusion

October 5, 2009 in GODSTUFF with 0 Comments

We are at liberty to be real, or to be unreal.  We may be true or false, the choice is ours.  We may wear now one mask and now another, and never, if we so desire, appear with our own true face.  But we cannot make these choices with impunity.  Causes have effects, and if we lie to ourselves and to others, then we cannot expect to find truth and reality whenever we happen to want them.  If we have chosen the way of falsity we must not be surprised that truth eludes us when we finally come to need it!

Thomas Merton, in New Seeds of Contemplation

Following Truth (truth, prt 5)

October 4, 2009 in GODSTUFF with 2 Comments

Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black. — Henry Ford

Remark about the Model T in 1909, published in his autobiography My Life and Work (1922) Chapter IV.

If I could write one statement that would pretty accurately sum up how most people live in relationship to the truth, it would be this:

Any person can tell me any truth they want to tell me, as long as it makes me feel comfortable and happy.

Ridiculous?  Yes.  Said out loud?  Never.  The default sub-conscious mindset of most people much of the time?  Definitely.

As I have already written, there is no point on the truth journey where the option of denial is not available.  But for those who choose to stay on the journey, the next step after finding truth and facing truth is following it.  Finding the truth simply involves being exposed to it.  Facing it means admitting that the truth is true, and moreover, that the truth is true about you.  (We have little difficulty facing the truth about other people).  Following truth means intentionally deciding to move out of falsehood and make one’s home in what is true.  The journey isn’t easy and there are some things you’re going to need to bring with you. Continue Reading…

Facing Truth (truth, prt 4)

October 3, 2009 in GODSTUFF with 4 Comments

After we have found the truth (been presented with it in one way or another), we make a choice about whether or not to face it.  Simply being told the truth does not cause us to admit that it is true.  Those who after hearing the truth, slip back into denial and mythology, have chosen not to face it.  I haven’t used much scripture in my blog because I want people other than Christians to be able to feel at home here, but in this case I cannot help it.  Scripture just speaks too clearly about this:

John 3:19-21 (The Message)
19 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God.
20 Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure.
21 But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”

God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness.

When light comes into our lives but we run for the darkness, that’s denial.  That’s retreating back into mythology and illusion.  That’s refusing to face the truth.  By the way, don’t over-spiritualize this.  Don’t assume this is referring to “spiritual truth” only.  In fact, there’s no such thing as spiritual truth.  Continue Reading…

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