Peace

The serenity of my brother-in-law's farm in Iowa.
Photo: Neil Roberts

Us vs. Them

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"Whenever we locate evil 'over there' with 'them,' we render ourselves innocent and proud. They are of the devil; we are of God. No one is more likely to commit injustice than those who think themselves incapable of doing so, those who are certain that God is on their side and vice versa."

p. 142, "The Last Word and the Word After That", Brian D. McLaren

Velvet Elvis

Read this book.
It's by Rob Bell.
ISBN #031026345X
You've never before read anything like it.
It'll stretch your brain.
If you take it seriously, it'll change your world.
And your future.
BTW, it's not about Elvis.
More later.

MORE ON THE "LAST WORD"

Been away for a week at a Bible Conference in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Back to that in a day or two when we get back to Nassau.

In the meantime, I’m a bit farther into McLaren’s interestingly expressed ruminations on hell.

I can’t say I disagree with everything that gurgles up from the sometimes contrived dialogues – some of it’s about as “scriptural” as you can get.

On the other hand, what I find distressing are the arguments from emotion, feeling and conviction as well as from strictly human views of human justice – without clear acknowledgement that perhaps God’s point of view is quite different.

Not that I don’t understand “where it’s coming from”, but it’s a set of presuppositions that’s almost as easily assailed as the extreme fundamental positions he constantly whacks at with his verbal bat.

In his “deconstruction” of hell, he seems to posit that the concept of such a “place” (or thing, or whatever you want to call it) is of human origin … since one can find echoes of our modern concept and bits and pieces of various aspects of it in different cultures and different ages. In other words, somehow we (modern Christians, essentially) have managed to synthesise hell.

Personally, I don’t think this recognizes another possibility … which is clearly evidenced in Romans 1 a la Blaise Pascal’s suggestion of a “universal God shaped vacuum” - that there might actually be a "universal concept" of hell.

Don Richardson (of “Peace Child” fame) wrote another interesting book on aspects of this possibility “Eternity in their Hearts”, examining apparently auto-genetic versions of a “God becoming man” myth occurring in primitive cultures around the world (e.g. the Quetzalcoatl of the central Mexican cultures).

So … nothing against the idea of “deconstructing” hell, but what if it’s something from deep inside the human psyche?

Bottom line here … I'm not comfortable with arguments from whatever we feel or think and then making the facts fit. There’s a particularly egregious example of this on pg. 77 of the book, where there’s a rather cavalier reinterpretation of Jesus’ use of the words “eternal life” – it so easily becomes “life of the ages” in the mouth of one of the book’s chief apologists. Maybe he’s right, but I’d like a bit of a better explanation than just an “I think that Jesus means …”

Frustrating, all of this. Because I agree with so many of McLaren’s propositions … especially that we often read into scripture words and concepts that simply aren’t there! (Back to pg. 77 where we are reminded that Jesus says many chose the “broad way that leads to destruction”. How many sermons on hell have those of us in “fundamentalist” circles heard preached from that passage?!?)

I’m not quite finished … final judgement is suspended for now.

PS – I’m also looking at a reader preview edition of George Barna’s “Revolution” from Tyndale. Easy reading. Heavy stuff. Due October. Don’t miss it.

The Last Word and the Word after that.

Wiley's Jossey-Bass imprint has some fantastically intriguing titles in their list of Religion titles.

I'm looking forward to getting my mind around
The Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters for example.

Interesting story ... I seldom wear slogan-oriented t-shirts, but I have a promotional one the folks at Jossey-Bass kindly handed out at a recent booksellers convention. I was wearing it - un-self-consciously - in the Mall at Millenia in Orlando at the Cingular Store. A British tourist and his family who were browsing exited the store with a breezy "May the Force be with you, Brother." It took me a couple minutes to figure out why. If my wife hadn't been with me, I might be scratching my head yet!

In the meantime, I'm deep into this third in the "New Kind of Christian" trilogy by Brian McLaren. I'm not always convinced by the theology / doctrine he seems to be espousing - though you can't always tell what his personal position is.

I supposed that's part of the genius of McLaren's writing.

That and the fact that anyone who can make a discussion of the theology of hell interesting deserves a read.

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger

It only takes a long 1/2 hour to read.

I'm sure there are plenty of cinics who won't even consider the possibility that the subject - an unexpected dinner with a business-suited Jesus - could be absorbing.

But they'd be wrong.

And they'd miss out on what is an incredibly well written, succinctly expressed, example of popular Christian apologetics. The kind a regular guy (or gal) can grasp.

You may not agree with what "Jesus" has to say, but you won't be able to claim you don't understand it. And you might be surprised to find satisfying answers to quite a few questions you may have been asked, or asked yourself, about life and faith.

All in all, a surprising find.

Caffeinated Progress (?)

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I don't really know what it means. I suppose it could inspire a rant. Or the most profound of observations about globalisation - or the exploitation of labour in poorer countries. Oh the possibilities!

But as of yesterday, the Bahamas is the newest country (and the smallest) to host Starbucks.

It's located at the new Marina Village at Atlantis (click the What's New? link at www.atlantis.com).

Charming place, really. Both the Village and the new store.

I may not be the world's biggest Starbucks fan (the coffee I mean), but I have to admit that their commitment to training and service - like Atlantis itself - should be a net plus for the country.

I'll post some photos eventually for those who are curious.

Humility vs. Wisdom

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The two ought not be mutually exclusive.

If you're smart, you'll be humble.

Selwyn Hughes (www.everydaywithjesus.com) quotes Eccl. 7:19-24 in his devotional today. It's powerful stuff.

Personally I'm not about to pretend to be wise, but I do want to be humble enough to recognise that my life is really a lot more like what Paul describes in Romans 7, than some gloriously victorious conquest over the overbearing human tendency to NOT do what's right.

Hughes quotes a friend of his and Chuck Swindoll respectively:

"When people criticise me, I am thankful they don't know how bad I really am, or they would have much worse to say."

And ...

"Give God thanks that people are just hitting the visible, not the whole truth".

Think about it. Be honest. Be wise.

Construction / Destruction

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Is construction the same just about everywhere? Beyond frustrating?

The comedian Gallagher (the guy who got laughs smashing watermelons all over his audience) used to have a routine about it. He wondered out loud where all the contractors go when 1/2 the job is done.

In our case I almost - some days - wish they would disappear.

Didn't Robert Burns say something about the fact that the plans of mice of and men "gang oft aglay"? We had it all planned and laid out ... they'd re-do the balcony, then the railing (I was blown through it 15' to the ground getting ready for Hurricane Frances last Sept.), then we'd replace all the windows, do the platform at the top of the stairwell, etc., etc.

Something happened to all the thens ...

This got pushed back. That got delayed. We traveled. A wrecked shipment of glass. One thing and another and I came home one day at lunchtime and there were 5 trucks out front!!! Everyone at once. All on top of each other.

So now it's all happening simultaneously. Slowly. Two or three "hurricane-proof" windows a day (www.ultimatedoor-window.com). A section or two of railing a week. Masons. Pneumatic drills. Noise. Dust. Drapes and sheets on whatever we can protect. NO PEACE.

The hilarious thing is the parrots. Reba MacLectus (the redhead, in case someone was wondering) has learned to imitate an electric drill biting its way into concrete. Ear-splitting! I hope she forgets it soon and returns to "hello" in 3 dozen different inflections and the occasional "pretty, pretty, pretty". Her "younger brother" Milo [short for Milagro ... that's another story] sometimes makes an attempt, but mostly just squawks.

So ... Pray for Peace. In the world. But especially around here!

Kick start!

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Today is Emancipation Day in the Bahamas ... a rather low-key celebration [it's too blinkin' hot] of the first day of legal emancipation which happened on the first Monday in August in 1834.

It's also the first day of Crawfish Season ("spiny lobster"). And a lazy day at the house getting used to the Powerbook. After so many years of PCs, it ain't easy!

The picture is the sunrise view from our balcony ... which is currently in reconstruction along with all the windows in the house. Ugh. Driving us nuts. Dust everywhere. We were thankful for a day of relative peace and a refreshing swim at high tide.

Been talking with Neil (son no. 1 and a computer engineer) on and off for a while about the desire to include a blog in the updated version of www.logosbahamas.com.

[Wait! No. Don't go there unless you've already seen it. One of the secure hosts we used is dead and the site is ooooogly, like one of my childhood friends would have said. Wait for Neil's new, neat version! Soon.]

What'll I write about? Dunno specifics. Plans, though, are to talk lots about books, which are a passion. Fiction. Thoughful books in general. And if there's a twist - something unusual - all the better.

Hold on, then ...