A Belated Response to Timmer

Holy Crap Timmer!! (no pun intended)
The homosexual thing was interesting,
I don't think I've ever scene you react like that. If I had something to offer, I'd award you a prize for the line "we are just elbowing Jesus out of the way to get a better shot" Wow! Preach!! PS (when are they gonna let you preach!)
Now, all the while I am also nudging that same pesky peace maker out my way so I can get a better shot at the other people I don't like. Jesus, YOU ARE IN THE WAY!! Get out of there before you get hit!
And then I think about it, and it seems like most of us may fall into the category of throwing rocks or not throwing rocks, but few of us are actually getting in the way(certainly not me) and stepping up in protection of the sinner-rock-targets. None of us are human shields for the oppressed

Sometimes I wonders what would happen if Christians preached that following Jesus would mean not just avoiding sinning and rock throwing, or even auguing against the rock throwers, but actually being in the way like Jesus, and stepping in front of those who are doing the throwing and taking a blow in place of the others. It seems like that is far more what happened at the cross than I am used to hearing. Specifically, I am used to hearing the message that “Jesus suffered in our place so that we don’t have to”

Perhaps its a tangent, but I can not stay silent on this, the idea that God had to kill Jesus in order to forgive us, is an idea that keeps Christianity in its rock throwing mode. It keeps it easy, asks nothing of us, and it distorts the way and power of the cross. In that scenario of the cross, the problem seems to be that a holy God is unable to forgive humans unless he kills something. That concept needs a ton of philosophical and systematic Bible twisting to make it work. In reading the Old Testament, somehow, someone decided that God forgave them only based on the coming sacrifice?? Come on! the texts are clear, God forgave people because he is faithful and just, and he forgives... its what he does! He can do that with or with out a sacrifice, and yes, for those sovereignty nuts, God is indeed sovereign enough to do whatever He wants, even if you think it is unjust and against what you think his character ought to be! That is the point of Romans that the sovereignty nuts have mangled. I often think systematic theology developed as a way of concealing the fact that we needed a vastly devalued version of Christianity in order to make it more marketable. Sure it sounds appealing to say that Jesus suffered so that I don’t have to, or that he accepted God’s judgment so that I will not be judged by God, but Biblically speaking, that is a pile of (skubalon) rubbish!


In a different scenario of the cross:, the idea that Jesus had to do what he did in order to inaugurate the way of the way of the cross as being the way of the kingdom everlasting, the one which we are called to follow,…that’s a tough one. Most of us prefer a God who just had to kill something so that he could forgive us, then the dirty work is already done, and the problem is God’s not ours. When this idea dominates, we can go on arguing about whether or not to throw rocks at sinners whom God may or may not have died for. Personally I decide not to throw at the obvious sinners, and then I throw rocks at the other people who disagreed with me. But, if you begin talking about laying down my rocks and stepping up in front of the rocks already thrown at all the sinners (all of us) by other sinners (all of us)... ick. Yeah, I don't really like the Jesus that says follow me in that way. I like the one who says he forgives, and then allows me to invent some complex theology about why he had to die rather than the simple "I forgive you because I am God and I can do that,... now follow me (to the cross) and trust that you find life in the way of my kingdom". No thanks, I'd prefer to be distracted by the theological matrix we created of what a holy God can and can’t do.

END OF RANT (and a little rock throwing of my own)

When I have no chance

Tonight I shall set out on a study-journey that will only end when the time comes for my greek final at 10:30am tommorow. It is an odd feeling to studying and put effort into something that I have no chance of actually passing on my own. I am completely at the mercy of the professor. Even though I am tired, weary and have no hope on my own, I will continue on right up to the what I know is the inevitable end (10:30 am of course).

Christian Peacemaker Teams

Several years ago, I had a life changing experience. Briefly, this was the realization that Christianity at its core might little or nothing to do with what I think and know, but how I might live daily in the way of Jesus, whose way was most clearly illustrated in his sermon on the mount and at then at the cross.
This is over simplified, but not insignificant. The more I have considered what this could mean for me, the more I have realized that I might give up trying to live as a Christian. I have always been poor at demonstrating devotion to God, and the people who seem most Christian/devoted often seem devoted to a concept of God that does not square with the way of Jesus. I believe Christian fellowship is meant for all of us to be honest and admit that sometimes we do wrestle with this. I must be careful, but in honesty, also confess that the version of Christianity which is now dominant makes this fellowship difficult. I believe that the way of salvation involves seeking the way cross, laying down my selfish goals for the hope, peace and love of the kingdom eternal which was founded upon a suffering cross. I know that I fail at this miserably. Yet each time I gather hope that the visibly Christian and devoted souls will offer either some advice or at least some encouraging confession that they too see this as their eternal hope, and like me find themselves struggling, I instead get becomes a theological arguments from people for why I do not have to follow the way of the cross, they say Christ already paid for my sin,and Christ died so that I do not have to concern myself with God's judgment. All this adds up to be a larger discouragement when those who carry the flag of Christ most prominently carry no concern for the way of Christ.
I met a man, who has been a secret hero of mine. His name is Jim Fitz. He is a member of something called the Christian Peacemaker Teams. Jim and his team go to the places of the world that are center points of suffering and oppression. They go there out of the belief that this is what God has done at the cross. They leave their place of safety and power, and they go to live among the oppressed as servants. They go to places like Palestine, El Salvador, Columbia, and to Iraq. Places where our Christian society, and our Christian politicians have elected to use power and violence as a hope for some accomplishing some type of goal. Jim's teams go to these places knowing the dangers and holding the hope that following the way of the cross, even against rationality will in the end be a way of joining in the victory of God's Kingdom.
Four members of Jim's team were abducted in Iraq on November 26. The abducting group has stated plans to execute these people who came to bring peace and speak out against the very oppression which caused the hatred violence of the kidnappers.

It is hard to think that I could be called a Christian or Christ-like when I am compared with Jim and his teammates. I sit in my wealth and safety. I do a lot of things that have to do with being Christian culture, but very little that has to do with following Christ. I go to church most Sundays, and even put some money in the offering plate, but that is not sacrifice! In fact I think that sometimes the church I give money to sometimes preaches against the very ideas necessary for one decide to join with Jim in following the way of the cross is the way of the Christian. Yet, I am still more or less silent and I do little or nothing to change this situation. Lord help me!



The following is a letter from Jim Fitz:
The people who are holding our teammates have reset the deadline for a response as Dec. 10.

Please continue to pray, thanks , and peace,
Jim

IRAQ - An appeal from the CPT Team

Dec. 6, 2005

[The following appeal was just broadcast on Al-Jazeera television and has
been distributed to other Arabic and English media]

We are very concerned about our friends. We would very much like to know
that they are in good condition.

It is our most sincere wish that you will immediately release them unharmed.

While we believe the action of kidnapping is wrong, we do not condemn you as
people. We recognize the humanity in each person, and respect it very much.
This includes you, our colleagues, and all people.

We believe there needs to be a force that counters all the resentment, the
fear, the intimidation felt by the Iraqi people. We are trying to be that
force: to speak for justice, to advocate for the human rights of Iraqis, to
look at an Iraqi face and say: my brother, my sister,

Perhaps you are men who only want to raise the issue of illegal detention.
We don't know what you may have endured.

As you can see by the statements of support from our friends in Iraq and all
over the world, we work for those who are oppressed.

We also condemn our own governments for their actions in Iraq.

Please, we appeal to your humanity to show mercy on our brothers and let
them come back safely to us to continue our work.

May God spare our friends, and all the people of Iraq any further suffering.

CPT Iraq team in Baghdad

--
"Let us not be disheartened, as though
human realities made impossible the
accomplishments of God's plans"
-Oscar Romero

Jim Fitz
815-646-4672
www.plowcreek.org/jimspeacemaking.htm