The point of the gospel is not to get the work done. The point is accurately represent the Father. Jesus’ charge in Matt 28:19-20 wasn’t colonial; it was to be ambassadors in the fullest sense of the word – to personally BE an extension of the Kingdom and to fully embody Jesus to those around us. That looks a lot different than many approaches to the gospel.
Jonah was so opposed to the people of Nineveh that he couldn’t abide God’s forgiveness of them. There are parallels with evangelical Christians’ insistence that God punish people in a fiery hell for all eternity. Is that insistence righteous?
Jesus’ signs to John the Baptist’s disciples were all tangible and immediately restorative… except preaching the good news to the poor. Why is that? Or did we misunderstand it?
I’ve noticed an interesting trend in my online discussions and readings: contempt as a starting point of interaction. I can only conclude that this issue has always been there, but I’m only newly noticing it. As I think about my own history, I realize that this was often how I approached others for years. So …
The younger generation of Christians are looking a lot more like Caleb and Joshua than like Moses. They’re willing to go at risk with the Lord into a dangerous but bountiful new land. And it’s stirring up a lot of anger among the elders.
