Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Christian Golden Rule is a two parter

When wandering the self-serve area of IKEA, sometimes there will be reminders that there are two or more boxes the person needs to pick up if they want a Bukkayse or a Vahyse, which they will put together with an allen wrench.
What we know as the "Golden Rule" a concept shared by many ideologies and religions of treating others as one would like others to treat them. However if using Christian scriptures, the concept is a two parter, like the flat IKEA furniture. Our Lord Jesus the Christ in Luke 10:27 where he said to love G-d with our whole selves AND our neighbor as ourselves. The first part is to orient our love, which determines what is love and justice and righteousness, because it should be rooted in G-d. Though in Matthew 7:12 it is a lone concept without a mention of G-d, just a stand alone idea next to a bunch of other separate statements. However Matt 7:12 mentions that "this is the law and the prophets." The law is mentioned in Luke, where G-d comes first. 

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Our Christian History- Grandpa

My grandfather died before I was born, before mom married dad, so I never knew him and he died unaware that the family would continue on. His picture sits on a dresser opposite the bathroom. For most of my male roommates and the husband, who ranks well above a roommate, his picture tends to turn away from the wall. Yes, when you exit the bathroom he stares right at you.
Anyway, my grandfather was a sharecropper in North Carolina, with 5 kids and the loopy woman I call grandma. And for a time had his father, Great-Grandpa Kelly come live with them. He was not a wealthy man. One holiday my aunts laughed about a time when the kids all had to share one candy bar and how they had to work the fields and then go to school the same day.
He was also a church deacon.  My uncle, one of his sons. now serves as deacon for the same small church. My grandmother, was a deaconess.
I think of my grandfather now and again (though I never met the man) when I think of what non-profits can't do for the poor what the church can do, give them positions of authority and respect. What self-respecting charity would put someone from their client base in a decision making position to pick the CEO (pastor) and to run day to day operations? Maybe that's an unfair question. But I wonder.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Jesus Radically Conservative and Radically Liberal

I was listening to a podcast recently and the speaker mentioned that Jesus was radically conservative and radically liberal, by our definitions of liberal and conservative. The speaker then used the example of when men brought before Jesus the adulteress to be stoned. Liberal in setting her free, conservative in telling her to "sin no more".
Can you think of other examples?
It's late so I can't.