Love them... then everyone will know

I was reading Blue Like Jazz last night as I waited till I was tired enough to go to sleep. I came across a great thought by Don. He talks about how he used to hate all the super conservative Christians who he thought was giving Christ a bad name. I can totally relate to this! I've had my fair share of experiences when I've disagreed with another Christian and I've let that build enmity between us. I've been guilty of hate towards my brothers and sisters because I didn't think they were doing what Christ wanted. I was convicted of it last night. I don't want to become the bitter Christian guy who no one likes because I've let my way get in the way of Christ's Way. The message of the Gospel is that God loves us even though he hates what we've become. Why should I do anything less?

RE:formed and RE:ligion

I have to admit that I am becoming more and more in line with reformed theology. Things that once caused me to shudder (God's election and the like) are becoming so much more beautiful and meaningful to my faith. You may accept this or boo me to the grave, but here I will stand. I bought John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion to understand his thinking better.

It's funny how much that one word above (religion) can cause division. Here's something to chew on: I'm not right. I'm never right. In fact, I cannot be right. But Jesus was right, and the Holy Spirit through me is right. Jesus calls us to acts of piety (such as prayer and fasting) to deepen our connection to God and remember our commitment to His kingdom. Jesus also calls us to let the Holy Spirit do acts of good will through us to show God's mercy and grace.

In a totally unrelated thought train, I'm doing our taxes today...

Thomas

My Heart Is Pierced

I just finished the two most monumental chapters in The Reason for God by Timothy Keller. All I can say is that my brain and my heart are overloaded with love, awe, wonder, and just "holy camoly"-ness. Grace is a beautiful thing. I'm glad I don't have to save myself from being a slave to myself, especially since that is totally paradoxical. I'm humbled by what God did for me and think about how many times I try to look like I'm saving myself by doing all the right things. Don't get me wrong. I'm still gonna do the right things, but because I love God, not to get His love. How many times do we do spiritual things to "get God's approval?" Guess what. We're flawed, and Jesus HAD to die for us. You can't do it on your own. Guess what else. You're loved and valued, and Jesus WANTED to die for us. Personally, I'm thankful.

Racing for Perfection... or is it 'against'?

How many times do we get discouraged and give up? Probably more than we would like to answer. It's especially true when it comes to living virtuously. Why is it the case that when it comes to living a virtuous life that we get so easily discouraged?

I was reading an excerpt from The Life of Moses by Gregory of Nyssa. It was a good read. He puts Paul's words about running a race into a more philosophical perspective. Here's a smaller portion:

"Coming to a stop in the race was not safe for [Paul]. Why? Because no Good has a limit in its own nature but is limited by the presence of its opposite, as life is limited by death and light by darkness. And every good thing generally ends with all those things which are perceived to be contrary to the good. Just as the end of life is the beginning of death, so also stopping in the race of virtue marks the beginning of the race of evil."

He goes on to say that we strive for perfection, which we cannot attain. Perfection is limitless just as God is limitless because God is Perfection. This is why it can be a struggle to continue the race of virtue. How can one be expected to run a race when an end is never in sight? It sounds pretty depressing. However, Ol' Greg give us some hope: "For in the case of those things which are good by nature, even if men of understanding were not able to attain everything, by attaining even a part they could gain a great deal." There you have it. Our goal is not to make it to the finish (which is unattainable as corporeal meatsacks) but simply to run. As Greg says, "For the perfection of human nature consists perhaps in its very growth in goodness."

May you run with great zeal, knowing that your perfection in virtue comes with each step and not by crossing the finish line.