Scot McKnight asked a while ago whether
the gospel was misunderstood by rank and file evangelicals. He specifically pointed to Luke 4:18-19 which
speaks about the poor, about captives, about the oppressed. The suggestion was that for most evangelicals
the gospel is defined in terms of “personal salvation”, where we are
individually saved from our own sins and benefit as individuals in a spiritual
sense, when the more “robust” gospel is about the “kingdom” here and now,
righting of wrongs, healing of wounds, mercy, justice and liberty. It is not my intention to hammer Dr. McKnight, but to push back on the emphasis. The so-called "soterian" gospel of personal salvation is indeed worthy of some scrutiny. But so is a gospel that suggests that the effects of grace in the here and now should be the primary focal point of "gospel".(More)
Back to theological issues, I've been observing from a distance discussions about the meaning of the Gospel in evangelical circles. Everybody talks about "the gospel" in evangelical circles, but like a lot of words or phrases that are used again and again, there is an assumption that everybody agrees on what the term means. So I think the discussion itself is not a bad idea. (More)
Two interesting takes on race relations in America.
For Jamie Foxx it is all about race. While starring in a movie that uses the "N" word over 100 times, reportedly, Foxx (who is a truly talented actor) mentions the indignity of finding that a photo shoot is stocked with snacks of Ritz crackers and cheese. (For the record, I'm a northern raised, white male and I ate my share of Ritz crackers and cheese growing up - not even aware there was some sort of issue with that one. And yes, I love fried chicken and watermelon.)
For Robert Griffin III it is not about race. After being called a "cornball brother" by a black ESPN commentator and accused of being "not really down with the cause, he's not one of us", Griffin says he refuses to be defined by his race. His sins against the black community? Apparently inter-racial dating and rumors of having Republican leanings. Which of these examples best exemplifies a post-racial America?
David French has a well reasoned article at National Review about Israel's moral obligations in the Gaza conflict. My hunch is that the average Joe on the street these days is oblivious to the notion of rules of war, or more specifically the Law of Armed Conflict. War is nasty business, a reality of a world in rebellion, but it is a reality that must be faced. There are people who want to kill other people and who cannot be reasoned with. In this age of relativism based on tribal grievance, patriotism and nationalism are seen as evil and the distinction between having a military and being "militaristic" is sometimes blurred. (More)
Interesting article by Tony Lee at Breitbart analyzing How Obama Won. The opening paragraph reads "President Barack Obama sees America as a salad bowl,
where multiculturalists are free to pick and choose identities and
cultures instead of sharing a unifying one -- the classical melting pot
concept. And Obama's successful 2012 campaign -- as sophisticated as it
was when it came to micro-targeting voters -- reflected his broader
view. "Instead of running a campaign based on his record or a unifying and
forward-looking vision for the next four years, Obama essentially ran
multiple, micro-targeted campaigns aimed at specific racial groups,
scaring them into believing Republicans would take away their rights and
promising them legislation on pet issues in a second term. He used the
same template with women voters. He essentially united his coalition by
disuniting America, one racial and gender group at a time." (More)
"History fails to record a single precedent in which
nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and
economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to
overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to
ultimate national disaster." Douglas MacArthur
I only occasionally venture into politics here and only as I think it relates to Christianity. After watching the election returns last night, these are my reactions:
There are many reasons I don't want to see Barack Obama reelected. I think there can be little doubt now about the President's dishonesty regarding the most inept coverup in the history of coverups. The Bengazi coverup takes the cake. Simple timeline as we now know it.
Not only did the administration spend two weeks dishonestly blaming the affair on a cheap video, Joe Biden claimed ignorance in his debate with Paul Ryan and blamed the intelligence community for not giving sufficient info to the administration.
