An interesting overview of the convoluted, Byzantine rules by which the Greatest Deliberative Body in the World operates and how they might apply to the healthcare reform debate.  It’s a bitter irony that Democrats loved these rules when they were in the minority and Republicans bitterly denounced them as “undemocratic” and “unconstitutional.”  What a difference two elections make.

I have been thinking about this one for a long time: what occurs in the process of reconciliation? What comes next after realizing the need for such action?

I think it’s confession, but I’m not really sure. Confession is a practice that I think the Protestant church left in the dust during the mad dash away from Roman Catholicism. I think it was a huge loss. No, I’m not very comfortable with the idea of confessing one’s sins only to a priest and asking that man to bless and absolve you and give you acts of penance.* However, James is pretty clear that we are to confess to one another and to pray for each other–so that we may be healed. So I think that confession is a necessary practice in the Christian life. Yes, I will admit that it is an extremely painful one; full of shame and fear. The last time I really confessed something to Ghena, I bawled my eyes out and was terrified that she would be incredibly disappointed in me.** But the muck in our lives needs to be dragged up and out into the light, for only in the light can things be dealt with.

In the whole reconciliation process, I think that confession is key. Or perhaps, a better word is honesty. I don’t know about you, but I lie to myself all the time. “I’m ok,” I repeat over and over when really, I am the farthest thing from okay. It is scary to be honest with one’s self. I think that’s because when we’re honest, we have to see all the ugly that is within our hearts. Somedays it’s astounding what we find in the dark places of our souls. But if we want to get anywhere, we have to be honest and really recognize our broken, wicked selves for what they are. If we aren’t honest with ourselves, we aren’t able to see the need for a saviour. Even if we acknowledge that need intellectually, we can’t accept it on a heart level.

And when we recognize the sin our own lives, I think it points out the way we sin against others. Oh yeah, last week I was ticked because my mum complained I’d gotten in late. Doesn’t she know that I wanted to be at my friend’s just a little longer? Oh wait, I promised to be home so she could go to bed, and, oh yeah, I was aware of the time and I selfishly chose to stay out, thereby giving my mother a migraine the next day. Hm. When I’m honest, I was incredibly self centered on my own needs and desires and neglected to acknowledge those of my mother and her inability to sleep through any noise above a soft whisper. It’s hard, becuase I want to stamp my feet like a little child and say that I was in the right, that I needed that time with my friend. But then I read about Jesus and remember it’s not about me. And I really should have been more respectful and loving. I should have honoured my mother.

I had to confess that. To myself. To God.

And then to my mum.

Eeek. Confession is hard.

But let’s be realistic. If we never confessed anything, we’d never see the need for reconciliation. We’d live in our own self righteous worlds, surrounded by our loving self. And eventually, we’d end up alone. And when humanity is designed to live in community,*** I think that reconciliation is worth the humiliating step of confession.

_________________________________

*I understand how penance started, and yes, logically, it made sense. But at the same time, it flirts with a very dangerous line of theology (that is often not adressed) where penance simply becomes another method for earning salvation which cannot be earned only gifted and not even the faith we have is ours but that also was given to us so that none of us can boast. (Paul’s words, not mine)

**This only goes to show the depth of not only my insecurity but also my misunderstanding both of Ghena and God. He doesn’t say “go clean yourself up and then come back. Mhm, now we’re talking, that’s better. Here’s some love.” He, like Ghena, simply smiles sadly at the ways my sin has hurt me (and others) but takes me into his arms, tells me to hush and then says “I’ve got it covered. Jesus has got it covered. And I love you.”

***Check out the first two chapters of Genesis. God creates man [humanity] in “our” image, often considered a reference to the Triune nature. So man [humanity] is designed to live in deep, intimate community–I think that’s why God says it isn’t good for man [man!] to be alone, because  “alone” isn’t the complete image of the Triune God.

My ex-husband and I are embarking on the slow process of reconciliation.  We were married for 4 years and 6 days.  As of today, we have been divorced for 3 years, 6 months, and 16 days.  We have two young children together, and he has an older son from a previous relationship.  This has been a major decision effecting those we love most.

I am a nerd.  There, I said it.  I may not have all the answers, but you can bet your butt that I’ll find some.  My favorite resource is the library, closely followed by the internet.  When searching for information about how to restore my marriage, Mr. Dewey directed me to approximately 306 on the shelf.  But I didn’t find what I was looking for.  There were books on children and divorce, getting used to being single again, sex and marriage, dating, and other topics that I’m sure would be helpful to someone, just not me.  The only redeeming book I found was by Dr. Laura Schlessinger.  I should tell you now, I have always been pretty liberal in my beliefs.  If you don’t know who Dr. Laura is, she is a right-wing conservative talk show host and counselor.  Even holding the book left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I am committed to repairing my family, so I thought, what the hey, I’ll give it a try.  The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands was by far the most help I found at the library.  I highly recommend it, as it was highly informative yet straight-forward and to the point.

My internet search mostly provided me with links that I could follow to spend $39.95 in order to learn the secrets of success.  Pass.  I also discovered many sites that led to what I can only call cry baby forums.  These basically consisted of women complaining about their exes or whining because said exes left.  Pass again.  The only remotely applicable sites instructed me in Christian principles of marriage.

Disclaimer:

• I am a Christian
• I fully believe that prayer and a good relationship with God are important
• BUT THESE STILL DIDN’T ADDRESS MY SPECIFIC SITUATION!!

Upon further surfing, I discovered the Love Dare.  Again, these are written from a Biblical standpoint.  I think however, that the dares within are worth noting.  I am going to do my best to revise these to a secular application so that they can be of help to a wider audience.  Look for them in my next post!

I am humbled, and truly appreciate the opportunities I’m given at Sanctuary to preach.  The preaching experience is a sacred trust I never want to take lightly; to communicate the word of God in a way that connects His timeless truth with our present experience is a blessing and a challenge.   I want to be faithful to the task God has given me.

Usually by the time I preach, I have so many thoughts and ideas that God is stirring in me that I have a difficult time.  How do I take this big idea and swirling ball of thoughts and fit it into the reasonable time limit I have to preach?  What are the key points I must make?  What are the key illustrations I should tell in the time we have?

My hope is that in this blog we can have a forum where we can discuss deeper issues raised in this sermon. (11/29/09)  I want to sort through questions, be challenged by any objections or concerns, so that we can all grow closer to  being the Beloved Community Christ calls us to be.

One of the neat things about Christianity is the way that it transforms the way you relate to other people.

How do you relate to other people if you are an atheist? Well, on atheism, there isn’t any way you ought to be that is independent of your own personal preferences. And there isn’t anyway other people ought to be, either. Instead, atheists tend to reduce relationships down to the level of making themselves happy. On an atheistic view, the purpose of life is to pursue happiness, and relationships with other people are just another part of pursuing happiness. Atheists will look at people as a means to help them achieve happiness in this life.

But things are different on Christianity. When Christians start to act on their belief that the Christian worldview is true, they have a completely different view of how they should relate to other people. Rather than trying to dominate them or using them for pleasure, we instead look at other people as God’s creatures who are made for a relationship with God. And this applies regardless of whether the person is ugly or pretty, young or old, short or tall, rich or poor. Everybody has to know God, and it becomes the Christian’s job to help with that.

Consider this post by Laura at GOP Refugee/Pursuing Holiness, where she explains how she’s had to put her own desires second in order to take a long-term, God-centered view of her relationships.

Excerpt:

There’s no time like the holidays to bring out the Jerry Springer in people.  A time to gather, a time to remember… all those decades of past slights and offenses, real and imagined.  We’re currently undergoing such a drama in my family.  In years past, I would have enthusiastically engaged in it, fiercely defending my position and making a case to show why I’m right, dammit, and you need to [stop, start, resume] [behaving a certain way.] Over the years, my perspective has gradually changed as I slog through this pursuit of holiness.  I’m less concerned with my own honor and more with God’s.

Wow! Go read the whole thing. This is something that Christians often struggle with that non-Christians never imagine is even an issue. Every day Christians deny their own desire to be selfish in relationships so that they don’t negatively impact other people’s vertical relationship with God. It’s hard for anybody to just let these interpersonal squabbles go unanswered. But we Christians are duty-bound to consider what God wants in relationships. We don’t want to distract you non-Christians from the main issue of being reconciled with God through Christ!

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ” Gal 1:3 (KJV)

In the first two postings in this series we looked at the logical relationship between grace and peace, and how that grace is always necessarily the antecedent to peace in the Scriptures. We also learned what grace is – grace is the undeserved mercy and favor of God. From the Bible, we saw that grace is opposed to works (merit) and that it is the very means of our salvation. As such, I presented scriptures that present the grace of God as the cause of both our justification and regeneration.

One of the clearest Scripture passages that outlines how that the grace of God alone is the sole cause of our justification can be found in Romans 3:19-26. We’ll complete our look at grace with the scripture and commentary below.

All Men Are Guilty

Rom 3:19-20: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

By law here, the Apostle Paul does not refer exclusively to the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant given upon Mt. Sinai, which was for the Jews only, typified those things that would be revealed under the New Covenant, and was fulfilled with and done away by the perfect obedience and death of Jesus Christ under that law – thus fulfilling it and bringing it to conclusion. Rather, Paul is referring to a universal moral law in which the universe was created. This universal moral law of obedience is the very image of Holy God stamped upon mankind in his original creation. This is the moral obligation of every man and it is by a failure to obey, or rather a rebellion against this universal moral law, that “all the world may become guilty before God.” Therefore, as someone who has broken the law and is now subject to its just penalty, there is nothing left in this moral law that can make one perfect. The law has done its work by revealing a “knowledge of sin” in us and condemning us by it.

Righteousness of God

Rom 3:21-23: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Now that men have broken their obligation to their creator, is there no hope? The Scriptures (law and prophets) bear witness to another Covenant (“A mutual agreement of two or more persons or parties”, Webster, 1913), or arrangement, between God and man. This arrangement is not a covenant that places a moral obligation upon man – he has already failed that and forfeited all inherent righteousness.  No, it is not a arrangement of moral perfection by virtue of good works or deeds, but rather one of pure unmerited grace.  The very Creator of the universe would enter into His creation as a surety for His own people, to act as a vicarious agent to secure the salvation which was forfeited by sin and rebellion.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, contracted with all those that would believe in him as a representative who would live out the perfectly obedient life, demanded by the law, on behalf of his people AND that he would bear the just sentence of condemnation demanded by the law in place of those that have offended.

Thus, even though one is an offender, he may receive the very righteousness of God, by taking hold of this gift of grace by faith.  The gift is for “all them that believe”, not any particular nation or ethnicity. All men have fallen into sin and all may receive forgiveness of sin by taking hold, by faith, of the substitution made by Christ Jesus.

Surety: “One who is bound with and for another who is primarily liable, and who is called the principal; one who engages to answer for another’s appearance in court, or for his payment of a debt, or for performance of some act; a bondsman; a bail.”  Webster’s 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

Justification By Grace

Romans 3:24-26:  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Those who receive this justification (being declared “not guilty” in the high court of God’s justice – in spite of having offended) do so “by” the grace of God alone and “through” the redemption of Christ Jesus alone!  This means that grace is the cause of our salvation – “justified freely by his grace”.  In other words, the reason God justifies sinners is due to His own free unmerited mercy and grace only.  The legal grounds upon which he carries out this grace in the justification of sinners is “through” the redemption of Christ Jesus.  In other words, God is not offering a free pardon on the grounds of grace alone, otherwise He would be unjust.  Rather, on the basis of grace, He substitutes the righteous life and sacrificial death of His Son to make restitution for our sins and to merit eternal life on our behalf.  Grace then is the “reason” God saves sinners and the atonement made by Christ is the “grounds” on which He does it.

Redeem: “To ransom, liberate, or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying a price or ransom; to ransom; to rescue; to recover; as, to redeem a captive, a pledge, and the like.”, Webster’s 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

This sacrifice of Jesus Christ, turns away the just anger of God, the Righteous Judge, toward our sin and reconciles Him to us. This is called Propitiation (“The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person”, Webster 1913).

I will say more concerning the reconciliation of God and man in the next post. For now, it is enough to understand that it is by God’s grace ALONE aside from the merit of man that salvation has come to men in the form of a substitute. Anyone attached to Christ by faith, therefore, has full “remission of sins”. In this way, God is both Just and Holy and yet merciful. He punishes sins and yet is merciful and forgiving to those who sin.

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Rom 3:26, KJV

We can join in the Julia H. Johnston in praising the glorious grace of Almighty God as we reflect on this hymn:

Grace Greater Than All Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Fondé il y a plus de 150 ans par le consulat français, l’hôpital Saint-Louis, grand édifice aux pierres blanches et aux volets bleus aux portes de la Vieille Ville de Jérusalem, accueille indifféremment Israéliens et Palestiniens et constitue un véritable îlot où les communautés peuvent se rencontrer. Spécialisé depuis 1951 dans l’oncologie et depuis les années soixante-dix dans les soins palliatifs, l’hôpital accueille les malades atteints de cancers ou de maladies cérébrales et les personnes en fin de vie. Juifs, musulmans et chrétiens cohabitent dans une même attente : celle du soulagement de la souffrance par de bons soins, celle de la délivrance, et parfois celle de la mort. S’ils ont vécu dos à dos, ils s’éteignent côte à côte, face aux remparts de Jérusalem. Une maison vivante par l’atmosphère si singulière de la cohabitation multiconfessionnelle et grâce au dévouement du personnel et de nombreux volontaires venant d’Europe et d’Outre-mer.

Dans les couloirs de l’hôpital Saint-Louis, on croise aussi bien un Juif religieux de Méa Sharim, qu’un Arabe égrenant son chapelet, ou un commerçant chrétien orthodoxe de la Vieille Ville. Un rabbin est attaché à l’hôpital de manière à ce que toutes les mesures soient prises afin qu’un patient juif puisse y être accueilli : l’hôpital détient le certificat de cashrout, et chaque jour il est vérifié que les règles sont bien suivies. Les lois alimentaires musulmanes sont également respectées.

Tous, Juifs, Chrétiens, Musulmans cohabitent dans une même attente de soulagement et de délivrance. Cancers en phase terminale, accidents cérébraux, démence sénile… Les pathologies des patients sont sans appel mais l’hôpital n’est pas pour autant un mouroir. Grâce à l’esprit insufflé par les religieuses de Saint-Joseph, par le personnel compétent et par les volontaires, grâce à la paisible cohabitation entre les uns et les autres, cette maison est vivante. Le personnel de l’hôpital est mixte : médecins, infirmiers, aides-soignants sont juifs, musulmans ou chrétiens. Les uns habitent du côté israélien, d’autres viennent des quartiers arabes, d’autres encore des territoires occupés. Pour éviter les conflits à l’intérieur de l’hôpital, les sujets religieux et politiques y sont bannis.

L’hôpital tend à être un lieu de réconciliation. Tous les vendredis matin par exemple, deux femmes juives orthodoxes viennent servir du thé et des gâteaux maison à tous les patients sans distinction. C’est aussi et surtout autour des patients que se nouent des relations inattendues. Les familles se rencontrent dans des situations communes, auprès de leurs proches souffrant ou mourant. Le reste n’a plus d’importance. Une jeune femme juive orthodoxe qui vient de perdre sa mère se jette dans les bras de la religieuse bénédictine qui partageait la chambre de sa mère. Un rabbin est venu aider une famille musulmane à faire les papiers officiels pour un enterrement. Un soldat Israélien qui vient chaque jour visiter sa mère demande à l’infirmier palestinien qui passe le check-point chaque matin : « comment va ma maman ? ». Et l’infirmier de répondre : « Aujourd’hui, très bien. Je lui ai déjà donné sa douche, elle est là, elle prend son petit déjeuner ». Les relations sont centrées sur les patients et, au cœur du quotidien, des amitiés se tissent au-delà des clivages. Les exemples sont innombrables. « C’est le cadeau que nous font nos malades, explique sœur Monika, d’origine allemande, « Ils sont tellement malades que tous se rendent compte que les différences que nous faisons entre les gens n’ont pas d’importance. Auprès d’une mère mourante, toutes les différences politiques et religieuses tombent. »

L’équipe médicale de l’hôpital actuellement dirigée par sœur Monika depuis cinq ans, constitue l’âme de l’hôpital. En 1988, l’hôpital reçu d’ailleurs à la Knesset le « Prix de la Qualité de la Vie » pour son « dévouement excellent », le « pont de solidarité humaine, de tolérance mutuelle et de respect » qu’il établit et « l’esprit de bénévolat » au sein des volontaires. En effet, aux 60 employés s’ajoutent 25 volontaires internationaux, venant en majorité d’Europe et d’Outre-mer. Ils permettent à l’hôpital d’offrir une bonne qualité de soins à moindre coût avec un personnel jeune et dynamique.

En 2007, l’hôpital reçut le « Mount Zion Award » pour la Paix, prix qui salua l’œuvre de réconciliation qui y est menée. Le 5 octobre 2009, soeur Monika fut décorée en Allemagne de la Légion d’Honneur de la main du Président Horst Koehler. Arrivée à Saint-Louis comme volontaire pour trois mois en 1987, elle avoue avoir attrapé ici le « virus de la vie religieuse ». Infirmière diplômée en théologie, elle se définit elle-même comme « une femme qui a fait de son hobby sa profession : les soins, et de sa profession son hobby : la théologie. » Elle est la garante du dévouement du personnel, de la tolérance mutuelle et du respect au sein de l’hôpital dans un climat de paix « basé sur l’amour des malades graves ou sans espoir de guérison, de toutes les religions, de tous les peuples et de tous les rites » selon les mots de Shlomo Hillel, président de la Knesset, en 1988.

L’hôpital Saint-Louis est depuis plus d’un siècle, un lieu unique de réconciliation et de rencontre.

Souce et pour en savoir + sur l’historique de l’hôpital

http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr11209.html

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued the following statement to the College of Bishops:

Dear Bishop,

In July, during the first wave of the Swine Flu pandemic we issued national advice with regard to the administration of Holy Communion.

This advice was based on information and guidance received from the Department of Health which was geared to the situation at that time and the projected levels of risk suggested by the potential course of the pandemic. Since then the scientific understanding of the Swine Flu virus has advanced, further experience of the course of the epidemic has been gained, and the first stage of a vaccination programme, targeted at those most at risk from the virus, is nearing completion.

Throughout this period, our advice has been driven by the interests of public health, particularly for the protection of the vulnerable.

In the light of continuing consultation with the Department of Health, and with updated information on the course of the Swine Flu pandemic, we believe that we can now advise that the normal administration of Holy Communion ought to resume. This recommendation is subject to the guidelines issued in June which set out good hygiene practice for public worship and which allows for local discretion in the event of outbreaks of pandemic flu in particular centres of population. We shall also continue to monitor the situation.

We wish to thank you for your patience and cooperation during this challenging period for both Church and Community. We are thankful that the pandemic has so far proved less severe than was feared.

Please pass this on to your colleagues in the diocese.

With every blessing,

+Rowan Cantuar +Sentamu Ebor

“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.” ~Proverbs 21:30

It has been a trying couple of weeks. I’ve been assaulted by all manner of strange philosophies and ideologies that claim Christ as their core, and yet they seem as far from Christ as possible. As one who associates with a certain subculture, I find it so frustrating to see self-professing Christians use awkwardly interpreted Scriptures to justify their actions and associations, and then stop there. As if they want to move forward in their hobbies and interests and pull the Christian card only when it’s convenient.

As a Side Note: Let me just say this, if you have to search the Scriptures for some loophole to justify whatever it is that you are doing, perhaps you shouldn’t be doing it. I have seen people search for loopholes to justify tattoos, piercings, clothing styles, listening to certain types of music, having a drink of alcohol, smoking, or whatever else it may be that they desire to do. If you are fighting your conscience on a matter, let your conscience win because how much greater is God than your own conscience? Tattoos, piercings, etc. (I’m picking on those because they are the silliest matters I’ve seen addressed) are not for everybody. If you are starting to feel a pang of guilt for considering that cool tattoo you want to get, don’t get it. It might not be for you at the moment, or it may not be for you at all.

What part of LORD do we not understand? Are we not to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship? Do we not know that we are not our own, for we were bought at a price? It as if we are more concerned with being our own unique individual self, than we are about denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following the Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us with His Blood on Calvary.

Lord, help us. We are so weak, and we are so feeble.

Over the past few weeks I have listened to a man who is more interested in gathering disciples for himself, and convincing others that he has the right answers, than he is in seeking the Scriptures and giving his life over to God. A man who wants so much to be some grand spiritual leader, and yet his fruit bears witness to the spiritual death that is inside of him. And he is so enchanted by his own self grandeur, in love with his idols of education and antiquity, that I can’t help but to be reminded of the Word which says:

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

~2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

And it hurts because we’ve had this conversation, we’ve been down this trail, and that tree looks all too familiar.

Somehow, it seems that Christ isn’t important or exciting anymore. That He has somehow bored us, and now we have to dress Him up in the latest fashions just to keep Him relevant and inviting to ourselves and to the culture around us. It is absolutely ridiculous the idolatry that we have found ourselves in. And more and more as I see the culture around me, and Christians who look more like the culture around me than they do Christ, I’m starting to wonder where did it all go wrong.

When did Christ become not enough? When did the cries of Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria become so offensive and trite that we simply let them fade away? It seems now, that what matters most is that we be inviting and welcoming with a message that reaches out to the community, and -as far as I have seen- more often than not, that message is a watered down gospel cluttered with all manner of gimmicks and funny jokes to make it entertaining and look attractive to a dying world that revels in its own decay.

THE GOSPEL IS AN OFFENSE to those that are perishing. THE CROSS IS AN OFFENSE to those that deny Christ as Lord and Savior. Watering down the gospel, or smoothing off the rough edges of the cross (to paraphrase C. H. Spurgeon), is to rob God. Are we somehow more loving and more wise than our Father in Heaven that we try to take the offense out of that which is incredibly offensive?

Man is wicked and at enmity with God. Man is on a fast lane speeding towards Hell with a smile on his face. Man is making merry to eternal damnation, and unless we tell him how offensive and heinous his sin is to God, and what Christ has done that men might be saved, man will continue happily on his way to an eternity that stops in the full presence of God’s wrath.

I am fearful also, that there are a number of people who call themselves Christians, that have gone to church all their lives, that have done all the churchy things expected of them, who were at every Sunday service, and maybe at various midweek and home services, that will stand before God and hear those terrible words, “Depart from me, you worker of iniquity. I never knew you!” When our lives have no sign of change, when sin is of no importance to us, when holiness means nothing to us, when Christ is a subject we already know all about, when we live like the devil (to paraphrase Paul Washer) shouldn’t we be terrified?

How is your life any different now from before you knew Christ?

The Manhattan Declaration was encouraging, but I’m afraid it is not enough. Spurring us to act in regards to certain moral issues with a piece of paper signed by Christian and Christian-like religious leaders is heart breaking. Why should we be compelled to do that which we should have been doing from the beginning? Should it not be second nature for us to oppose the murder of unborn children? Should it not be second nature for us to oppose the various sexually immoral unions and encounters that we are being pressured into approving? Why does it take a piece of paper to get some of us to act? Why haven’t we already been taking to the streets with the GOSPEL!?

What makes our lives different from the unbelieving? Is there something that obviously sets us apart from the world around us beyond our words? Do our neighbors look at us and know something is different about our lives? Or are we simply content with putting on a t-shirt that says “Jesus” in a logo similar to that of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, instead of putting on Christ each and every day?

I am tired of lukewarm Christianity. I am tired of the “Have it Your Way” fast food gospel. I’m tired of churchianity and a church culture that denies Christ and promotes a life given to moralistic deism.

It is as if somehow our wisdom, our understanding, and our counsel are greater than God’s. Somehow we’ve become more intelligent, more gentle, more loving, and more peaceful than God. And this blasphemy is taking us, and the world, straight to Hell.

Lord, help us. We are weak, and we are feeble.

“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.” ~Proverbs 21:30

It’s a pretty difficult subject to wrap our minds around and even harder to put into action.

I podcast sermons from a pastor in Texas: Matt Chandler * who one might associate with the resurgence of Reformed Theology and the “new Calvinism.” In a lot of his sermons, including the two or three I’ve listened to while running in the past week, Chandler makes his listeners flip back from wherever he’s preaching to Genesis 3. Why? Because Genesis 3 is where the whole world fell apart. In Eastern Orthodoxy, the fall is viewed as a rupture in relationship between man and God, between man and woman. It’s not so much a fall from grace as it is a broken relationship, like an extreme argument between friends or lovers; one which will take years and hard work to overcome.

The beauty of the Gospel, simply put, is that God wanted to reconcile with his beloved. He reached down and sent his son to be the great sacrifice not only of atonement but of his desire to be reconciled with warped, lost creatures. It’s sort of like the time I took Coy out for milkshakes on my own dollar, even though he’d thrown a fit and been disobedient the whole day long. We got milkshakes and walked around the town center in the blazing afternoon heat simply because I wanted to restore our relationship. I sacrificed a few dollars to the burger joint and my clean shirt to the sweaty walk. But I did it because after nannying for three summers, I loved Coy like a little brother. God loves us quite a lot more than I love Coy and so instead of a few dollars, he sacrificed himself to repair our broken relationship.

But our relationship with God wasn’t the only thing that was damaged in the tragedy of Eden. Adam and Eve suddenly broke apart. Their intimacy was destroyed, and we’re living in the aftermath. We see it every day. My BBC headlines that come daily to my email are always about people ruining one another. Today a French national was abducted by gunmen in Mali and a student opened fire at a university in Hungary. We’re all torn apart, we hide in our broken, flabby skins; we get defensive because we’re so afraid of being open; we lash out at others, criticise them and shout because we are so terrified of our own depravity and the awfully humbling fact that we can do nothing about it.

I want to go to another country. In many ways, I want to go to a place where women cover their heads, the men grow thick, unruly beards and the imam calls for prayer five times a day. I don’t want to go because I feel strongly about women’s rights or education or the “fight” against “terrorism.” I want to go because I think that Jesus offers a better answer. People are always jumping down one another’s throats. But in Jesus we have this great shift in the reality of the world. There’s reconciliation–with God and with each other. I want to take that offer to others and share it with them.

But reconciliation doesn’t happen in one conversation. It doesn’t happen in a day. The US is still dealing with the effects of the Civil War. My Grandad would never have even called it that. If we can’t even decide on a name 150 years later, we clearly still have issues. And have you ever heard of Africa? The entire continent is awash in conflict between clans, tribes, and races. The Muslims themselves are still warring over who should have been the right successor to the Four Righteous Caliphs. Roman Catholics and Protestants maim and kill each other in Ireland. Netanyahu still raves about Palestinians and Jewish settlements… the list goes on.

People are working for peace in these things. But the problem is, they’re missing the most important element. They are missing Jesus. The forgiveness, the freedom, everything that Jesus offers us is essential for reconciliation. Without him there is no lasting reconciliation, there is no peace.

But even with Jesus, we are still humans and reconciliation is hard work.

________________________________________________

* Matt recently suffered a seizure. He is back at home with his family; please keep him, his wife Lauren and their children in your prayers.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! The late Benazir Bhutto's book about reconciliation is one of the many reasons I am grateful today.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I feel grateful for many gifts in my life.

Most basically, I am grateful for a wonderful family and circle of friends, a sense of wonder and spirit and purpose, meaningful work, a clear mind that allows me to read, think, admit error and learn, a sturdy constitution and good health, and financial sufficiency.

I’m also profoundly grateful for the slivers of experience and memory that I have each day that remind me of what life is about: love, shared connections with other people, working for a larger cause, and trying to make the world better than it is now.

This blog has been a major project for me this year, and I am extremely grateful to all of you who have clicked on, commented, or in some way joined the conversation and community we are creating together.

Your ranks have grown.

The first day I blogged last December, seven people looked at what I had put up and written.

For the past eight weeks, it’s been just about 1,000 people per day.

This is a shared venture of the heart in every way, and I want, on this day of giving thanks, to thank all of you who have joined and contributed to the space.

Have a wonderful day!!

I’ve got a couple of quick book thoughts.

Longtime Washington Wizards’ owner Abe Pollin died earlier this week at age 85.  He is a minor character in When Nothing Else Matters, Michael Leahy’s highly unflattering portrait of Michael Jordan, the man generally considered by many to be the greatest basketball player ever lived.

I recently finished Dart Fellow and Pulitzer Prize winner Amy Dockser Marcus’ Jerusalem 1913, an intriguing look at the waning days of the Ottoman Empire that suggests how the current Arab-Israeli conflict might have turned out differently.

And yesterday I completed the late Benazir Bhutto’s Reconciliation.  Written after her dramatic return to her native Pakistan and right before her assassination two years ago, the book is an effort to bridge the chasm of understanding between the Western and Muslim worlds.  Bhutto takes on the legacy of Western colonialism and the current war in Iraq as well as Muslim extremists.

Discours du cardinal Roger Etchegaray

à l’ouverture de l’Année Sainte 2010 de l’Église au Vietnam, le 24 novembre 2009 à So Kien, diocèse de Hanoi

(transcrit d’après l’enregistrement audio)

Il y a vingt ans, j’étais sur cette terre. Et si malgré l’âge, la vieillesse, malgré les infirmités, j’ai répondu tout de suite à l’invitation de l’Archevêque de Hanoï, c’est pour retrouver les plus grands amis, après ceux de mon pays, que sont tout le peuple vietnamien. Vive le peuple vietnamien ! Heureuse terre de Sở Kiện qui a le privilège d’ouvrir le calendrier de l’Année Sainte dans ce diocèse de l’Archevêque de Hanoi. Et heureux cardinal de Ho-Chi-Minh ville qui a aussi le grand honneur, comme président du comité, aujourd’hui de tirer la première page de ce calendrier. Je dois être bref parce que tout est doublé par la traduction. Je ne pourrai dire que quelques mots, mais si je pouvais parler directement en vietnamien, j’aurais probablement employé cent mille mots d’amitiés. Vous connaissez le programme de cette année. J’ai lu à Rome avant de venir, lu et relu toutes les déclarations de vos évêques qui ont l’audace, la foi d’ouvrir cette Année Sainte extraordinaire, approuvée par le pape bien sûr et nous y entrons aujourd’hui. Je voudrais rappeler simplement deux thèmes pour cette année : Je vais dire la réconciliation et l’espérance.

Réconcilier, le monde entier en a besoin dans cette époque où tout est déchiré, où, plus qu’avant, on ressent la différence entre chacun. Vos évêques auront le courage de souligner à quel point il ne peut y avoir de paix et de bonheur que entre frères car nous sommes tous frères et sœurs réconciliés.

Et l’espérance, autant que la réconciliation, appelle le courage car dans tous les pays l’espérance est mise à rudes épreuves. Et puis, face aux désespoirs à mille visages où a mis le masque, combien de caricatures de l’espérance ! C’est facile de dire que j’espère et après, qu’est-ce qu’on a fait ? Espérer, ce n’est pas rêver. La terre n’est pas une simple salle d’attente en vue d’une justice et d’une paix au-delà. Sur terre, ici, il faut agir pour que l’espérance qui ait le grand témoignage donné par Jésus. Espérer, les chemins de l’espérance, on en a parlé et écrit avec beaucoup de force. Il n’y a pas de paradis, de ciel tout fait qui nous attende. Une société fraternelle se fait tous les jours avec les hommes libres et avec des hommes passionnés de justice et de solidarité.

Le Vietnam s’ouvrit au monde entier. Et pour cela, hier à la veillée, bravo les jeunes ! (on les applaudit). Vous m’avez montré que vous ne voulez pas entrer dans la vie adulte à reculons, mais les yeux ouverts sur un avenir qu’on ne connait pas, mais qui est entre nos mains, entre vos mains de responsables du Vietnam et de l’Église au Vietnam.

“L’homme qui vit seul, est une mauvaise compagnie », a dit un écrivain. Donnez-vous tous, pendant cette longue Année Sainte qui ne concernent pas seulement les fidèles, mais les religieuses, religieux, les prêtres et tous les évêques aussi pour que l’Église du Vietnam soit une Église plus proche de Dieu et aussi plus proche de tous les hommes sans exclure personne. Car nous sommes tous frères, quelque soit notre religion, quelques soient nos idées, quelques soient nos opinions, et nous sommes tous enfants d’un même Dieu.

Ce n’est pas vrai ? Oui, (applaudissements !) Je suis un peu sourd. Je n’ai entendu qu’une oreille (applaudissements plus fort) Voilà, c’est ça le Vietnam, c’est ça l’Église au Vietnam. Bonne Année Sainte comme un grand TET ! (applaudissements). Xin cám ơn.

  I took these photos of the famous Said Bin Taimur Mosque recently during National Day, 2009.  I knew that this mosque was named after the father of Sultan Qaboos but I wasn’t aware of “the story behind the mosque”.  As a Christian, you will not find many photos of mosques on this blog, but I am interested in the history behind and significance of this structure.  “For his part, Said bin Taimur, who has lived in his favorite London hotel, the Dorchester, for several years, is said to be proud of his son and is known to have written him a reconciliatory letter from there, full of warmth and tenderness.  According to the former foreign minister of Oman, Neil Innes, who saw Said bin Taimur frequently, the ex-Sultan has accepted the situation very philosophically, and was in some respects very happy to have been relieved of his former responsibilites, and able, at long last, to relax.  At least his son succeeded him without the more drastic revolution which he had feared, and which might have overthrown the Sultanate altogether.  I think that in his heart he was proud of his son.” (from the book “A Reformer on the Throne” written by Sergey Plekhanov) 

I liked the idea that this mosque was constructed in honor of his father and represented their “reconciliation“.  Reconciliation (between man and God) could easily be described as the main theme of the Holy Bible and here are passages dealing with this important topic in the Scriptures:     http://www.bible-topics.com/Reconciliation-with-God.html

I’m not sure if a lot of expats in Oman were aware of this story behind the famous Al Khuwair mosque which I find fascinating.  That’s one thing I love about living in a foreign land-learning about the fascinating history of other people groups!

Love one another

By Maggi Dawn

I was talking to a man a couple of days back, a priest I’ve known since we were both contemplating ordination. He told me a story about how some years ago he’d overheard some senior priests at a big Cathedral bash, talking about the “new” women priests. They were trying to decide whether it was better actively to put enough pressure on until they couldn’t bear it and left, or whether it would be more effective to cut them dead, look through them as if they didn’t actually exist. “Has that ever happened to you?” asked my friend.

Sad to say, my experience over the last sixteen years includes arriving at theological college to find a piece of paper under my door with extremely unpleasant and unprintable comments about how women were not welcome “here”; being treated as invisible by some male priests at nearly every large Church festival I’ve attended since being ordained; and offering consecrated wafers to people at Communion rail only to have them stand up and walk away instead of receiving communion from me. I survived one co-ordinated campaign to remove me from office, and another incident when a male priest spread malicious lies about me in an attempt to discredit me. Nasty, and undeserved, but true.

So it rang plenty of bells in my head when I read this quote this morning, written by another priest:

“We are actually hated within our own family, who have no real desire to help us, but will seek to hurt us if we stay and hurt us if we go. Pray God that this fear is entirely unfounded.”

These words, though, were not written by a woman priest, but by Fr Ed, an Anglo Catholic priest writing in response to the news that another male priest who is contemplating taking up a Catholic Ordinariate hs had the very unpleasant experience of a threatening phone call and some graffiti posted on his church notice board.

I think Fr Ed’s comments put the spotlight neatly on the most important issue: that regardless of which wing of the Church you live in, or which strand of Christian belief you subscribe to, this is reprehensible behaviour, every bit as bad as the bullying that women priests have had to encounter. The point isn’t really whether this or that opinion is right or wrong. There are some Anglo Catholics who cannot accept women bishops under any circumstances; there are many more Anglicans (including catholic Anglicans) who feel that refusing women bishops undermines their integrity. It’s easy enough for everyone to think that their understanding of orthodoxy is more orthodox than someone else’s. But it’s a foundation of Christian theology that Christians should love their friends and their enemies. Treating people as if they are invisible, spreading lies, threatening phone calls – these are not the actions of love, and whatever the provocation, they are unacceptable.

Here’s abridged extracts from Ebenezer Erskine’s 10 point sermon on 10 ways in which God in Christ is a God of love:

Ebenezer Erskine

1. GOD in Christ is a reconciled God, a God of peace, that has received the atonement : Q Cor. v. 19. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” Rom. v. 10. 11 When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” He both finds the ransom, and accepts of the ransom that he has found; and having accepted of the ransom, of the Surety, he proclaims himself to be ” the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ.” Oh Sirs! does not this say that God is love? what greater evidence of it could God give, than to provide a ransom, and to receive it, than to cry, “Deliver them from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom ?”

]]> http://aavey.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/why-forgive-johann-christoph-arnold/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:08:50 +0000 aavey http://aavey.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/why-forgive-johann-christoph-arnold/

What does forgiving really mean? Clearly it has little to do with human
fairness, which demands an eye for an eye, or with excusing, which means
brushing something aside. Life is never fair, and it is full of things that can
never be excused.

When we forgive someone for a mistake or a deliberate hurt, we still rec-
ognize it as such, but instead of lashing out or biting back, we attempt to see
beyond it, so as to restore our relationship with the person responsible for it.
Our forgiveness may not take away our pain- -– it may not even be acknowl-
edged or accepted -– yet the act of offering it will keep us from being sucked
into the downward spiral of resentment. It will also guard us against the temp-
tation of taking out our anger or hurt on someone else.

]]> http://aavey.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/comfort-to-compassion/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:02:53 +0000 aavey http://aavey.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/comfort-to-compassion/

This nation is affluent and has more than it needs. The realization that what we have is a free gift can deepen our desire to share this gift with others who cry out for help. When we bless the fruits of the harvest, let us at least realize that blessed fruits need to be shared.

- Henri J.M. Nouwen, from his book The Genesee Diary

]]> http://endsandmeans.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/five-ways-for-christians-to-celebrate-thanksgiving/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:43:09 +0000 joejames http://endsandmeans.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/five-ways-for-christians-to-celebrate-thanksgiving/ http://upennca.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/bridging-the-great-divide/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:44:22 +0000 Robert A. Holsapple http://upennca.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/bridging-the-great-divide/

There is a great divide in our nation, one that has been present for the better part of our history as a nation.  One which if left untended may result in the squandering of an opportunity to change the way in which we relate to and live with each other and perhaps to begin the process of healing and reconciliation that has been needed for so long.  It is astounding that an opportunity for healing and for dialogue on the important issues of race, ethnicity, oppression, poverty, immigration and the like – such as that presented to us through the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency – is being utterly squandered.

In fact as I consider it more carefully this would appear to be a divide that is as old as the history of humankind itself.  For thousands of years one group of people or another has sought to selfishly gain for themselves at the expense of another exploited or oppressed group of people.  This can be seen in the Exodus account of the control wielded by the Egyptians over the Jewish people during the time of the Pharaohs.  In the New Testament we see this in the domination by the ruling Roman Empire of Jewish and other people at the time of Christ’s ministry on earth.  People have been divided along racial, ethnic, economic, nationalistic, gender, age, culture and class lines since the dawn of time.  And perhaps they will continue to be until the end of time.

What makes this issue fresh for me is the recollection of an incident that occurred in the autumn of 2008.  I was excitedly sharing my hope that with the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States we were being presented with an opportunity to begin a dialogue about race and ethnicity in this country.  This was not intended to place all of my hope for such a dialogue in the mere fact that our President was for the first time going to be a person of color; but rather to acknowledge that it would be all but impossible to ignore this fact.

I cannot adequately convey the extent of my disappointment at the response I received from my friend:  “Oh no Rob, you don’t understand.  Obama is going to tear this nation apart.  He is going to be the cause of increased hostility and tension, not peace and reconciliation.”  I asked my friend to explain how he could think such a thing?  Surely as Christians we would not allow such a thing to happen.  We are told that we should not only love our neighbors but our enemies as well.  (Matthew 5:44).  And yet my friend could not extend this love to unknown others who might hold a different theology, ideology or point of view.

Was my friend being prophetic at the time about the direction our national discourse was going to take?  Or was he perhaps proclaiming to me that he – and others of similar temperament – would diligently work towards bringing about the sad state of affairs with which we are now being faced?

Christ said that we are to come together in unity, to fulfill kingdom purposes; to achieve what had previously been unattainable.  He came to deliver the good news of the kingdom and simply asked that we follow his example in our behavior and more importantly in the attitude of our hearts.  I ask what must be the attitude of the heart of people like Rush Limbaugh, or Glenn Beck, who collectively speak to the fear that divides us; fear that at its core is un-American. Fear fuels hatred and perpetuates ignorance.  Rather than reconciliation this fear facilitates re-birth of the worst of American history and our segregationist and blatantly racist heritage.

It is unfathomable the degree to which so-called Christians and others on either end of the spectrum of political ideology talk at and over each other rather than with each other.  Consider the not too subtle campaign promoting the idea that because of his name and biological lineage President Obama is not an American citizen and therefore should not be allowed to serve as President.  This does nothing to benefit anyone other than perhaps the purveyors of angry talk radio and other narrow special interest groups.  It is demagogic, inflammatory rhetoric that fuels the basest emotions among a self-proclaimed elect segment of the citizenry.

So what are we to do?  Perhaps we need to take a step like that of both Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church and St. George’s Methodist Church, both in Philadelphia.  Recently they came together for a reconciliation service more than 200 years after a congregational split wounded the Philadelphia community.  Or perhaps we reach out across the aisle, across the street, from neighborhood to neighborhood, from church to church, from school to school and from house to house. What we do is begin to spend time experiencing the reality of each other for ourselves.  Turn off the radio and dial down the rhetoric and the hatred and simply hear from each other, not about each other.  This would, in the final analysis, go a long way towards bridging that great divide that exists in our society and in our hearts.

]]> http://diaryofabrokenvessel.com/2009/11/24/the-greatness-of-the-gospel-paul-washer/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:45:20 +0000 Michael Brewer http://diaryofabrokenvessel.com/2009/11/24/the-greatness-of-the-gospel-paul-washer/

]]> http://ericlightborn.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/harry-reid/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:53:23 +0000 Eric Lightborn http://ericlightborn.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/harry-reid/ http://abetterpossession.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/volfs-memory-problem/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:38:02 +0000 Hammo http://abetterpossession.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/volfs-memory-problem/

(c) Inebriantia aka Jose Ramos

In a recent post I quoted and wrote about the view put forward by Miroslav Volf that in the new creation we will no longer remember wrongs done, either by ourselves or others, due to our perfect enjoyment of God and each other in God.

To view the post click here.

Now, while I am sympathetic to this point of view and am of the opinion that it makes good sense of scriptural evidence and itself has explanatory power, I still don’t find Volf’s entire thesis convincing. And there are two key points where Volf and I part ways. The first is the question of assigning meaning to the events of the past, and the second is the memory of the cross in the new creation. And I view both of these as significant points of departure.

At one point Volf ponders what salvation would look like if we did perfectly remember wrongs suffered for eternity? “… it seems that it would need to entail rendering remembered wrongs in some way meaningful … they would have to be integrated into a narrative.” (p. 183) Volf comes at this from the human-level view and asks whether our whole past needs to be rendered meaningful to be redeemed?  And in the end Volf rejects the ideas that all events must in some way be rendered meaningful and that all events will in fact be rendered meaningful. And thus it coheres with his thesis that past wrongs will not be displayed as meaningful but will eternally resist being integrated into a meaningful whole and will instead slip from our memory.

Whether the redemption of people can be true without the redemption of all their past experiences is an interesting question, though not the heart of the issue. (Though I tend to think the answer is: yes it can). To my mind the heart of the problem isn’t so much anthropological but rather God-shaped. The issue isn’t so much tied to whether personal history must be shown to be meaningful within a wider narrative for true redemption of a person to occur, but instead is God the type of God who overrules a world which is meaningful? Does God see all the events of the past with meaning within a wider narrative? Does God design and execute all the events of my past with a meaning and within a wider narrative?

I am convinced that this type of high view of God’s sovereignty and providence is the picture the Bible describes. The issue here isn’t so much will past events be rendered and/or revealed as meaningful but are past events actually in fact meaningful, regardless of how hidden that meaning is to us?

So for me the question isn’t, “Do the events of my past have meaning?” – I think they do – so much as, “Will their God-designed meaning within His narrative be revealed to me in the new creation?”

In sum, the core issue isn’t about the nature of humanity or the nature of redemption but rather the nature of God and his rule over his creation.

I’m not convinced, however, that the fact that all my past events do have meaning – a meaning which is at present largely hidden but will one day be revealed – necessarily means that non-remembrance will not and must not occur.

Secondly, Volf asks, “If wrongs suffered will not come to mind in the world of perfect love, does it mean that the death of Christ will not come to mind either?” (p. 190) to which he answers, “True, our being new creatures in eternity will have been achieved in part through Christ’s death. But it does not necessarily follow that life as a new creature is predicated on the eternal display of the means by which such life was achieved … The cross of Christ is, rather, a stage on the road to resurrection and exaltation … a stage that can be left in the past even if its effects last for eternity.” (p. 191)

This is a change of mind for Volf from the position he posed in Exclusion and Embrace, where he believed the cross would be eternally remembered. And it’s not a change I’m particularly excited about.

I should be clear that I’m not of the opinion that the cross is an eternal event in God. When the New Testament refers to Christ as “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Rev. 13:8) I think it means that from eternity Christ had been destined for the cross within the realm of time. But I do believe that the cross is so central to the New Testament, so central to the character of God, so central in regards the revelation of God, so central to what love is, so central to the display of God’s glory and victory that I find the proposal that it will not be remembered in eternity not particularly plausible.

But does that mean that the Cross will be the one act of past wrong that will be remembered into eternity? The greatest act of evil in all of history will be the only one remembered while all others will fade into non-remembrance?

I’m not sure.

Is it the uniqueness of the cross that will set it apart? Is it the triumph of God over evil in and through this specific evil that will separate it?

I’m not sure.

But on at least these two issues I’m not keen to follow Volf. I think at these two places he has memory problems.

]]> http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/11/23/reconciliation/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:19:36 +0000 Jay Newton-Small http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/11/23/reconciliation/ http://livingoutfaith.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/race-matters/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:52:42 +0000 derek http://livingoutfaith.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/race-matters/