Drunk.

At College Weekend we discussed being drunk in the spirit vs drunk in the world.. I thought this summed it up.

rant

Posted by sarenaw in rant

Drunk.

Its too late to think of a creative title...

I'm writing at 3:33 AM from my spot volunteering the night at a homeless shelter... this is fair warning that this might be somewhat disconnected...

Lately, I've been trying to think of the statement freedom in Christ. And how best I could explain to someone that you're free when you're a Christian. I mean, how can you possibly feel free when there's this list of things you can't do anymore (or shouldn't do anymore - there's the whole other angle that now we can do anything we want because we're free.... and.... but k.... )

I certainly don't feel free at times. I want to do things and know I shouldn't. At times, there's even things other Christians are doing that I just feel like I shouldn't. And its frustrating....

How is that freedom?

Well. Its like a seat belt. I know.. the best analogy you've ever heard in your life (is analogy the right word?)

A seat belt restrains us. It holds us back from reaching for that water bottle that rolled under the seat. It cuts into our neck at times.

But. When the car fails, it keeps us safe. The things that may seem like they restrain us, may be the things that hold us together when everything else around us is careening off the road.

So how are we free? We're free because we have security about the most important things. Yeah the seat belts may be uncomfortable, but when we're in danger, they save our lives.

Are we really too weak for a little discomfort?

rant

Posted by sarenaw in rant

Its too late to think of a creative title...

Justified Revenge?

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot..." - Exodus 21:24

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." - Matthew 5:38-39

(I don't want to get too much off topic explaining how I got to this topic but..... ) I was on abcnews earlier today and came across this article, Death Row Bloggers Get Help From Victims. The article mentioned and had a picture of Thomas Whitaker - his name and story were familiar to me as his dad, Kent, wrote a book, Murder by Family, which I've read (so insane).

Thomas Whitaker was mentioned in the article as one inmate who has started a website/blog with help from his dad and a few others. He cannot get online himself so others run the site and upload his writings for him. So I clicked the link to Minutes Before Six and skimmed through some posts until I came across The Killing Machine by Ronald W. Clark, Jr, #812974.

And he made some gripping statements...

"Human’s blood lust for vengeance seems to over ride human decency. And the death penalty is an act of revenge, the thirst for death. One day a time will come when a more civilized society will look back on us with the same contempt and disgust as we have looking back at the murders and executions of the Roman Empire. But until that day the killing machines in America will continue to spit bodies out because of our blood lust for vengeance."

"I knew what was going on under me. Murder in the fraudulent name of equal Justice! Bull----!! It’s not Justice, it’s freaking revenge!!"

I guess it's always something that has bothered me. Do we find any peace in treating people the way they've treated us? The justice system condemns someone for murder... and what's the answer?.. murder the murderer.

I know it's silly to think we can pound the gavel and yell "forgiven" each time someone convicted of a crime walks into the courtroom.... ridiculous to even hint at the idea of letting guilty killers back into our safe neighborhoods....

But somehow I feel that punishing them with the same thing they were condemned for doesn't add up. But maybe that's just me... I've never believed that it's a human's right to say when it's time for another human's life to end.

rant

Posted by sarenaw in rant

Justified Revenge?

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool......

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Romans 13:1

I just read A Tale of Three Kings: A study in brokenness by Gene Edwards. It focused mainly on the life of David.. but there were several resounding points throughout the book. Today, after reading this book, I saw someone's status on Facebook that made a bold statement. I took the statement to speak very pridefully of how right we are - we're right because we're Christians.

Someone commented on the status and pretty much said something like "yeah, those who bash Christians are usually *&$@^! who like Obama." The one who posted the status followed with "they really don't know anything if they like Obama."

What? Who is going to like you (Christians) if you act like that? At this point I always think of a quote from Ghandi. . . "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

So back to the book by Gene Edwards...

When we're reading the story of David, how do we see him? He was recruited from sheepherding, he shot Goliath with a little stone, he became king... he was a hero! For the most part, we see the whole story.

But remember when David was running from King Saul?

"He was feared, hated, lied about, and plotted against. He shook hands with murder on several occasions. These were David's darkest hours. We know them as his pre-king days, but he didn't. He may have assumed this was his lot forever." (pg. 32)

So why didn't David kill Saul? Why didn't he even try fighting back? Because Saul was the Lord's anointed - in other words, David had complete faith that God sets up and takes down rulers. David waited on God to do the taking down.

We're so eager to judge rulers, kings, presidents. Is it because we have trouble seeing the whole picture? We can't believe that part of God's plan is to have a certain someone in authority?

Saul did not seem like a king anointed by God, but guess what, he was. Other times we may be so sure that God backs someone (like Reagan or Bush I) when maybe they aren't anointed by God. But Gene Edwards theology was.. how do you know? How do you know when a king (or president) is a Saul or a David?

But most importantly, so what. David lived under a Saul and he let Saul live. David believed in God's authority and "authority from God is not afraid of challengers, makes no defense, and cares not one whit if it must be dethroned." (pg. 48)

We like to make bold claims as Christians. "Look at me, I'm standing up for Christ". But do we really think that's a challenge? We said some words, wow, we're tough.

We like to make bold claims.. and yet, we can't take any bold stances in our lives. We barely read the Bible yet we are endowed with wisdom about political leaders. We say a few quick prayers once a week and suddenly we think we have the ability to defend Christ to a classroom.

"My, how certain we mortals can be . . . of things even the angels do not know." (pg. 49)

rant

Posted by sarenaw in rant

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool......