Thank you for speaking truth in a time of chaos with our theologies. To me what you are saying isn’t particularly Christian but rather the obvious to anyone who has bothered to read the book. In a culture that now devalues reading in the humanities, more and more people get their understanding through interpretation of others with often ulterior motives. To me it is a sustaining grace that there are still minds and voices such as yours, those willing to risk the rages of the mob to remind us of the gentle, egoless teachings of Jesus.
A neighbor and I attended the same church. He told me he didn’t want to hear any more sermons about loving your neighbor because that was too political. That remark blew my mind. He left our church and went to another that affirms his politics. I wonder if he would be offended to be identified as a white Christian nationalist. FYI white Christian nationalist is the 21st century version of racist bigot. They used to wear white sheets.
Thank you for this John. I am suffering from depression and despair the state of our country. Your writings are a lifeline to me every day and I thank you.
It's truly bizarre, people who love to 'quote' the bible forget the most obvious parts, specifically 'love thy neighbor.' Last time I checked, it had no loopholes or amendments. *shrug*
I agree with Karen. I am in the UK so am fairly free to be open about my faith without any pushback (apart from those who look at me suspiciously when I say I am Christian - I think they are mostly concerned that I will bash them over the head with a Bible, which I would never do). Jesus would be in full “casting the money lenders out of the temple” angry if he came back now. However, seeing and reading about Christian Nationalism, makes me wonder if they are actively working to bring about the second coming of Christ. But, only God knows the timing and his will be done. See 1 Timothy ch2 v 1-2 where he asks us to pray for the leaders so that we might all have a peaceful life. See also Matthew 24v4-14 “beware of false prophets”. Thank you John for your words which really help keep me sane in a world gone mad.
That is certainly one of the reasons why some American Christians support Israel so enthusiastically because they are convinced the end times will take place in the Middle East and it will usher in the return of Christ.
Wonderful insights…Christians being included as recipients of God’s DEI program describes wonderfully why the stance of the Christians that decry DEI makes no sense!
It strikes me that Jesus also taught that the rich would find it impossible to enter the realm (I reject the word kingdom, in this day and age) of god. Why? Because their hearts are hard and ungenerous. A distinguishing characteristic of most of the wealthy is fear. Fear that they will lose what they have, fall out of the upper crust, etc. It's not subtle. Why do they need more and more, bigger and shinier things? To shore up their lack of faith in themselves, much less others. Whereas the person who sees another person without a shirt and has two shirts, hurries to give his extra 'wealth' away. His heart is open, soft, warm. loving. And he is already in Heaven.
There had to be a ‘Judeas’. Likewise there has to be a ‘Trump’ on the way to Armageddon. Painful as it is to witness and live through, I am inclined to simply seek the Kingdom of Heaven first. Jesus bore the cross of a corrupt government overcoming death itself to save us all. I know He will keep His promises and there is room at the cross for everyone who seeks His face. This is the only way I remain sane.
Today's Evangelical Christians are the descendants - literally and theologically - of the Christians who supported slavery and justified lynching during Reconstruction. Their fear of equality with the poor, homeless, and "those not like us" necessitates their manipulative interpretation of the Bible to sustain their hypocritical veneer as Christians. They are today's Pharisees. (Matthew 23:13)
Yet the Bible has been rewritten, boxed and sold by The Donald. In fact another revision is being printed, boxed and I think is almost ready to be sold. If you are a follower of The Donald which Bible would a follower of DJT read?? Certainly not the ones I have The St. James version - I have 3 of them rec'd at Confirmation, when I got married and another was a gift. They are worn but still true.
I would never give a dime to rump but I am now curious about what his bibles actually say. I hope someone of good/real faith does a comparison and lets us know if it is different from “ real” Bibles. Either way this info will be valuable in combating the maga hate.
Me either. Just want someone with better whit than me use it to throw the hypocrisy in their faces. A constant barrage that may sink into at least some of them.
The well disseminated propaganda is that a "DEI hire" means that the organization was required to hire unqualified people just because they fit a demographic quota. This common lie is hindering many people from realizing that Trumps anti-DEI actions are simple white supremacy disguised under the white sheet of a different name. White Christian Nationalists need come to terms with the fact that being a Christian means that we follow Jesus, a brown skinned Jewish man who was himself a refugee. We do not follow an old white male American con man who is pretending to be our savior. To do such would be blaspheme.
From Evan Hurst's "The Moral High Ground": “What are these f***ing white conservative male losers going to do when Trump takes away all the DEI and they still aren’t anybody’s first, second or ninth choice?”
Thank you John…for your passion, love for the Word, for your persistence in the face of the ugliness that passes as much of Christianity today. I live in Charlotte,3 miles from what was GSUMC until the UMC became too Christian for them. Until I retired 16 years ago I was a DCE in a variety of denominations and locations. At times, to my shame, I kept my head down and my mouth shut. But most of the time the churches I served did recognize the true extent of Christ’s love of all the Fathers children everywhere and in all their diversity and worked toward equality and inclusion. But it was a different time and I hope that if I was still in that role I would have the strength to speak the TRUTH as you do every day!
Thank you for this. It seems to be at the heart of the MAGA meanness. I’m thinking about how do I share the essence of this with the evangelicals and brainwashed in my extended family and my neighbors who are following and not thinking or feeling the truth of this silly hatred and manipulation. Humanity is better than this. Thank you for your care. Your heart and intelligence. May we find a way through compassion to melt away and rise out of this sickness that has pervaded the Rump led Zeitgeist.
Amen to this piece, it's exactly on point. And look at how that story goes in Luke 4, which John quotes, when Jesus stands up in his hometown synagogue with "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...to set at liberty those who are oppressed." At first, the bystanders marvel at him: "Isn't this the local boy?" They "speak well of him." But then, he goes on to cite blessing/healing that comes to people outside their tribe, and lo and behold, they change their tune. When it's no longer all for them, but for everyone, the next thing they want to do is "throw him off a cliff." Of course.
Within the pages of the Bible itself, there is an arc of movement toward ever greater universalism, the movement from "my own tribe" to "all." Very few people can get, or care about, "all." That takes a moral maturity that is lacking in early-stage Christianity.
Thank you for speaking truth in a time of chaos with our theologies. To me what you are saying isn’t particularly Christian but rather the obvious to anyone who has bothered to read the book. In a culture that now devalues reading in the humanities, more and more people get their understanding through interpretation of others with often ulterior motives. To me it is a sustaining grace that there are still minds and voices such as yours, those willing to risk the rages of the mob to remind us of the gentle, egoless teachings of Jesus.
A neighbor and I attended the same church. He told me he didn’t want to hear any more sermons about loving your neighbor because that was too political. That remark blew my mind. He left our church and went to another that affirms his politics. I wonder if he would be offended to be identified as a white Christian nationalist. FYI white Christian nationalist is the 21st century version of racist bigot. They used to wear white sheets.
Thank you for this John. I am suffering from depression and despair the state of our country. Your writings are a lifeline to me every day and I thank you.
I am feeling despair also, so we can hold hands and get through this with all the other people who see what is happening.
It's truly bizarre, people who love to 'quote' the bible forget the most obvious parts, specifically 'love thy neighbor.' Last time I checked, it had no loopholes or amendments. *shrug*
I agree with Karen. I am in the UK so am fairly free to be open about my faith without any pushback (apart from those who look at me suspiciously when I say I am Christian - I think they are mostly concerned that I will bash them over the head with a Bible, which I would never do). Jesus would be in full “casting the money lenders out of the temple” angry if he came back now. However, seeing and reading about Christian Nationalism, makes me wonder if they are actively working to bring about the second coming of Christ. But, only God knows the timing and his will be done. See 1 Timothy ch2 v 1-2 where he asks us to pray for the leaders so that we might all have a peaceful life. See also Matthew 24v4-14 “beware of false prophets”. Thank you John for your words which really help keep me sane in a world gone mad.
That is certainly one of the reasons why some American Christians support Israel so enthusiastically because they are convinced the end times will take place in the Middle East and it will usher in the return of Christ.
I’m glad I’m not alone in thinking this way. Thank you for your useful comment.
I think they are, which is also heresy.
Wonderful insights…Christians being included as recipients of God’s DEI program describes wonderfully why the stance of the Christians that decry DEI makes no sense!
It strikes me that Jesus also taught that the rich would find it impossible to enter the realm (I reject the word kingdom, in this day and age) of god. Why? Because their hearts are hard and ungenerous. A distinguishing characteristic of most of the wealthy is fear. Fear that they will lose what they have, fall out of the upper crust, etc. It's not subtle. Why do they need more and more, bigger and shinier things? To shore up their lack of faith in themselves, much less others. Whereas the person who sees another person without a shirt and has two shirts, hurries to give his extra 'wealth' away. His heart is open, soft, warm. loving. And he is already in Heaven.
There had to be a ‘Judeas’. Likewise there has to be a ‘Trump’ on the way to Armageddon. Painful as it is to witness and live through, I am inclined to simply seek the Kingdom of Heaven first. Jesus bore the cross of a corrupt government overcoming death itself to save us all. I know He will keep His promises and there is room at the cross for everyone who seeks His face. This is the only way I remain sane.
Today's Evangelical Christians are the descendants - literally and theologically - of the Christians who supported slavery and justified lynching during Reconstruction. Their fear of equality with the poor, homeless, and "those not like us" necessitates their manipulative interpretation of the Bible to sustain their hypocritical veneer as Christians. They are today's Pharisees. (Matthew 23:13)
Yet the Bible has been rewritten, boxed and sold by The Donald. In fact another revision is being printed, boxed and I think is almost ready to be sold. If you are a follower of The Donald which Bible would a follower of DJT read?? Certainly not the ones I have The St. James version - I have 3 of them rec'd at Confirmation, when I got married and another was a gift. They are worn but still true.
I would never give a dime to rump but I am now curious about what his bibles actually say. I hope someone of good/real faith does a comparison and lets us know if it is different from “ real” Bibles. Either way this info will be valuable in combating the maga hate.
Whatever they say I am not interested and I'm not spending one thin dime on anything that he has done meaning Donald Trump
Me either. Just want someone with better whit than me use it to throw the hypocrisy in their faces. A constant barrage that may sink into at least some of them.
I don't know but https://www.bible.com/bible/97/REV.22.MSG verses 18-19
You might be able to find a Trump Bible somebody discarded in a thrift store.
The well disseminated propaganda is that a "DEI hire" means that the organization was required to hire unqualified people just because they fit a demographic quota. This common lie is hindering many people from realizing that Trumps anti-DEI actions are simple white supremacy disguised under the white sheet of a different name. White Christian Nationalists need come to terms with the fact that being a Christian means that we follow Jesus, a brown skinned Jewish man who was himself a refugee. We do not follow an old white male American con man who is pretending to be our savior. To do such would be blaspheme.
From Evan Hurst's "The Moral High Ground": “What are these f***ing white conservative male losers going to do when Trump takes away all the DEI and they still aren’t anybody’s first, second or ninth choice?”
Thank you John…for your passion, love for the Word, for your persistence in the face of the ugliness that passes as much of Christianity today. I live in Charlotte,3 miles from what was GSUMC until the UMC became too Christian for them. Until I retired 16 years ago I was a DCE in a variety of denominations and locations. At times, to my shame, I kept my head down and my mouth shut. But most of the time the churches I served did recognize the true extent of Christ’s love of all the Fathers children everywhere and in all their diversity and worked toward equality and inclusion. But it was a different time and I hope that if I was still in that role I would have the strength to speak the TRUTH as you do every day!
Not only do the billionaire broligarchs NOT share with the poor, but they hoard wealth in a sociopathic way. Please, let there be a Hell for them.
Thank you for this. It seems to be at the heart of the MAGA meanness. I’m thinking about how do I share the essence of this with the evangelicals and brainwashed in my extended family and my neighbors who are following and not thinking or feeling the truth of this silly hatred and manipulation. Humanity is better than this. Thank you for your care. Your heart and intelligence. May we find a way through compassion to melt away and rise out of this sickness that has pervaded the Rump led Zeitgeist.
Amen to this piece, it's exactly on point. And look at how that story goes in Luke 4, which John quotes, when Jesus stands up in his hometown synagogue with "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...to set at liberty those who are oppressed." At first, the bystanders marvel at him: "Isn't this the local boy?" They "speak well of him." But then, he goes on to cite blessing/healing that comes to people outside their tribe, and lo and behold, they change their tune. When it's no longer all for them, but for everyone, the next thing they want to do is "throw him off a cliff." Of course.
Within the pages of the Bible itself, there is an arc of movement toward ever greater universalism, the movement from "my own tribe" to "all." Very few people can get, or care about, "all." That takes a moral maturity that is lacking in early-stage Christianity.