We had a nice little couple ask to come to our Bible study the other morning,
tapping persistently at the sliding door!
Ten years ago I lived through a millennial madness, which, when combined with Y2K rumors, the 9/11 terrorism, the Left Behind Series, produced a visably toxic faith reaction in a number of people in my church. They were rapture ready and seeing visions of tanks surging over the San Tan Mountains, as if Queen Creek, AZ was the world’s prize occupation target.
Everyone lived through it but me, I lost my position in the hubbub of disagreements over the theology of the Left Behind mentality. No matter, for all things work together for good. It did however, make me start my own little quest to end the toxicity of much of popular belief in the Christian community of America.
The quest was simple, I study, read, think and search afresh after the answer to two of the most basic questions bible believing Christians could ask. Who is God? What is the Gospel? Tomorrow I will share a bit about one of my joyful discoveries. Put most provocatively, God took responsibility for the fall of mankind, not holding him guiltless, but realizing that if the damage was to be repaired, the Father of mankind would be doing it.
Sometimes the way I hear the gospel explained sounds like this…..I am really full of hatred and revenge for sinners, but I am still tasking you to try to get them to love me and ask forgiveness, which, if they don’t, I will punish them with eternal torment far way from my presence. Get to work Christian.
Way too many themes of the Gospel are left out of that scenario. Our bondage and blindness, the drawing of God, the heart of Jesus in seeking the lost Himself, the promises of final victory. We seem to be in a pickle about so many important issues that the rapture ready crowd is seeing visions again. And déjà vu all over again.
No comments:
Post a Comment