Posts Tagged ‘christianity’ Return to Archives List
Nooma + Compassion = Corner
June 29th, 2009 | Comments Off
Nooma has a great new video in partnership with Compassion International and featuring Rob Bell. It’s definitely worth a watch:
(Link opens Nooma’s website.)
Us for them
September 17th, 2008 | Comments Off
Sometimes I feel like some “Christians” have an US vs. THEM mentality when it comes to people in the world who do not claim to follow Jesus Christ.
One example that comes to mind is the politician who says that I should vote for him because he is a Christian and therefore his morals are better than the other guy’s morals and he will make better decisions for my town, state, country than the other guy. He should win because he is better, and the other guy is bad because he doesn’t follow Jesus.
Strangely I don’t find Jesus practicing this mindset in his ministry. Now, before I get stoned for heresy, I definitely agree with the Bible when it says things like “He who is not with me is against me&hellips;” (Matt. 12:30a). However, in that verse Jesus is talking about church leaders who are trying to divide the kingdom and turn other church people against Jesus. This verse is not talking about The Church vs. The World, Christians vs. Sinners, US vs. THEM.
The Bible also warns about “loving this world.” This isn’t a warning against loving the people of the world, but rather it is a warning against following the ways of the world instead of the ways of Christ. For example: being selfish, boastful, waging war, etc. And even this warning is spoken to the Church and not the general population. It is only people who profess to be Christians that are expected to act like Christ.
And how do Christians act like Christ? By loving the rest of the world by serving them. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). We need to adopt an US for THEM mentality.
This mentality of humility and servanthood may not win as many elections or pass as many bills, but it just might actually further the Kingdom of God instead of the kingdoms of man. It may demolish arguments instead of strongholds. And it may challenge the Church to take responsibility for those in need instead of the government.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. (2 Cor. 10:3-6)
