Some Questons About Compromise

Recently Mel and I watched the movie "The Wind that Shakes the Barley." (I am going to tell the crux of the story and appolgise for those who may not have seen it! but I assure you that for the sake of my thoughts it is needed.) The movie was about the Irish standing up against the British ownership of Ireland and the start of the Revolutionary push against the system that they were forced to live under. They wanted freedom etc from the oppression of the British and the ability to set up their own laws, languages and political systems (plus all the rest that comes with being your own country). The movie followed the story of one man and the little arm of this movement which he formed. The British offered a compromise to the Irish who stood opposed, and with this compromise the strength of the team was split. Some saw the offer as a massive step to win the war and others saw it simply as a compromise which stood counter to all they had fought for. These ones refused whole heartedly, continued to fight for complete freedom (not just changed uniforms!) and refused to the point of death.

In the west I think a major part of our fight as followers of Jesus is a fight against consumerism. This is the prevailing religion of our culture. The comfort, enjoyment, security and safety of life based on things that can be bought or sold. In seeking to draw people to Christ, can we use the "hook" of a consumerism based motivation to cause them to seek Him?

My questions are:
a) Should we advertise Jesus as a product to be pursued for what He can do for us?
b) Can we tap into the idol of consumerism to "sell" Jesus?
c) Would Jesus choose beautiful people, or powerful people,
or those who have life "all together" to advertise the life HE offered?
d) Would doing any of the above be counter to the transformational dream of God?

I don't know very much about the "Jesus. All about life" campaign, I've read the official web site and heard stories about it's possible goodness and potential.

My fear is that in using the advertising and selling methods of our culture we could be selling out and accepting a compromise. However I also know that we're called to be shrewd and use every opportunity to communicate truth. So should we use any tools possible as an attempt to further the Kingdom of God?

If anyone can shed some light on this tell me something about it, critique my thinking.

Just a final note, this was mels first ever shared experience of blogging, shared; meaning it was a joint event. So here's to a possible unleashing.

back on the horse

First day back at work, I have so much to catch up on it's not funny, and that's just with catching up on reading other blog entries. So this is going to be short. I was thinking about a comment that Grub left on my last entry and it reminded me of a line from the movie, "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" If you haven't seen it check it out it's worth a watch. Anyhow, the line from it was:
"It's far easier to know what your against, than to know what you are for."

Holding onto truth when your world is crumbling isn't something that I know, but I'm sure that one day I will know.

Journeys

Just some thoughts while on the road today, while we travel around New Zealand (It’s a beautiful country). Anyhow I’ll start with a bitch…
I don’t know how many other people have found this, but travel brochures turn everything into a must see, then you actually get there, and you aren’t sure why you wasted the money to go see it, anyhow just another reason why I’m a terrible tourist.

I have been thinking today about the way our society puts such strong emphasis on arriving: ie.
- Get your license/ car
- Get a diploma/apprenticeship
- Get a good job
- Travel
- Meet someone, marry/ move in
- Get your own house/new car/ boat/ Motor bike, the more the better
- Reproduce
- Retire etc

But to it’s loss there is no push (or very little) on knowing yourself. For many the push of gaining stuff is so strong that having an understanding of yourself is almost considered one and the same. That once you have ‘arrived’ then that also must equal knowing yourself.
However knowing yourself goes far beyond knowing what you like for breakfast and what makes you laugh/cry, rather it is an exploration of the very depths of oneself. Henri Nouwen talks about three basic movements in his book Reaching Out
- Loneliness to Solitude
- Hostility to Hospitality
- Petition to Prayer

Knowing yourself isn’t just an inward journey which eventually leads to an enhanced social life. It is a spiritual journey, one of truth and desire, one which spirituality flows from. A journey which seems to lead you away from home. When in actuality God is in the process of restoring everything to perfect wholeness.

Not journeying is the cancer of today.

Watching people around me that I love and others that I don’t know who are just living, (yes they are on a journey, but not one that leads to self discovery) makes me sad. Watching people who are so afraid of themselves, is like viewing a half person.
I don’t feel very far down this road of self discovery, but that’s ok. Just learning to be still is a big enough feat for me at this time.

Writing these thoughts feel almost dangerous for myself, for fear of cementing an idea and turning it from a malleable collection of thoughts into an opinion. Learning to communicate without just speaking from an opinion or an ideology isn’t something that I do very well. I hold tightly to what I think or believe and often try to out argue others. (maybe simply just to convince myself…?) Instead I feel that I need to listen, and listen well, and only add my thoughts when it is going to add something.????

Anyway there they are, please check my thinking…

cleaning up

I spent a bit of time tonight cleaning out my USB stick to make some space for some pics. I was cleaning out some various crap and re-found this. I don't know where I got it from, but my goodness I like it. I think it really takes a good honest look at Christianity. It asks a lot of me. I thought I would share it anyhow.

What is the task of the church today?
Shall I answer: “Faith, hope and love”?
That sounds beautiful.
But I would say — Courage.
No, even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth.
Our task today is recklessness.
For what we Christians lack is not psychology or literature,
We lack a holy rage.
The recklessness that comes from the knowledge of God and humanity.
The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets . .
and when the lie rages across the face of the earth –
a holy anger about things that are wrong in the world.
To rage against the ravaging of God’s earth,
and the destruction of God’s world.
To rage when little children must die of hunger,
when the tables of the rich are sagging with food.
To rage at senseless killing of so many,
and against the madness of the militaries.
To rage at the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction — peace.
To rage against complacency.
To restlessly seek that recklessness that will challenge and seek to change
human history until it conforms with the norms of the kingdom of God.
And remember the signs of the Christian church have always been –
the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove and the Fish –
but never the chameleon. Kaj Munk