You Must Choose A Side...

The whole "liberal"/"conservative" name calling, bashing, narrow-mindedly-assuming-their-opinion posing is a load of BS. I just saw a blog my friend posted and it basically said that anyone who stood with Chic-fil-a is of Satan. That's insane.

Often I am labeled as "liberal" because I'm anti-war and I give my life to serve the homeless. Other people consider me conservative because I think the bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin and abortion is the killing of an innocent human being.

 I'm not though. I am trying my best to stand with Jesus. And standing with Jesus means that at times you will stand against the conservative position and sometimes against the liberal position.

 It doesn't have anything to do with using other people's money, because both political positions do that-- they just disagree about what to do with the money, what the purpose of government is. 

I don't care what the government does with its billions of dollars. I care about what God's people do with their billions of dollars.

It is a crime for any church to spend money on themselves and not on the poor, the helpless and the oppressed, whether it is war victims, the homeless, the unborn, or homosexual victims of hate crime.

So many people point at the Catholic church as hypocrites in this regard. They are only the biggest offenders because they they've been around longer than any of us. But any church that has a building that has a room empty five days a week and does not use that space for the poor and oppressed at least some of that time is doing the same thing.

Not every church is disobedient to Jesus, but almost. If Jesus were here, he would shut down almost all churches and use the buildings to house the homeless, feed the hungry, educate the ignorant and provide a house of love to all who are unloved.

We have no right to point at Chic-fil-a, or liberals, or another denomination or our neighbors or our internet friends. If we are not spending our time helping the needy, whichever needy we are called to help, using our resources to help them, then we need to look at ourselves and shut up about anyone else.

Is the Importance of Movies Unhealthy?

Joseph Piroutek asks: How do we all feel about the large role film plays in society?  I am fascinated by film, and the messages that are presented through it. I draw a great deal from movies, and maybe read too much into them. I'm not the only one, but is this unhealthy or normal?

My answer:
I think that film is a way of expanding our potential experience.  Most of us have never been in war, but the right war movie can give us a hint of it, like Saving Private Ryan or Full Metal Jacket.  Most of us have never been homeless, but a movie like Wendy and Lucy can give us a sense of what it might be like.  Thus, rightly done, film can increase our empathy.

Of course, it depends on why we watch film.  Film as escape is important and for some of us, necessary.  What's funny is that films such as Sullivan's Travels and Purple Rose of Cairo can cause us to reflect on what that escape really means and why it is important or not.

Film is just another means of communication, like novels.

Especially the Household of Faith

Question in Theologue's Roundtable, a Facebook group:

In Galatians 6:10, "Do good to everyone, especially those of the household of faith", is emphasis put on doing good to all, or on focusing on believers?

I think that the love has to do with prioritization. We are to love all, which is not just an attitude but an action and in giving. Its easiest to see in giving. We are to love everyone, but none of us have enough resources to meet everyone's need. So we prioritize. First, we provide for our families. If we have more (and almost all of us do), then we provide for ministers of the word (Gal 6:6). If we have more, we provide for those in our community of faith (Gal 6:10). If we do-- and most of us do-- then we provide for those outside the faith. Often it is difficult to tell the difference between someone in the faith and out-- after all, the woman holding the sign at the end of the ramp could be a believer or might not, or she may be an angel testing you. So it's best to give if you don't know. This goes the same with time and gospel and compassion and comfort... ect. 
The problem with the church is that we often lavish our resources on just a few, which means that we are constantly leaving others out of the love we have to give. We give love, but only to our family or congregation. Few will believe in God's grace unless we take the time to show them God's grace.

I got two "likes" for this answer, which is okay.

Revolution Coming

This country is filled with injustice. Corporations and the rich receive all the benefits, while the poor are thrown in jail for small offenses. Laws are unfair and you can’t get fair treatment in the courts. And the people don’t care. As long as they have their television, they are subdued and will do nothing to change what has existed since before they were born. The few who actually try to change things either get caught up in the same system themselves or they are rendered impotent by the locked system.

Nothing can be done.

But a revolution is coming.

This revolution is introducing a new government who listens to the cries of the oppressed and looks to make a real change for them. Not just changing those in power, but offering a whole new structure of government. A structure where the poor and just will rule. Where laws are given because they encourage love and justice—not the agenda of the rich. Where there will be enough food and shelter and warmth for everyone, even the poorest and the lowest. No one will have their power cut off, no one will be without light, no one will be without heat, no one will be without food. Those with mental health problems will be listened to, not just dictated to, and they will be healed. The elderly will be cared for as honored citizens, not as outcasts. This government is concerned with everyone—especially the poor and oppressed— not just in keeping their own power and authority.

This new government has already begun in this country. This revolution is an underground movement that has ties to movements in other countries around the world. This movement already has some small facilities that feed the poor, care for the elderly and assist those with mental health problems. This movement is teaching its doctrine to millions. And its time has come.

The movement has many names. Some call it Ekklesia. Some call it The Anawim. Some call it the Way. Some call it the Truth. Some speak of the Martyrs. It is all of this—and more.
When the Anawim take over this country, the rich and powerful will be put down and the corrupt will never take up power again. When Ekklesia rises to power, both the Republicans and the Democrats will be rejected as the greedy, corrupt groups they are. When the Way takes power, every nation in the world will be reshaped and the economic structures will be destroyed. When the Truth is raised, every corruption and hatred will be exposed. When the Martyrs come, the poor themselves will rule—and rule better than the wealthy and powerful ever did.

How can this be? How can a small, poor, movement take over the governments of the world? How can there be a sudden change from the powerful to the oppressed ruling? Who will begin this revolution? Who leads this underground movement? Who started it all in the first place?

All this can be explained by one word: Jesus.

Jesus began this movement 2000 years ago. He announced the coming of a new government that would cause the structures of humanity to falter. And when that new government came, it would establish the poor and merciful as the rulers of the world, while the rich and powerful would be destroyed, receiving nothing. Jesus spoke about the corruption of religion, of rulers and of the church. And all the corrupt would be thrown out of the new nation, and the meek would take over.

Jesus’ movement is not what is commonly called "the Church." From the early fourth century the establishment church has united themselves with the corrupt governments of the world and participated in partisan politics. Jesus rejected all earthly politics and instead established a community that assists the oppressed and needy and follows his new laws of non-reciprocity, care for those who hate you, equality for all in the community, and open sharing of all wealth.

The establishment Church has never followed this ideal—some of them even promoting war, greed, national partisanship, hatred and revenge. There have been smaller movements throughout history that have held these ideals—the early Waldensians, the early Franciscans, the Anabaptists, the early Pentecostals and others. However, these movements have always been a minority, and most of them were corrupted by the establishment Church.

In the end, the establishment Church structures will be destroyed by Jesus himself. All of those who call Jesus "Lord" will be tested, and many of them will be cast out of Jesus’ new government. Jesus said, "Why do you call me ‘Lord’ but do not do what I say? When I come, there will be many who say, ‘Lord, didn’t we do this, didn’t we do that? Didn’t we heal people? Didn’t we cast out demons?’ I will tell them ‘Get out of here. I never knew you.’ "

So forget about what the Church has done to you—Jesus will bring justice. Forget about what this or that "Christian" has done to you—Jesus will only allow those who truly followed his principles to rule. And those who want to see the world become just and loving will turn to Jesus.

Are you tired of your government? Trade it for a new one. Instead of having a corrupt leader guide you, make Jesus your leader. Make Jesus your president, your king, your Lord. Begin to follow his principles of enacting love to everyone—even those who hate you, of giving up your life of this age and begin living for the revolution.

We Need the Poor as Much as They Need Us

The poor give to the rich the opportunity to be Christlike.

The well-fed can feed the hungry
The healthy can care for the sick
The wise can give knowledge to the fool
The housed can give room to the homeless
The loved can give love to the despised

Thus are all fed, all well, all wise, all housed, all loved

Thus is Christ's body whole.

We Need The Poor More Than They Need Us

"I firmly believe that our salvation depends on the poor."
   -Dorothy Day,
co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement

The Need for Beauty

"Lead us to the place where you'll restore our souls and all our earthly strivings come to cease."
    -Tim Hughes