Recently in Life Category

As the contest to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States heats up, liberals and conservatives are arguing over what kind of theology is Biblical, Christian, and even what kind of Christian Jesus is.

Let me make this as short and direct as I can:

Jesus was not a conservative Christian.

Jesus was not a liberal or progressive Christian.

And maybe that makes sense out of the arguments today. One can claim that Ayn Rand, capitalism, tough love, and Christianity go together without having to bump up against the teachings of Jesus, because Jesus never claimed to be a Christian.

The way I read the Bible, Jesus seems to have been more on the social justice and income equality side than many of the teachers of the day.

So maybe that makes Jesus a liberal Jew.

When there's a war, some soldiers don't come home alive. We may use the term "hero" for many soldiers, but we especially use it for those who gave their lives in battle.We used to celebrate when soldiers return alive, but these days those celebrations are a lot smaller.

In many churches, there seems to be a lot more focus on how Jesus gave his life for us when he was crucified. Yet the big celebration is on Easter, which is about the resurrection - Jesus returning alive.

The Parable of the Prodigal is a story about a child who asks for the inheritance while the parent still lives, cashes it in, and then spends the money with prodigality. When the child has spent the last bit of money and hit rock bottom, and decides to return home as a servant. the parent throws a party because the child "was once dead, but now is alive".

I have less of a point here than some questions:

Are we a people who primarily proclaim Christ crucified and celebrate that he died for our sins, so we get a pass?

Are we a people who primarily proclaim Christ crucified and celebrate that he died, and we should similarly take up our crosses

Are we a people who primarily proclaim Christ resurrected and celebrate that he has conquered death for us?

Are we a people who primarily proclaim Christ resurrected and celebrate that he has conquered death and recognize that we also must be renewed?

Are we a people who primarily proclaim what Jesus taught and, if so, do we need to follow it? Teach it?

Are we a people who primarily proclaim how Jesus lived and, if so, do we need to live it?

I guess my question really is: are we a people of death, life, knowledge, or living?

As we move into Lent, I'm going to be meditating on Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and how that informs my life.