Despite Warts

Here's a quote from Emergent Village blog:

Despite warts

  

The goal is not perfection. The goal is love ... It is not necessary to be perfect to be loving. On the contrary, were it not for our own imperfections and the imperfections of those around us, love would be impossible ... When we continue to give to others despite their warts and flaws, then love is becoming something real. 

E. Kent Rogers

12 Miracles of Spiritual Growth 

GREENBELT Saving Paradise

Got back on Tuesday from most probably the greatest festival in the world - GREENBELT!. This year's theme was Saving Paradise - the title of a book written by American theologians Rita Nakashima Brock & rebecca Ann Parker. The theme was explored through a diverse selection of speakers and artists including Tom Wright, Tony Compolo, Shane Claiborne and Bruce Cockburn, The Proclaimers...
Despite the mud it was an amazing festival  - great music, talks and plenty of food for thought.
I love Greenbelt because it always stretches my mind- leading me to explore and discover different facets of God's character and His purposes for His creation.

An amazing festival - I'll be shortly posting some of the thoughts that I picked up during the long weekend.

Anarchy & Christianity

During my holidays in the Cévennes region of France i read the little 158 page book by the late French protestant theologian, philosopher, sociologist... Jacques Ellul. Jacques writes as a Christian anarchist. His anarchy is not characterized by the nillistic approach of the 70s punks - but an anarchy that is rooted in the teachings of jesus - an anarchy that is based on freedom (in Christ).
Ellul sees Truth as a person, the person of Christ and not a question of adhering to a series of doctrines and dogmes.
Anarchists often say that there is 'neither God nor Master'. Ellul defends this slogan by saying that it's because they have a misunderstanding who God really is. God is not a cruel 'master' a 'King' - that refers to obedience to the state or nation/kingdom. God is essentially LOVE - and not a tyrant. That's why the early christians declared that Jesus is Lord and not cesar (master, king).
Therefore we do not obey a tyrant god/cruel master . God is not the Big Boss of the Universe - the God of the Bible is above all a liberator - who longs to free us from all forms of slavery...
God is love and God waits for man to respond to His love, He does not oblige us or coerce us to obey Him but gives us the freedom of choice. God is not a machine of gigantic type computer who has 'programmed' man to do as God wants us to do (a robot)...we are FREE! That's what Jacques Ellul describes as true anarchy.

This little book is an interesting read and looks at following Jesus in another light. One of trust, love and freedom!