randybuist.com

Joel, I appreciate the thoughts, and thanks for...

2010-03-18T23:01:18.364-04:00

Joel,

I appreciate the thoughts, and thanks for the link. While I have yet to read the book, my perspective is similar to the way the review was written.

Over the past sixteen months, I've engaged with a development program in a rural community in Kenya. It's a long term project that is doing very well.

While I do agree that not all aid helps the poor, we also need to remember that our intentions are also important. Some people hurt the poor, and themselves, by being selfish. Others hurt the poor by getting involved with poorly conceived ideas. While neither are helpful, one perspective is still chasing after the heart of God.

Randy, When it comes to helping the poor, I thin...

2010-03-18T17:32:04.195-04:00

Randy,

When it comes to helping the poor, I think both the church as well as the government do not do a very good job in helping the poor. The question is not whether we help the poor, or even who should help the poor (it should be everyone in my opinion), but how.

Unfortunately, the government, certain social service non-profits, and churches end up creating dependency rather than truly helping the poor become economically independent.

Might I recommend a book for you to read? It is called, "When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself." Here is a review from Scott McKnight's Jesus Creed.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2010/03/saturday-afternoon-book-review-9.html

Aah, yes. I'm guessing this is the writing that ke...

2010-03-04T09:37:20.833-05:00

Aah, yes. I'm guessing this is the writing that kept you from helping Kathy pack that one morning? ; )

Now I understand...yes, you were on a role. I'm challenged and encouraged by your writing, Randy! I'm glad I finally discovered your blog.

beautifully written, Randy. thanks for this.

2010-03-04T09:30:07.707-05:00

beautifully written, Randy. thanks for this.

Randy, These are great things to wrestle with, and...

2010-03-04T08:42:55.088-05:00

Randy,
These are great things to wrestle with, and I know from my own experience that some of the worst ‘culture shock’ I’ve felt is not in some poor village but after returning home, because I see my own culture with new eyes that don’t like what they see.

You reminded me of Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

I certainly share your distress with the pharisaical spirit in my hometown evangelical American culture, and see Jesus clearly agreeing with the way your post prioritized justice/mercy. However, I’ve been challenged that he ended by saying ‘do both.’ So yes, justice and mercy to widows and orphans is more important than head-level doctrine, but a after a couple of years of seriously wondering if doctrine/head belief is unimportant or a distraction, I’m now trying to figure out how to get it in this kind of line: it is important, worth doing well…but number two. I’ve also wondered if Mike/Jeremy (and the others like them) are over-reacting to the overstatement that doctrine/head belief isn’t important. How would it change the discussion to say that orthodoxy is important…but of second priority, and only really formed in the context of orthopraxy? Probably not much, but it’s the both/and type middle ground I’m working on now.

Thanks for the good food for thought.
Kurt

Please note that Ezekiel is only one of many verse...

2010-02-15T23:33:16.328-05:00

Please note that Ezekiel is only one of many verses in the Old Testament & the New Testament where we are instructed how to treat the aliens among us.

This isn't a verse that stands alone as something to be used for a specific position. This is the position of Yahweh, Jesus, and his followers throughout both testaments.

Thanks for the comment Brad.

2010-02-02T16:24:33.828-05:00

Thanks for the comment Brad.

Since when are justice and mercy considered libera...

2010-01-30T10:46:43.792-05:00

Since when are justice and mercy considered liberal?

We saw him in concert. Really enjoyed it.

2010-01-30T10:13:37.287-05:00

We saw him in concert. Really enjoyed it.

and he's pro-life... and he's a small business own...

2010-01-24T22:57:26.426-05:00

and he's pro-life... and he's a small business owner who is honest, cares for his employees, cares for his customers, cares for Grand Rapids... he's also a lover of Jesus and of the kingdom of God.

Take time to listen to him, and I have no doubt there will not be as qualified of a candidate on the Republican ticket.

but he's a democrat!

2010-01-24T22:46:26.679-05:00

but he's a democrat!

Or how about, oppose medical reform and we'll stop...

2009-11-13T16:18:06.928-05:00

Or how about, oppose medical reform and we'll stop following Jesus?

Bradley J, Lansing

most any sort of slippery slope. i.e. changes in o...

2009-11-13T09:26:05.953-05:00

most any sort of slippery slope.
i.e. changes in our medical system mean we'll become communists / gay marrriage means we'll eventually no longer believe in God -- the entire slippery slope idea, regardless of the issue, is predicated on fear by the leaders of some particular cause. as such, being motivated by fear has virtually no place within the lives of those who follow Jesus Christ.

? There seems to be something missing - slippery s...

2009-11-13T07:21:38.183-05:00

? There seems to be something missing - slippery slope to / from what????

I agree it is completely out of control. The curre...

2009-11-07T12:42:07.150-05:00

I agree it is completely out of control. The current system is deeply dysfunctional and there is a lot of corruption - this includes both private insurance AND government run programs like Medicare and cade. It also includes the defensive medicine costs resulting from predator lawyers.

For me the issue is how quickly it becomes simplistic - we need to do something, therefore we support 'reform' coming through house, senate, whitehouse, republicans, whatever.

Another issue is confusing cost and price. It would be great to reduce the price of health care and make it more affordable, but the cost is still there. From what I see, the plans out there just focus on reducing the price people (companies) have to pay while ignoring the cost. Good, constantly developing health care is very expensive.

Bruce

When do 10-30% price increases each year become 'b...

2009-11-07T12:31:20.585-05:00

When do 10-30% price increases each year become 'black market.' There is no other industry in the world that can get away with these insane increases each yea and call it legitimate.

What if our grocery prices actually increased 20% each year while wages remain stagnant?

In all honesty, the price increases are totally out of control. I know of people unplugging from health insurance on princple; they simply believe its entirely corrupt.

I'm not advocating such, but it should make us stop and pause... the current direction/projection of health insurance will mean the majority of people will go without sooner rather than later.

Current projections suggest a family making 100,000 a year will spend 37,000 on health insurance by 2015. Take taxes off the top, and you'll likely be left with less than half.

Couple thoughts. The first is that 'change' can in...

2009-11-07T11:29:05.989-05:00

Couple thoughts. The first is that 'change' can include a ton of very different things. I am assuming you are talking about guaranteeing health care through some sort of a centralized health plan (gov't run) and/or controlling prices.

I am opposed to both of those solutions because of my commitment to love my neighbor. I believe both of those would cripple health care for everyone and would drive us to a point at which real health care would only be available to those who can pay tons of money on a blackmarket.

I opposed it because I love my neighbor, oppose it out of my love for Jesus.

Bruce D, Rockport MI

Just guessing from anonymous' question - I think h...

2009-10-31T19:58:28.508-04:00

Just guessing from anonymous' question - I think he was being sarcastic. Sort of like saying, "so he is one of those wild counter-cultural followers who is not understood by the cold-hearted traditional Christians in their materialistic churches with their empty faith?"

Anonymous, Shane has been ripped on by lots of peo...

2009-10-28T09:45:32.572-04:00

Anonymous,
Shane has been ripped on by lots of people; living like Jesus scares us to death. So, it's always easier to rip on those people for being nuts rather than face the reality of the biblical text.

Isn't he that crazy heretic that was ripped on by ...

2009-10-27T22:35:08.338-04:00

Isn't he that crazy heretic that was ripped on by that jerk conservative?

Just read this from a friend who posted it: Laure...

2009-10-09T22:06:03.102-04:00

Just read this from a friend who posted it: Lauren Winner quoting Frederick Douglass, "The christianity of this land and the christianity of Christ is the widest possible ditch."

Interesting perspective...

Shell Oil gets plenty of support from individuals ...

2009-10-09T11:18:07.279-04:00

Shell Oil gets plenty of support from individuals in America. How many Americans have Shell Oil in their stock and mutual fund portfolio? If you own any mutual funds, or if you have a 401k or an IRA, it's likely that you own a very small portion of Shell Oil.

I'm not going to tell you if you are responsible, but I wonder how we resolve this issue with Yahweh on the days of judgement? "Oh sorry. I was just trying to make money." "It never occurred to me that I owned a bit of Shell Oil."

By the way, the Nigerian government has always received the support of the United States over the past twenty years. We've never closed our embassy or even threatened to do so.

So, yes. We are culpable.

"As followers of Jesus living in America, we often...

2009-10-09T11:06:55.000-04:00

"As followers of Jesus living in America, we often think democracy and the sort of capitalism we embrace is the worlds best choice for both a political and economic system. Yet, if we take these stories seriously, we quickly realize that we create our own atrocities in the name of profits for our investments."

Randy, let me get this straight-an evil Nigerian military regime (Nigeria went through what-6 or 7 military juntas in the 1980s to 1990s) colludes with a Dutch oil company to stop any protests (they might as well have gotten in line-the government killed anybody that got in their way)-and somehow, that is an atrocity that Americans in 2009 are responsible for? Huh? Say what?
And who ever said that is the sort of capitalism we embrace?

You must hang out with the wrong crowd.

On the atonement issue I think you missed my point...

2009-10-01T08:13:09.209-04:00

On the atonement issue I think you missed my point. I agree with what you said about Christ bringing the reality of the Kingdom of God into this world here and now and that we as his followers are to do the same. That is not what I am questioning.

My point is that our/my ability to follow Jesus is rooted in the atonement, in redemption (of my own soul and of all of creation), in the death and resurrection of Christ. If Jesus didn't die and rise, how can I hope to die and rise? That is, die and rise through physical death and resurrection AND through the death and resurrection which opens my heart to others, to their needs, and to the live God calls me to live.

Splitting the calling of follow Jesus in this life apart from the atonement is a false split. The atonement lies at the heart and root of this life and the life to come.

J Dance

I am not discounting the atonement, but it is only...

2009-09-30T13:13:20.995-04:00

I am not discounting the atonement, but it is only part of the story. When we look at the gospels, Jesus doesn't really talk much about the atonement. It's obviously a part of the story as we get it so often from the Apostle Paul.

With that said, Jesus talks about the kingdom of God, about a different way of being human. Things significantly change with the arrival of Jesus, and it is't just the forgiveness of sins.

It's my take that most evangelical Christians 'get' the atonement thing, but they fail to 'get' the kingdom thing as having any sort of present reality.

If we are true to the words of Jesus, it isn't simply the death and resurrection of Jesus that matters. Following Jesus requires that we have align our lives to the ways of God as taught by the Son and the Spirit.

Caring for our neighbor becomes central to the ways of Jesus when we 'get' the kingdom. When salvation is about our sins begin forgiven, we still give ourselves the permission to bow to other gods.

Honestly, if our hearts were chasing after the things of God in terms of this health care debate... I don't care how we would get it done, but as followers of Jesus we should all agree that doctors should be accessible to 'our neighbors' as defined by the biblical text rather than starting the conversation by talking about money...

So, I'm not convinced that people who get the atonement necessarily get what it means to live in the kingdom/under the lordship of Yahweh.