One of the shocking things that arises when discussing imagination with Christians is that they often see imagination as merely something to be avoided, or are almost oblivious of its existence all together. This perspective is not only unfortunate, but unrealistic and stifling. One-sided and false portrayals of imagination like these, I suggest, hold us captive. My wager is that when imagination is devalued or seldom noticed as a feature of being human, embodying a legitimate faith in God and experiencing living spirituality will be severely impoverished. Imagination plays a significant role in the knowledge of God, an engagement with the biblical text, and a perception of the natural world, which leads us towards the embrace of what is true.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Friday Musings - May 27
Many Christians assume that their biblical text
interpretations are definitive because a Spirit led criteria signifies to them that
there is no way of measuring if one interpretation is better than another.
These same believers are strongly against relativism, but unwittingly embrace
it. To embrace, in any form, what you critique is foolhardy and careless. Leave
it to Christians to do what they say you shouldn’t.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Thursday Thoughts - May 26
I’d wager we all go through times of spiritual
convalescence where we can start to renew our perspectives and explore
possibilities of the “enough of belief.” For me, it’s not as if “enough” is a
static level that I have to attain or reach, but it is better understood as a
morphing from one enough to another via a lived life, albeit within the sphere
of belief in God. I suggest taking it a day at a time. Embrace the tension –
the ebb and flow – don’t expect it to be all sorted – it’s ok that it’s not.
God understands and loves us as we walk on through our journey towards a fuller
encounter with the Divine.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Living Spiritual Rhythms - May 25
Growing numbers of Christians and
non-Christians are bewildered by a sense of the inauthenticity and the lack of
real and genuine love among us. The words fake, arrogant, and aloof all too
often describe and characterize us, both inside and outside the Christian
community. Believers become apathetic and cynical. They’re floundering and
drifting. Unbelievers look and say, “Who cares?” There’s nothing different in
the Christian community. These unbelieving observers then turn away and go
about business as usual. And all the while we are consumed with constructing
our Christian bowling alleys and health clubs, dogmatically privileging our
doctrines over people, constructing our apologetics without love, and chasing after
making more and more money. We are missing the mark of a Christian: failing to
truly love others and to authentically care and act in Christ like ways.
This, it must be said loud and clear, is deplorable.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
A Hermeneutical Path for Genesis 1-3 and Science &
Theology
In the light of the rising power of science to explain the world,
rethinking our interpretations of Genesis 1-3 is a crucial enterprise today.
Our book, From Evolution to Eden, opens up new possibilities and offers a hermeneutical
alternative to the fall of literal interpretation. Check it out.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Reflection for the Week - May 23
Friday, May 20, 2016
Friday Musings - May 20
For the most part, the parables of Jesus are
ordinary stories about fishing, sowing, receiving, finding, selling, and
buying, among other things. There is nothing immediately unusual about these
ordinary people and their ordinary situations, until the extraordinary; the
Kingdom of God, is included in the picture. It is in this realization, that
these apparent narratives of normalcy produce a shock, disorientation, and an
upheaval, through an announcing that the time has come for a new vision of
reality and of being in the world.
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