At the end of his Internet Monk Radio Podcast #66, Spencer starts criticising the propensity of many folks to fail to see that the Bible is about Jesus. He's recently spoken with someone who was bemoaning the fact that a couple of "great Christian young men" in his family had gotten their ears pierced. the iMonk says,
How long do you have to be around the Bible and church and sermons and prayer meetings before it finally gets through to you that Jesus isn't concerned with that kind of rule keeping? ...Which leads us to my rant.
There's no way you can read the gospels and [see] Jesus nagging people about getting tattoos and getting piercings and playing cards and going to the movies, you just don't see that... That whole trip, of the Bible as a set of rules, a set of principles and it's really important that we conform our lives to all these principles, and Christ isn't at the center, that's a dead end.
Even coming from northeastern Kentucky, I am continually shocked to learn about how much religious people care about the way other folks dress. Is it possible for me to say with charity, that anyone who's going to be interested in my ears cannot possibly have anything interesting to say about Christ?
My thought is that if someone has been formed as the kind of person for whom wearing earrings or not is a key gospel or lifestyle choice, they really cannot have a good grip on what a gospel lifestyle is.
And of course, I have four earrings. I'm not sure if anybody I know under the age of 50 ever notices, but I know it seems to infuriate anybody over 60. And frankly, I enjoy that, but it's certainly not why I wear them...
Comments
20 comments:
Maybe Jesus watches the style network?
Yes. And gets really pissed off when he does, I'm certain.
I dunno, I bet "How Do I Look" is one of the Lord's guilty pleasures.
Think of them as idolatry detection kit. (One of many :))
I think my over-60 parents would probably think they're fun, but they're unusual people.
i get what ur saying kyle...if they think that the bible is telling you...if your on the l8test fation craze...that your sining...and in reality they are the ones sining...romans....judge not "the" less be judged your self...for what you judge the other...you do your self...or somthing like that :)
Dude.
I don't even know what you just said.
I'm not being a jerk... but maybe you should spell check your stuff. It makes you look more... competent.
:)
Peace.
Amen!
Joey, I gotta know--amen to whom?
Mike, I think your point was just made for you...
Kyle, your post makes an excellent point, and opens up worm cans from throughout history. Unfortunately, some portions of the church have always made the Gospel more about the outside than the inside. Jesus himself warned about this when He said, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." (Matt. 23:27-28) As the Church catholic, we have done a disservice to indigenous groups throughout history, trying to make them conform to a Western ideal of outer holiness.
For the record, I like your earrings... ;^)
Be assholes elsewhere.
And don't ask me to read incomplete sentences.
Debi, I was affirming Kyle's entire post. There are far too many Pharisaical Christians in the world today. The Christ dismissed the keepers of the Law and ushered in a time of Grace. Far too few Christians fail to understand this concept. Love God above all else and love our neighbor as ourself and upon these two things the entire Law hinges. I would recommend that the judgemental Christians in the world need to spend less time judging others and more time spent studying the scriptures and reading people like Brennan Manning.
P.S. I really like your blog, The Scriptorium!!!!
Joey, I assumed so, but given where your comment was positioned, I had to ask... :^) It's good to "meet" another HP fan--I suspect that when I look further, I will enjoy reading your blog as well!
That will be enough of that. Alex, please cease posting here.
second one down, I believe.
http://www.dailyindependent.com/Letters/local_story_213154413.html
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