ken wilson online

You may have noticed I’ve taken a bit of a blogging break.  Vacation, then back to the post vacation catch up, finishing up a new manuscript, Mystically Wired.   Other things to do, in other words.  But I write these things fast.  So being busy isn’t the reason for the pause in the action.  I needed a pause.  Maybe you needed a pause from me.  At any rate, somethbing’s settled at least for a while.  I’ve sworn off commentary, even mention of the E-word:  Evan_el_cal, my tribe, my starting point on the Christian landscape. My brother-in-law Bill helped me to see it was time.  So I had to give it a rest, like when you reboot your modem–let it rest for 30 seconds, let the juice run out of the thing,  then re-start.
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How did we, the friends of the friend of sinners get to this place?  Jesus was known as the friend of sinners.  He took a lot of guff for being the friend of sinners.  These “sinners” were a social class, not simply a theological category.  They were people on the outside of Israel’s accepted circle for a host of reasons. They were not mobsters or murderers or notorious offenders.  (You notice that “tax collectors” and “prostitutes” were often given a distinct designation alongside “sinners” in the gospels.)   Jesus so identified with “sinners” as to bring upon himself the judgment of the religiously self-righteous.  He expects us to be the friend of sinners, which means our righteousness has to exceed that of the Pharisees; it has to be a righteousness of pure sermon-on-the-mount love, not a righteousness that depends on harsh condemnations and judgment of others–the “business as usual” approach to sinners.  We need to get our gentle back.
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Seems to be a preoccupation of religion these days.  Let me show you how wrong the world is about sin, righteousness, and judgment.  Let me show you how wrong the world is about abortion and gay marriage,  and evolution and climate change and on and on and on it goes…..    The three-fold preoccupation of much religious discourse it seems: what is the worst of sin, the pinnacle of righteousness, the certainty of judgment?  If we can only be clear on these, we will be right, orthodox, faithful.   When the Spirit comes, surely he will show the world how wrong it is.   How wrong they are.  But will it turn out as we expect?
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