“God at one and the same time upholds a given political or economic system, since some such system is required to support human life; condemns that system insofar as it is destructive of fully human life; and presses for its transformation into a more humane order. Conservatives stress the first, revolutionaries the seconds, reformers the third. The Christian is expected to hold together all three.” - Walter Wink
When despair for the world grows in me, and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be ... I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought or grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. - Wendell Berry
john Q
Monday, 16. April 2007 um 4:07 pm Uhr
there is a lot of truth in that. i like it
miller
Monday, 16. April 2007 um 4:31 pm Uhr
what about the guy who just can’t see government of any kind fixing anything? i’ve come to believe that the church fully alive is the only entity that can help anyone or fix anything.
thats what i need to be busy working on.
IMO
and i think i disagree that some such system is required to support human life…
we just don’t seem to have the imagination for anything else.
peace
Nathan Myers
Monday, 16. April 2007 um 5:49 pm Uhr
I agree, but the reality pushes me to consider what that looks like practically.
We were touching this issue over and over again in our discussion with Derek where he thought any governmental or societal work for justice outside the people of God was doomed from the outset.
And Miller, I think your point is the one Wink is trying to establish: the people of God are to hold those tensions together to faithfully call the world to account (working for incremental change through persuasive words and lifestyle) and themselves (through radical commitment to the Way of Jesus).
miller
Monday, 16. April 2007 um 9:18 pm Uhr
maybe, in fact on reflection i’m sure thats just what he’s saying…
however, i think it is wasted effort to try and reform or fix the man made institutions i sometimes rail against… these institutions are the antithesis of the body of Christ. they are the powers of this dark world…
are they not?
i don’t know, i’m new here and you guys have probably hashed this out ad nauseum so i won’t bore you with a position thats probably been described far more eloquently by far more intelligent people…
peace
Josh
Monday, 16. April 2007 um 10:55 pm Uhr
no worries miller. thanks for jumping in.
yeah we just got finished with a pretty “robust” conversation a couple of weeks ago about the tension between government and church. and where we should spend our time.
but i think i’d agree that it’s both/and.