The question of identity is one of humility and hubris; it is one of insecurity.  It is birthed from our brokenness; from the imprint of God within us that we unknowingly strive to fulfill, railing instinctively against the incompleteness in us.  To ask “who am I” is to ask “who am I in Christ”; for it is only apart from the Word that you are less than what you were intended to be.  It is only apart from Christ that insecurity exists.  Thus the foundation of humility is found in knowing Him; for humility is the absence of pride, and pride emanates from independence.  Humility is found in surrendered communion with Jesus.  In Him all is put in perspective, including your own identity.  Striving to be humble, to think lowly of oneself Read the rest of this entry »

News reports in Canada have been surfacing lately about people jumping the H1N1 vaccination queue. (Note: for you Americans, that means they are cutting to the front of the line). In particular, a professional hockey team in Alberta and their families received the vaccine in private, while sundry at-risk people were turned away at public clinics after waiting for hours in line. The ensuing public maelstrom has already resulted in the loss of one government worker’s job.

I find this fascinating for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is how unfounded our shock and outrage seem. In a culture that has elevated celebrity to a cult of worship, and made it clear that we value our celebrities above ourselves (the everyday people who make the real world go round), is it really shocking that special treatment is doled out to them? Do we really have grounds to cry foul, when we are getting exactly what we clamor for?

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| ef•fi•gy |

noun (pl. -gies)

1. A sculpture or model of a person
2. A roughly made model of a particular person, made in order to be damaged or destroyed as a protest or expression of anger

I often wonder how many of us worship an effigy of ourselves.  True, we don’t think we are worshiping an effigy; we call him Father, or God, or Jesus or Holy Spirit; but then why does he bear such a striking resemblance to our smallness? Read the rest of this entry »

Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus Podcast -  It’s not that hard to take that which we want to do and “stamp it” with “In Jesus name” and think it somehow justifies our actions.  Furthermore, it seems to imply that everything we do in Jesus name is in fact Jesus’ will.   This has been used throughout history to justify a great number of atrocities and is still being used today in significant and subtle ways.

The guys aren’t so sure this is all that healthy and they wrestle with the implications of such thinking, which inevitably leads the guys back to their central theme: Jesus and relationship with Him and others in healthy, life giving ways.

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Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus Podcast -   Seems the good folks at Thomas-Nelson publishing have published yet another in a growing line of thematic bibles.   The Patriots Bible is a New King James version that “intersects the teachings of the Bible with the history of the Unites States while applying it to today’s culture.”  Here is a brief blurb from Greg Boyd :

“The central assumption that undergirds the Patriot’s Bible is that America is, in a unique sense, a nation established, governed, blessed and protected by God. Throughout the Patriot’s Bible, but especially in the Old Testament, an explicit parallel is drawn between Israel and America.

For example, George Washington is exalted as the “American Moses,” about whom the commentators wonder “[h]ow…is it possible for so much greatness to be embodied in one man?” Similarly, as God brought the Israelites out of oppression and led them into the promised land, so God led the brave pioneers of America out of their oppression and brought them to their promised land. As God fought on the side of the Israelites to ensure victory over their foes, so God’s providential hand was at work in all of America’s military victories. And just as God used the children of Abraham to bless the whole world, so God has used, and wants to continue to use, America to bless the entire world by bringing it freedom.”

Mark and Michael discuss nationalism and the inherent dangers of hi-jacking scripture to justify past and present behavior, as they dig into Kingdom and nationalism.

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