Here are a couple of bloggers memories of Rich Mullins, who died 10 years ago this week.
Brant Hansen remembers this from an encounter with Rich.
Jason Boyett remembers Rich's influence on his burgeoning faith.
I'll organize my own thoughts and post something later.
Alrightokayuhuhamen.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Onward Christian/American soldiers!
Shaun Groves has a great post about how the events of September 11, 2001 affected his thinking and his theology. Read it here.
An excerpt: "Politicians spoke of Saddam Husein and Bin Laden as if they were subhuman. My church sang 'God Bless America' with more gusto than 'Amazing Grace' and my pastor preached on why God wanted us to war with our enemies.
Our mourning the loss of friends fueled our love of country above most if not all. We vowed to bomb terrorists nations into the stone age and our president declared war by walking into a cabinet meeting and announcing, 'Let’s kick some ass.' And all God’s people said 'Amen.' ”
The words of people like Shaun and Andrew Osenga and Derek Webb have really helped me move beyond the tradtional "Christian=patriotic white middle class Republican" mindset and arrive at Scripture. I was slowly getting through it on my own, but they've helped a lot. (It also helps that I was a white middle class Canadian before I was white middle class American.)
Jesus didn't show up and say "Let's kick some Roman ass!" When some "terrorists" ran the planes into New York my first thought was not "Let's kick some ass" but, "It's about time." The US had been playing the big bully for a long time and it was pretty much inevitable that someone would bring the fight here. While many of the good little Christians were foaming at the mouth and singing patriotic songs, I wondered who was concerned for the people on the other side of the "war." How were/are their souls less valuable than any American's?
Yes, I think it is noble to defend the defenseless, but the "war on terror" has gone beyond that now. And how can you fight an ideology or belief? Is this a new twist on the Crusades? "Wipe out the terrorists!" "Onward Christian/American soldiers!"
"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
Matthew 5:43-45
An excerpt: "Politicians spoke of Saddam Husein and Bin Laden as if they were subhuman. My church sang 'God Bless America' with more gusto than 'Amazing Grace' and my pastor preached on why God wanted us to war with our enemies.
Our mourning the loss of friends fueled our love of country above most if not all. We vowed to bomb terrorists nations into the stone age and our president declared war by walking into a cabinet meeting and announcing, 'Let’s kick some ass.' And all God’s people said 'Amen.' ”
The words of people like Shaun and Andrew Osenga and Derek Webb have really helped me move beyond the tradtional "Christian=patriotic white middle class Republican" mindset and arrive at Scripture. I was slowly getting through it on my own, but they've helped a lot. (It also helps that I was a white middle class Canadian before I was white middle class American.)
Jesus didn't show up and say "Let's kick some Roman ass!" When some "terrorists" ran the planes into New York my first thought was not "Let's kick some ass" but, "It's about time." The US had been playing the big bully for a long time and it was pretty much inevitable that someone would bring the fight here. While many of the good little Christians were foaming at the mouth and singing patriotic songs, I wondered who was concerned for the people on the other side of the "war." How were/are their souls less valuable than any American's?
Yes, I think it is noble to defend the defenseless, but the "war on terror" has gone beyond that now. And how can you fight an ideology or belief? Is this a new twist on the Crusades? "Wipe out the terrorists!" "Onward Christian/American soldiers!"
"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
Matthew 5:43-45
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