On the Road to Sanctification

"The culture that said there was no need to balance individual rights and community needs." 

--Roger Cohen, International Herald Tribune, 11.9.2008

In 2004 as a college freshman, at the time studying theology & ethics, I felt called to spend time abroad. It didn't how that would manifest or why I needed to, but I knew I did.

Four years on I am still sifting through the time I spent in France. Time spent with other college students from around the world, and time spent with many North African immigrants to the North East of France. 

During the study time in Strasbourg I read a small book, "Minister Cross Culturally: An Incarnational model for Personal Relationships", that has shaped my view of the world in profound ways since. 

Lingenfelter and Mayers explore the nature of humanity; our differences based on culture and our similarities based in Christ.  Time, Judgment, Handling Crises, Goals, Individual Worth, & Vulnerability shape how we view and are viewed cross culturally. 

Cohen's line struck a cord with me. American individualism is second only to American exceptionalism in defining our world view. Neither seem overtly Biblical to me. 

I read another book that summer, "How Now Shall We Live?" the Colson classic. His thesis served to fill the gap in theory and practice Lingenfelt and Mayers raised. 

According to Colson, and I think he has it right, you have two options when viewing God. He is either a.) Actively redeeming his creation or b.) He is the watch maker God who is hands off through history. 

The preponderance of evidence and the conviction of the spirit lead me to the first conclusion. That God is actively redeeming all of his creation, through his people. Sin will continue to corrupt and pollute, but the battle is won. 

The point?

Though our cultures are different, still equally flawed, in Christ not only are we one, we are  on the road of sanctification.

who is in control?

http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/sermons/2.1.04.htm

Rob and I had a conversation about letting God be in control of all things; parenting, career choices, you name it. 

What it came down to was this, who are we reliant on for sufficiency? Are we, as Mark Roberts explains in the sermon link above, 1st century stoics? Or are we reliant on Christ? Only in the former will we find contentment.

lessons of a hermit

So I was reading Andrew Lee Butters (No, he's not a wacko assassin) blog post about searching for a hermit in the mountains of Lebanon, 

http://timeblog.com/middle_east/2008/09/how_to_talk_to_a_hermit.html

Which was enough to get my mind going in ways I am sure are detrimental to my long term  job security.

The notion of trekking through mountains and valleys, to meet with God and in so doing discovering life at it's core, is the most human of all epics. 

Butters isn't overly spiritual, he's barley at all. But imagery here is powerful. It inspires me to leave this facade we call life to search for true living, communion with God. 

There is something radically appealing about the hermit, something I want. I don't think God is calling me to be a hermit, but he may be calling me to pay one a visit....