Conversations from a painter…..Becoming Like Christ (PI)
January 29, 2008
For those of you wondering how I spend most of my days right now while I am finishing my degree and raising support for CRM, I work as a painter. Not only have I learned a handy skill (which I had none before), but also end up having great conversations in the process. We have a Burmese refugee who works with us named Su Min who jokes me to “stop talking, start painting” and I joke with Nate (my burly boss) that he hired me as his personal spiritual consultant rather than as a painter. Bernie thinks I should start writing about some of these conversations, so I follow the lead of my trusty therapist friend.
Today I had a really interesting conversation while working the brush with my friend Josh Peace. I recently gave him the book Exiles by Michael Frost to read, and he had some really insightful thoughts about it.
I’ll share one of his ideas that really got me thinking (maybe more later)……
In what sense can we become like Jesus? As Protestants, our basic framework for understanding the good news of Jesus is that humans are imperfect (sinful) and never can be perfect on our own efforts, and Christ lived a perfect life to pay a substitutionary atonement for our sins so that we can be back in right relationship with God.
We now speak of becoming like Christ, but in what sense? We’ve talked about his life in terms of perfection, which is the one thing we can never become, so what does it mean to be like Him? If it means being perfect, why would we even try to become like Him?
I think this is a great question that many people wrestle with, and it really spurred my thinking. The basic Protestant gospel helps us to understand what we are free from (the consequences, penalty, and guilt of sin), but often not what we are free for in terms of our humanity becoming like Jesus.
MLK Day
January 22, 2008
I’ve been making a point the last few years to reflect on MLK in some way on this day of the year. I decided to watch his famous speech again this year.
Five thoughts hit me this year:
1. “The insufficient check” given to African-Americans by America. One of the most striking parts of King’s dream is his prophetic indictment against the economic system in our country that has favored the rich and not only marginalized, but often oppressed minorities and the poor. Several of articles I’ve read recently remind me of easy it is to take a privileged perspective on the plight of others. “White privilege” continues to be a blinder to genuine relationships across racial, economic, and cultural lines. While I don’t think living in a victim mentality is healthy, the inequality in our country due to the history of slavery, segregation, and oppression is still with us today. I wonder how MLK would address our country today? I’m not sure if blacks or whites would like him very much….
2. “Now is the time………We can never be satisfied…….” Inaction, passivity, and acceptance of the status quo keep things the same. MLK rouses a gut level response in us that things can change, that another way is possible.
Kenya Crisis from a Kenyan Perspective
January 14, 2008
I’m sure you have heard of the crisis in Kenya right now. I’ve been very disheartened while reading about the displacement of over 200,000 people on the news as Kenya is close to my heart these days.
I got a chance to talk with Joseph for an extended time this weekend, and he gave me a good picture of what is happening behind the scenes in Kenya. I’ll give you a brief picture of his perspective:
He is very thankful that Odinga lost the election to Kibaki. Odinga has been seeking after power relentlessly since leaving President Kibaki’s cabinet 5 years ago. Odinga is ruthless in his quest for power, and it would not have been good for the country if he became the President. He is a leader similar to Hussein or Idi Amin. Over the past five years, he has attempted to unite tribes within Kenya based on the promise that he would redistribute land and resources when he became President. He villanizes the President’s tribe for hoarding power and wealth to itself and away from the poor.
