mystic

with election hype continuing for a while now, there has been plenty to read in the blogosphere in regards to issues of morality and politics. so many issues in our world today that christian leaders tend to talk about and debate. to be honest, when it comes to hot button issues, i try to avoid them like the plague. i never feel that i know enough or that i know all that i should or could know before coming down on either side of an issue. all i feel i ever really have is my gut instinct.

this week i've turned to henri nouwen for some insight. i love this guy.

"I have the impression that many of the debates within the church around issues such as the papacy, the ordination of women, the marriage of priests, homosexuality, birth control, abortion, and euthanasia take place on a primarily moral level. On that level, different parties battle about right or wrong. but the battle is often removed from the experience of God's first love, which lieas at the base of all human relationships.

Words like 'right-wing,' 'reactionary,' 'conservative,' 'liberal,' 'left-wing,' are used to describe people's opinions, and many discussions then seem more like political battles for power than spiritual searches for truth.

Christian leaders cannot simply be persons who have well-informed opinions about the burning issues of our time. there leadership must be rooted in the permanent, intimate relationship with the incarnate Word, Jesus, and they need to find there the source for their words, advice, and guidance. Through the discipline of contemplative prayer, Christian leaders have to learn to listen again and again to the voice of love to find there the wisdom and courage to address whatever issue presents itself to them. Dealing with burning issues without being rooted in a deep personal relationship with God easily leads to dvisiveness because, before we know it, our sense of self is caught up in our opinion about a given subject. But when we are securely rooted in personal intimacy with the source of life, it will be possible to remain flexible without being relativistic, convinced without being rigid, willing to confront without being offensive, gentle and forgiving without being soft, and true witnesses without being manipulative." In the Name of Jesus pgs 44-45


stephen shields has done a couple pieces that has helped me as they are instructional and practical in regards to disagreeing with others.

part 1
part 2

rick meigs has a piece which really struck me too. i'm not sure how it fits in here, but i feel it does and i will let you figure it out:)

missional word images