7.22.2005

Inspiration Remixed

I had a conversation today with someone about Genesis. I get so tired of the creationism vs. evolution debate. It so misses the point about Genesis 1. People debate the "inspiration" of Scripture and in do so miss the rich experience of actually coming into connection with the inspiring breath of God. Eugene Peterson writes something that I very much resonate with in his book Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places.
Writing about the Christian life (formulated here as "spiritual theology") is like trying to paint a picture of a bird in flight. The very nature of a subject in which everything is always in motion and the context is constantly changing-- rhythm of wings, sun-tinted feathers, drift of clouds (and much more)-- precludes precision. Which is why definitions and explanations for the most part miss the very thing that we are interested in. Stories and metaphors, poetry and prayer, and leisurely conversation are more congenial to the subject, a conversation that necessarily also includes the Other.

Scripture speaks of a God who has a deep relationship with each aspect of his creation and cares for it. When we come to scripture are we asking questions that deepen this understanding or asking questions that completely get us off the intended message? May we search the scriptures to find life rather than endless and meaningless debates.

7.12.2005

The Growing Monster

I was reading this article at MSN (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8545679/)about China and the growing economy there. It confirms much of what I have been reading over the past three years in regards to globalism, consumerism, and capitalism. Can we conceive of a softer, more kingdom-centered economics?