Both/And

I am a "Both/And" Christian. "Both/And" Person for that matter. Jesus was both Human and God. The Kingdom of God is now and later. I am good and bad, often at the same time. Life is wheat and weeds. I love and hate a number of people and things at the same moment. The Astros management comes to mind right now. I am a mixture of good and evil that Jesus thought was worth redeeming even though I haven't got my act together.

I have watched recent events in the Church and the U.S. and see a polarizing "Either/Or" zeitgeist emerging. Radical Conservatives or Radical Liberals claim the orthodox position in both church and culture. Conservatives claim the Truth with a capital "T." Liberals claim "Love" with a capital "L."

Hell is what ensues when poles insist on claiming the whole reality and a lock on what is right. Those who do not occupy the proper pole get to dwell in a hellish reality, which is perpetual battle with no real resolution.

Sinners (I think that covers all of us) must be open to being wrong or, at least, trainable, even if they claim to hold the truth. Lovers must be open the fact that only God can cure all ills and that some "cures" that look loving are crippling. It does not mean we do not try, either.

I prayed for my Congressman and my Senators today and wrote them all (kindly) to work together with all those who are Americans with varying opinions and to do so in the spirit of humility. I did mention that there are those who, through no fault of their own, do not have the perk of gridlocking bluster they and I who are rich have. Jesus would not ignore those people was mere bystanders. God has a special place for the overlooked and ignored. So should we.

Pray and write from your faith today.