Tsunami observations

Its been fascinating to observe how the world continues to take in the Tsunami tragedy.
I'm suspicious that it has pried open some deep seated prejudices.

I have overheard more than one discussion where the implication has been "Now, there are hundreds of thousands of refugees who DON'T deserve to be in their current situation". As those who already on the highway were somehow not deserving.
In the Congo alone ore than 9.5 million people have been killed, maimed and uprooted. More than half of them children. Sudan . . . , I could go on.
I find it both encouraging and saddening that the church is so willing and ready to help out in an "act of god" tragedy, yet comparatively tight handed when it comes to the tragedy of civil war, religious persecution, or other man made abominations. I suppose I am struggling to understand why a child who is orphaned through a tidal wave is seemingly more tragic and moving than a child whose parents have been hacked to death because they belong to the wrong clan, people group or religion? Aren't they both wasteful, needless, tragic, and painful?

It almost hurts me to go cynical and consider that maybe the church feels in debt, and feels some kind of obligation to appologise for their God?

Ouch. . . yep that is is cynical.

TV Evangelists

I was channel surfing last night and ran into something horrible - a TV evangelist.

It's like having (or for that matter - being) an embarrassing brother or sister that every now and again comes out with something ridiculous. You still love them because they are family, but you want to distance yourself from them when they 'come out'.
I have no chapter & verse for this theory, but there seems something artificial and impure about passing on the message of salvation through non-personal means. The scriptural exhortation to preach even precludes a preacher - a live person articulating in person the experience of following Jesus.

Like I said, I have no black and white evidence for this. Maybe if Jesus was here today he would use the media to relay the warmth of the gospel - but I have a suspicion that he might not.

I cannot escape the realisation that the messenger is part of the message.

I really admire the zeal and passion of those wanting to share what they have of Jesus - I wish I had more of it myself. There is something in me though that finds digital evangelism, 'revivals' and 'crusades' to communicate only part of the gospel and almost gives the impression that followers of Jesus want to share cognitively but not get involved in the collective mess of peoples lives.

Generous orthodoxy

I've been reading Brian McLaren latest work "A Generous Orthodoxy".

I just don't know how to describe his writings - I suppose that is part of what makes them so intruiging to me. I find myself not agreeing with everything he posits, but appreciate the way he stirs some of my deeply held (and sometimes totally irrational) theories and understanding of theology.
I love the way he thinks through strings of thought to their logical end and how he soaks everything he writes with a healthy dose of humility. I am so sick of reading authors who heretically stake a sign on their writings that says: "here is the way - walk ye in it". Surely that was Jesus role.

The non-profit I work with, International Teams, once had Brian as chairman of the board. He and wife Grace have spoken often at our refmin conferences. There is not a sniff of intellectual arrogance about the man - I admire that greatly.