if you remember [remember], i've been trying to get back to the center...

I stand here, looking over the waters of the Emergent movement in the Evangelical world with my toes on the edge. I pause with hesitation, because I haven't yet decided if I'm going to jump in or if I'm going remain in my perch from the banks a tad longer.

I really appreciate what the movement is about. Social justice is an issue that Christians in general need to take more seriously. Clearly, it was an integral part of Jesus' ministry, but for some reason, has been left out of the forefront of the issues that Christians are to be concerned about...it's been replaced with abortion and homosexuality. I kinda feel like we've been focusing on a section of the picture and not seeing the whole thing. It shouldn't be an either/or type deal either. There's enough attention to go around.

As this movement grows and is getting more publicity (if that's the right word) or notice, I've had more opportunity to hear people like Tony Jones, Brian McLaren, and Tony Campolo speak on issues that are core to this movement. I listened to a podcast yesterday from the Emergent Village website where Tony Jones interviewed Brian McLaren and they discussed his latest book that has been published.

While I was listening to the interview, there were a few comments that I noticed myself bristling to...comments he made that I didn't totally agree with. I have had this bad habit of not listening to people who say things I don't agree with but working on a rebuttal to their comment. I have a hard time listening to understand. But I am working on that and have made significant process over the past few years. I know that it's okay if we don't agree on everything (which goes against a lot of what I was raised to believe.) WHICH I will say is easier to say I believe than actually work toward believing.

That said...I am very encouraged by the work that is being done through this movement. One of the excellent points that Brian made in the interview was that the people who are criticizing this movement for "watering down" the Bible for the Pomo culture are not looking at how the Bible was "watered down" for the Modern culture. Which is very true. I wonder why, instead of looking at the Bible as a whole, we tend to only be concerned about Hell and saving people's eternal life? CLEARLY this IS important...which Brian said. However, there is a lot that the church as a whole has been neglecting. He said that at the root of these issues are theological problems. He quoted a man that said that the biggest problem in this world is the way we think about all the problems in the world. He said that there are people under the Evangelical banner who say that Jesus has nothing to say about poverty, war, or the environment. Jesus only talks about souls and how we can save them so they can go to Heaven after they die. They view THAT as the Gospel. But I just for a while have been conflicted between that world view and the world view that says, "Right...I understand that, but why must we let our motivator be 'saving' people? Why can we not act in Christian love and kindness? Why can we not act without asking people where they're going to go when they die?" I get the feeling that it's this Christian rat race to see who can "build" a bigger "mansion in heaven" and have more "jewels in their crown" when they die...instead of being motivated to action because of our CONCERN for those that are around us. To me, Jesus was all about bringing the Kingdom of God through that genuine kindness. I just don't understand why it has to be about two or three key issues. Jesus was about so much more than standing out in front of an abortion clinic, shouting Baby Killer and trying to outlaw abortion. Sometimes I wonder if Jesus wouldn't be the one working in the clinic so that he could be there to give the girl a hug and tell her that he still loves her when it's all over. I may be out of a few wills now that I've said that, but I guess I'll just have to rely on my jewels in my crown to take care of me. I'm not saying that we should just stand by and let things happen and then pick up the pieces...but I'm saying we need to be more focused on the HEARTS of people rather than enforcing the law. If we can change the HEARTS, then who cares what the law says? But that's only going to happen through engaging others. Engaging is messy. Messy isn't clear cut. If it isn't clear cut, how do you know who comes in first and who comes in last? If you don't know that, then how do you know who's better than who? Idk...I'm just questioning a few things (like usual) and I think that's okay.

Conceptually, this may have been really scattered...I'm just trying to blog this journey as I travel it...look back in a year and reflect.

I will say, the only thing I am concerned about is that they continue to place an emphasis on salvation, because that is important...which I will say, Brian did say he agreed with and supported. I don't want to embrace parts...I want to embrace the whole. There was one other thing, but now I can't remember what it was. Apparently it's not that important. lol...

I did buy Brian's latest book. I don't think that it will be anything that makes me go, "I've NEVER thought about that before!" I do think that I will be encouraged about the work that he is trying to accomplish. I think it will aid me in working toward more clearly defining my thoughts on all this. I'll blog as I read it...