Fresh Vision for the Muslim World

This is my friend Mike Kuhn's new blog, birthed out of his new book, Fresh Vision for the Muslim World. I believe that any and all would significantly benefit from reading this book...But I especially think any Christians out there need to read this book. Mike's key theme: Incarnation instead of Confrontation as the change in thinking and approach we MUST have as we think about "others" (see: neigbor)...All "others," but in particular our Muslim neighbors--in the U.S. and worldwide. Check out his blog...and then buy the book.

New Era? Let's Hope So...

Here was a thought from a friend on Facebook. It came a day after President Obama had his picture taken, shaking hands and smiling with Hugo Chavez. Aftermath, of course, was typical on the Rush Limbaugh side of the fence...But I agree with my friend Matt, who said, "I'm glad that our President is shaking hands with leaders with whom we disagree sharply...it gives me hope that our reputation in the world might improve, and it doesn't mean that we have to compromise our principles. It's called leadership, and I'm encouraged." Hopefully, that is yet another sign that we are leaving the era of hawkish foreign policy to actual diplomacy. Would be nice if the moniker Ugly American weren't so representative of our national identity and yet hard to refute based on our leadership.

What does this say about...?

Well, unfortunately, I think I know what it says about many of us who would call ourselves Christian-evangelical-conservative...Whatever. All titles that seem to have loaded connotations to them. Following Jesus...God's mercy...The radical nature of grace...Loving the enemy...Leaving room for God's justice...Where is any of that in the corporate confessional world of the church? Here you go...Sad, but (ugghh!) true...

"More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified. Only 42 percent of people who “seldom or never” go to services agreed, according the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified — more than six in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only four in 10 of them did..."