THE MAGNIFICENT CHALLENGE: RECLAIMING JESUS FOR THE PATH AHEAD

On my March 24, 2018 post, I reported on a proclamation just posted by American Christian leaders. Speaking from vantage points across the spectrum of American Christian traditions, the leaders agreed that the culture of the United States reeks of disorientation about basic beliefs.

To what are these leaders calling Americans (and people across the world)? The elders call believers to recover fundamental beliefs and values at a time of crisis.

I support their approach and have decided to echo their remarks while adding points that they overlooked.

"We believe that the soul of the nation and the integrity of faith are now at stake."

2018 PALM SUNDAY CROSS

What do you make of this judgment call? Are these evangelists, bishops, denominational leaders (elders all) exaggerating? Or are they on target?

They assert that political actors are deliberately undermining Christian faith and normal American political roles. 

• Politics' roles include restraining the bad and reward the good--to ensure justice and peace.

They agree with M. L. King: the church must be reminded that it's not the master nor the servant of the state, but the conscience of the state.

"Jesus is Lord." That's the foundation of Christian belief.

• The elders reject racism and bigotry at all levels of society.
• They call out sexual harassment and assaults on women, and any oppression of any child of God.
• They continue further to call out abandonment of the poorest and most vulnerable among us.
• They reject autocratic political leadership and authoritarian rule.

In sum: bravo, brava! A great statement.

From the viewpoint of this blog-site, the statement understates risks in two dimensions of life, each of which must be re-formed if Planet Earth is to continue as the human home territory. 

• First dimension: care for the health of the planet. It's a sin against God to tear apart and trash the American Environmental Protection Agency and global environmental agreements. 
• Second dimension: support for safe, ennobling global networking.
  

Personally, I want to defend against attacks on the planet and bullying people on-line. I ask the elders to include these two challenges in their list and I ask you to join with me in growing our world more green and networking more safe.

Bottom line: reclaiming Jesus, and all religious and inter-religious thought and teaching, is a huge challenge. Where can it be done? Who is doing it? How can the conversation be joined? 

I thank the "Reclaiming Jesus" leaders and writers. I ask you to join the movement. Offer your own contributions through your on-line postings or in your off-line writings.  

A project suggestion for the motivated: author a "Reclaiming Jesus" article for Wikipedia.

God is always creating, and one of God's avenues of creation is you. 

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