the idea of empire

I finished reading Rob Bell's Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and I'm pretty sure I read it too fast and too much of it went over my head. That's my disclaimer if you have also read this and think I missed the point.

The missing of points is also a theme in the book. Evidently, lots of Christians do this all the time, so at least I'm in good company being off the mark.

But this is what I've taken away from the book...

Part of the book discusses pre-exodus Egypt in a frighteningly familiar way. I know I'm going to over-simplify the already overly simplified story of the Jews exodus from Egypt, so if you are a biblical scholar, forgive me.

The Jews were oppressed in slavery in Egypt, and they cried out to God. God heard these cries and freed them from their oppression. Almost immediately afterwards, they forget who has freed them and begin worshipping idols. God shakes them up with the Ten Commandments. He makes a covenant with them about the importance of not being oppressors and stock-piling weapons and becoming an agressive military state. Then He sends them on their way to the promise land, where a few generations later, they (under Solomon) are a huge military power with lots of weapons and are using slaves to build- get this - the temple.

Slaves are building the church.

I can't help but think back to my elementary school history books. About the Pilgrims setting off to a new land to obtain freedom from the oppression of England. And about how in the process, we inflicted a genocide on the native people already living in that new land.

But wait... that isn't how the history books told it, was it?

We were the good guys. We were the ones conquering the enemy. Fighting in retaliation against a godless, aggressive people.

Right?

And we've been the good guys, every time since. Our intentions have always been pure. We've never invaded or attacked out of selfish motives.

Right?

When September 11th happened, I couldn't believe that anyone in the world would want to hurt innocent people... Innocent Americans in that way.

I couldn't believe it because I always got As in my history classes.

I feel like I've spent much of my adult life unlearning what I was taught in my youth.

I have a feeling I concluded a lot of what Bell was leading me to conclude with his book. America is the new Egypt. We are also the new Solomon's Kingdom. And as history continues to repeat itself, so goes America.

I just don't know what I'm supposed to do about it.

How do we break the cycle? Is it too late for us?

Are fear and greed to powerful a force for even a "Christian" nation to avoid their pitfalls?

This book is not a doomsday novel. It's not a discussion of the end times. It's a "manifesto for a church in exile." And for that purpose, I think it's an excellent read. I need to read it again.

I just wish it had a happy ending.

new year renewal

Over the holiday break, I spent a lot of time reading.

First, I polished off Stuff White People Like. I have yet to take the quiz, but I have found that as far as Caucasians go, I'm pretty honky.

Next, I read 20 and Counting which is the how-to/memoir published by the Duggar family who just welcomed their 18th child on December 18th.

And finally, I'm about 25 pages away from finishing Rob Bell's Jesus Wants to Save Christians.

You may look at these three titles and think that they are in no way connected, but they are.

Or maybe they aren't, but the messages I'm suppose to be taking away from them are.

This new year brings with it lots of forks in the road for my little family, and perhaps it's those issues that are already weighing on my mind as I go into reading that end up highlighting the same conclusions.

I definitely need to process each of these books separately if I'm going to be fair in reviewing them. However, as a result of all three in combo with what's coming up in life... here's what I'm thinking about.

1.) As much as I don't want to live in Elkhart, I had a hard time leaving. I can't help but whine about the unfairness of living so far from my family while at the same time understanding it. With so many people leaving Detroit these days, many of whom are going against their will, God continues to reaffirm that we are to be here.

2.) I'm dealing with a lot of conviction in the amount of quality time I spend with my family. This is going to mean less blogging. I'm okay with that.

3.) We need to be more intentional about every single dollar we spend this year. We need to save while at the same time helping those who need it. This will require some lifestyle changes which I'm prayerfully preparing for. That doesn't mean it's not going to be rough.

4.) This fall will probably mean a move for us. We have a lot to learn about housing between now and then. Discernment will be key.

5.) There are relationships in my life which are toxic and I need to gracefully bow out of them while not letting the remaining scar tissue prevent me from being open to new friendships.

6.) My eyes and ears are opened to new opportunities. In lots of areas. I don't have any clue what this preludes, but I feel strongly that it's something significant.

These are not really resolutions because they aren't goals I'm trying to accomplish. These are more like new mandates that have arisen as a result of what we believe is meant for the next season of our lives.

Endings are difficult for me. And so are beginnings. Probably because endings are usually follwed by beginnings.

I'm good with being in the middle somewhere. Hopefully I've got some more clarity by March.