Buon Giorno?

Ciao from Italy! Considering this is my first real post in many months, I do have so recapping to do. After a killer last semester in college, unfortunately graduation day came and went (May 14). I am now officially a Baylor University alumni... or is it alumnus? Anyways, you would not believe what is over my right shoulder right now. (See below...)

I told you you wouldn't believe me! But it's even more breathtaking in person. After 2 1/2 crazy days in Rome, I am expecting a few relaxing days here in Positano. Rome was full of fascinating history and rich culture with lots, and lots of walking. We visited the Pantheon, Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Roman Forum and Paletine Hill. Everything was fascinating. I am thankful to have visited these places at the age  I am because I know I appreciated every moment. History and art I have studied and seen over my entire education I was able to witness and observe right in front of me. Such a blessing and pleasure. I have yet to experience a bad meal or glass of wine. I will soon post pictures and more extensive trip details. Ciao!

Osama Bin Laden and the Christian Response

I love this and couldn't agree more.

SOURCE:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/h2mzb/tragedy_of_tragedies_osama_bin_laden_and_the/

Tragedy of Tragedies: Osama Bin Laden and the Christian Response (facebook.com)

There is no doubt that Osama Bin Laden’s life was marked by heinous action and unspeakable terror. It is a tragedy that so many innocent lives were lost by the hate in that man’s heart. And it is a tragedy as well that any man had to live his life engulfed in that same hate.

But today I awoke to a new tragedy. As I read the celebratory response to Bin Laden’s death by Christians whom I love and respect, I grew sick to my stomach. Then dismayed. Then angry.

After all, we Christians are the ones who spend our lives purveying the good news that we are graciously spared from being treated as our sins deserve. I find it ironic at best, that we - as recipients of such undeserved grace - are the very ones parading in the streets that this “bastard finally got what he deserved.” If you’re offended by the language, be more offended by the hypocrisy.

If America has suffered any persecution at all in recent memory, we suffered it at the hands of Osama Bin Laden. He hated us for our wealth, our infidelity, and our religious freedom. And today it’s been told without doubt that the proper American response is to hate him in return. “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:43-46).” Do we really find the Bible infallible when it calls us to actions like that?

The terrifying-to-face truth of Scripture is that the very root of sin that drove Osama Bin Laden to kill thousands of people is vying for my heart too. If we lose touch with that - if we somehow think of ourselves as less debased in the height of our own sin - than we’ve lost touch with the Christian story and the very need for a Savior in the first place.

Perhaps even more shocking is the image of our Abba Father lovingly knitting together Osama Bin Laden in his mother’s womb. It is an affront to consider Bin Laden to be made in the imago dei. But then again, the Bible is an affront. To be clear, I am not at all saying Bin Laden’s actions were godly or anything other than evil. I am not saying God approves his terror or hate, or even that Bin Laden shouldn’t have been forcibly stopped from doing what he was doing. But that does not change the fact that a tragic end to a tragic life ought to give us a more reason to repent and mourn than hoot and holler.

Today it was us Christians who led the festive parade through the streets of culture. Yet God calls his people to respond to social wickedness with recognition of our own guilt, and our own need for humility and repentance. Today we acted even more convinced, cocksure and smug, that God is somehow inherently on America’s side. Yet God used Assyria to judge Israel, then turned around and judged Assyria too (*see bottom). Saddest of all, today we took more joy in the presumptuous thought of a man’s eternal separation from God than the hope that our Redeemer God might have somehow redeemed even this situation.

How incredibly revealing that we take more joy in imagining our enemy rotting in hell than encountering redemption?

How hypocritical that we then claim to have a heart to see the lost come to Christ?

How near-sighted to forget that our beloved Apostle Paul was once the mass-murdering terrorist Paul?

And how blind to not recognize that our riotous celebration over lost life through execution isn’t all that different than Bin Laden’s actions on 9/11?

It’s been said that our love will be the one undeniable thing to help this world know that the Christian story is true. If this is the case, then I wonder what the world knows today?

I know 9/11 hurt a lot of people. And I know Jesus weeps too. But if our reaction to world events is more immersed in our identity as Americans than as citizens of another Kingdom then we’ve lost the plot of the Christian story and the radical call of Jesus’ teaching. We can celebrate a man’s death and potential separation from God all we like. It is, after all, a free country. You can even call it patriotism. But please don’t call it Christianity.

Today I thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a great theologian and pastor. Bonhoeffer found himself in a similar situation as us, face to face with an evil man who had killed thousands (Adolf Hitler). Bonhoeffer’s response is instructive to us – he personally took action against the evil and on multiple occasions Bonhoeffer plotted to assassinate Hitler. Yet Bonhoeffer knew that just because he was called to take necessary action against evil did not mean he had to succumb to hating his enemy’s soul or rejoicing in their separation from God. His strikingly relevant words below teach us that we can actively confront our enemies without rejoicing in their destruction.

“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. ‘The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared.’”

*This particular idea admittedly and blatantly stolen from a great blog post by Glenn Packiam at glennpackiam.com.

New Books, New Beginnings

Happy 2011!

My first book purchase of 2011- Water For Elephants. I am really interested in the book so far and I've only made it through Chapter 1 (I bought the book yesterday). I'll post my thoughts every now and then and maybe do a review when I finish.

I also read Into The Wild over the break and had mixed emotions about the book. Chris McCandless, the young man who drops off the earth from his family, friends and everything secure, embarks on a great adventure "into the wild." I believe his intentions are admirable yet selfish and I think there's a whole other piece to the puzzle not mentioned in the book. I'd love to have a conversation with Chris McCandless, but I don't think he'd like a person like me. He despises all that is worldly and I, unfortunately, can say there are lots of worldly things I like. For example... Anthropologie, shoes, massages, and delicious elaborate dinners and cocktails. However, I do love the outdoors and an occasional "adventure." I'm not sure I've been on an "real" adventure in Mr. McCandless's eyes. One day I hope to get away like Chris, but I'd like to be with my family or a friend. I don't mind being alone, but it's not something I'd prefer over company. My life would feel empty and meaningless without people to share it with. McCandless does, through quotes and letters, open your eyes to the emptiness and false security in material things and a secure future. McCandless was so radically against those things that he judged and belittled people who did value those things even the least bit. Materials and a secure future are only negative things when people place their personal value, confidence and security in them.

The position that Chris's family and friends endured for years is a miserable feeling and Chris was selfish to ignore the obvious fact that his disappearance would cause lots of hurt and confusion. The author, Jon Krakauer, does a decent job of portraying Chris from all different perspectives. Some people called McCandless a narcissist and some, a hero. Personally I gathered that Krakauer greatly admired McCandless for both his adventure and his spirit. I have mixed feeling towards him.

Christmas break was filled with much-needed R & R, friends, family and FOOD. Blogging to come about the break's activities- Happy 2011! It's going to be a great year!