The Blueprint

You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Galatians 5:13-14

The words above are citing an Old Testament text in Leviticus where God is telling Moses a huge laundry list of laws. You know, back when God spoke to those who believed in God. I'd be nice to have that open of communication with God in today's world, but we have iPod's, which is nice.

This law is more familiar because Jesus pimped it in the New Testament book of Matthew after he was asked by a religious leader which was the most important commandment. Jesus answered that loving God with everything you have was the most important, following that up with the gem above coming a close second.

I love these verses. It's like Jesus is giving us cliff notes to the Bible, it's laws and teachings, as well as a blueprint on how to live our lives. Humankind most often doesn't follow the cheat sheet laid out by God. But it's comforting to know that in the end, if you love God and those around you, you are following God's #1 and #2 laws. Not bad for something that is human nature to do. Love others. Your neighbor may be different, believe in different values, and have political differences. But God calls us to love that neighbor. Hugs not drugs, kids.

back in black.

This has been a crazy past year and a half, with emotional highs and lows that I never thought I'd see. So I've decided to start writing again my thoughts in devotion and theology of life, love and faith. Today, we start with a simple verse.

Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate asked him, "What is truth?"

- John 18:37-38

The best part about the truth Jesus is speaking about is that God's Spirit of truth lives within us as the Holy Spirit (if you want to learn more, please read Acts 3:1-10). Jesus throughout his time as a human on earth was continually misunderstood, especially when Pilate and others were compelled to call him "king."

But the part that we take as comfort is that Jesus says here that "everyone who belongs to the truth" will hear God's voice if they listen. This means that if you have faith in God, that God will speak to you in that faith. God's voice can come through in our lives in many ways (which we won't get into now), but take hope in that the Spirit of God is with you. Are you listening?

Reflection: Week 5 [Wednesday]

Christ was a great revolutionary… Karl Marx would have subscribed to the Sermon on the Mount. – Fidel Castro

The details of the sermon Jesus gave were to uphold the rights of the “little people” and poor, so I can see where Castro would pair revolution and the Sermon on the Mount together. Although it is more of a social justice speech than a socialistic one, with references to the poor, meek, merciful, and peacemakers throughout the Beatitudes.


Karl Marx believed that religion is the "opiate of the masses" and was against faith towards a higher power. Jesus said he came not to overthrow the law, but to fulfill it. The definition of a revolution does fit Jesus and his words, faith, and actions on Earth, so the first part of Castro's quote is correct. Although it was not as a political revolutionary, but as an agent of change in the cosmic struggle.

Response: Brian's Blog [Week 2]

Brian's thoughts this past week on whether or not Jesus would be involved in culture in the highly visible media outlet or a counter culture setting is an very interesting one. Personally, when I think about how Jesus would act in today's culture, I always think of the Jesus who lives in South Park. For better or worse. Okay, it's definitely worse with South Park most of the time.

The South Park Jesus has a cable access show and every one in a while takes on characters the likes of Satan or Santa in some episodes. Okay, maybe it's not the "artfully done iconic rebellion" Brian was thinking of in his blog post, but you have to admit it's rebellious in it's own shape and form. But regardless of the medium, I tend to agree that Jesus wouldn't stay close to the vest, appear on Leno, or do things by the book. Besides... in my mind, Jesus is more of a Letterman guy anyways.

Reflection: Week 2 [Wednesday: Bonus]

In regards to question posed in class of how Jesus would respond to the the good versus bad in relation to culture, the most important thing is how industrialization and the emergence of technology has made the world a much smaller place than during JC's day. The fact that most everyone in the world knows who Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson is points towards the machine that industrialization has turned into. Entertainment is king. And it's that low culture that is not necessarily the best humanity has to offer, but it's the most popular. Literally, culture is the good, the bad, and the ugly.