Aphorism of the Day, September 30, 2020
Revelation is the procession of "insights," "aha" moments when something is discovered a true or pragmatically meaningful within a moment. Such insights committed to the memory for future people to revisit still have the possibility fo create new "aha" moments but the new occasion makes the revelations and the "aha" a completely different insights. Language is the reservoir that contains the dormancy of all insights waiting to arise.
Aphorism of the Day, September 29, 2020
The "revealing" of the Ten Commandments, probably are the results of many, trial and error found in human experience and the counsel of the wise codify what works best in human relationship and when those "best practices" are written down, how does one legitimize them? One adds the first four commandments regarding God the the legitimizer, because no human being or tribe can properly represent the Plenitude of All. And so we are always referring who we are, what we know and what we do to the More than we are and the More than we know.
Aphorism of the Day, September 28, 2020
The biblical message in basic terms is that humans are supposed to be stewards on behalf of and accountable to God as our owner and creator. Humans have not seen God the owner and so God is treated like an absentee landlord. Human being have acted in the mode of apparent possession is nine tenths of the law. And we don't like to be reminded that it really isn't ours because we are not enduring enough and big enough to really maintain such plenitude.
Aphorism of the Day, September 27, 2020
The religious leaders, as presented in argument with Jesus, were shown to be concerned about his "authority." They did not believe that he had "certified" authority, but neither did John the Baptist. John and Jesus had "populism" authority or charismatic authority? Why? Because they were actually interested in the lives of the people they ministered to. They were less concerned about position, institution and ritual adherence and more interested to know that people had good news, healing and assurance of the forgiveness of their sins. Populism gives authority when it involve genuine good news for the common good.
Aphorism of the Day, September 26, 2020
The Christological hymn in Philippians indicates that Jesus is God-emptied into a human person. Orthodox theology states that God is not known in the divine Essence but in the divine energies or emanations which in fact have a Oneness with the Essence. A more post-modern way of saying this is that a Signified is only implied because of signifiers, because in fact "Signified" is a signifier. Thus the Signified is always emptied into signifiers and the Signified is always hidden and cryptic and implied by the proof of omni-signification. A person's life is revealed by the hierarchy of signifiers which "stand-in" for what one consciously or unconsciously regards to be the hidden Signified.
Aphorism of the Day, September 25, 2020
If you know that you can never get into the country club, why bother to try. This was and is the situation for many religious groups. Jesus was going to people who never believed that they could get into the "religious country club." And then the religious leaders wondered why he was becoming popular. They wondered about the authority of his "populism" appeal. Jesus was giving "full scholarships" to God's country club and some were worried about Jesus admitting too many people.
Aphorism of the Day, September 24, 2020
Many people have the authority of certified office or position of sanctioning bodies, and such bodies are necessary for regulating "quality" control. The authority of of Jesus was put in question. What gave him sanction to heal, teach and preach. And he did not have a degree from Shammai or Hillel rabbinical schools. He did have the authority of charisma which was authoritative enough to encourage people to make better choices in their lives. Telling authority is verified by outcomes of love, kindness and justice.
Aphorism of the Day, September 23, 2020
Said that I'd do it but didn't. Said I wouldn't do it but did. When we can't get the word of our promise backed up by actual congruent behavior, we have the phenomenon of hypocrisy. A goal of life is to have one's word contracts kept.
Aphorism of the Day, September 22, 2020
In the Pauline Christological hymn in Philippians, the metaphor is that of emptying of the divinity found in the life of Jesus. How empty did the divine become? Dead. Divinity took complete identity with human experience by being emptied to death. This instantiates that all things, even death, "lives" and have being within the Divine. That each occasion has full identity with an Expanding Whole from which the occasion is inseparable bespeaks a panentheism.
Aphorism of the Day, September 21, 2020
In Christological hymns, one might put side by side, "the Word was made flesh," and "emptied himself taking the form of a slave" from the Pauline tradition. One finds in these hymns the admission that God is not known in the divine Essence but through divine Energies or Emanations, which for the revealing of God must necessarily be "equal and co-extensive" Energies and Emanations. According to John's Gospel, God as Word is a pre-existent Emanation Potential able to become the Word products, i.e., the created order itself which has co-extensive word-signifers to reveal the purported signified which only is related through the continuous generation of more signifiers.
Aphorism of the Day, September 20, 2020
The "last shall be first and the first shall be last," should be seen as the kindness and courtesy adjustments that are made within the human family so that everyone can feel affirmed in their unique roles within the family but also in their own self-understanding of God's favor towards them. Drop the term socialism, since it is loaded with historical baggage. Adopt the term "family-ism" as the rule of kindness and courtesy of the first in strength, wealth and knowledge, who voluntarily become last and use their resources to lift the weaker, the poorer, and naive into the first place of dignity. This is the grace of God working in the community for the common good. Resentment of the neglected builds revolutions; kindness builds family esteem.
Aphorism of the Day, September 19, 2020
The "last shall be first" thinking of Jesus does not involve a secular "socialism" as we might think today, it is rather a divine "family-ism." In a family the last and least are made first by the supplemental leniency in standards and in extra care given to those who cannot compete on the same terms as the older adults. Think of a four generation Middle Eastern household where the wisdom of family-ism makes a place for everyone at every age and the strength of the strong is used to make the weaker equal in dignity. This kind of family-ism should be the distributive leveling which we try to apply in the society at large so that all might have equal dignity.
The "last shall be first" thinking of Jesus does not involve a secular "socialism" as we might think today, it is rather a divine "family-ism." In a family the last and least are made first by the supplemental leniency in standards and in extra care given to those who cannot compete on the same terms as the older adults. Think of a four generation Middle Eastern household where the wisdom of family-ism makes a place for everyone at every age and the strength of the strong is used to make the weaker equal in dignity. This kind of family-ism should be the distributive leveling which we try to apply in the society at large so that all might have equal dignity.
Aphorism of the Day, September 18, 2020
The "last shall be first" riddle of Jesus is poignantly about equality in difference. In American individualism, we have this myth of the meritocracy of individual advancement by sheer individual ability and effort. The "last shall be first" riddle is about reparations and equal opportunity effort to level the field of human dignity among people. Whoever misses this in the Gospel, misses the Gospel.
The "last shall be first" riddle of Jesus is poignantly about equality in difference. In American individualism, we have this myth of the meritocracy of individual advancement by sheer individual ability and effort. The "last shall be first" riddle is about reparations and equal opportunity effort to level the field of human dignity among people. Whoever misses this in the Gospel, misses the Gospel.
Aphorism of the Day, September 17, 2020
How can the first be last and the last be first? In a very practical way, those who live and interpret things from a later perspective have the last word which places their perspective first. St. Paul understood his Christo-centric Judaism to be an innovation in interpretation such that he saw all of the Hebrew Scriptures as pointing to Jesus. So, he made the last, first in his perspective on Gentile Christianity.
How can the first be last and the last be first? In a very practical way, those who live and interpret things from a later perspective have the last word which places their perspective first. St. Paul understood his Christo-centric Judaism to be an innovation in interpretation such that he saw all of the Hebrew Scriptures as pointing to Jesus. So, he made the last, first in his perspective on Gentile Christianity.
Aphorism of the Day, September 16, 2020
It is hard not to read Jonah as a satirical presentation of people who do not think that God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not for anyone outside of Israel. A belief in God would assume a potential winsomeness of God among all people. To pretend to limit God to one group or people would unwittingly be saying that one's God is not winsome and not really worshipful enough to be shared. The message is that we cannot "domesticate" God to contain divine relevance to our own boundaries, when in fact God as our owner is trying to domesticate us to be willing to share love and kindness with all.
It is hard not to read Jonah as a satirical presentation of people who do not think that God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not for anyone outside of Israel. A belief in God would assume a potential winsomeness of God among all people. To pretend to limit God to one group or people would unwittingly be saying that one's God is not winsome and not really worshipful enough to be shared. The message is that we cannot "domesticate" God to contain divine relevance to our own boundaries, when in fact God as our owner is trying to domesticate us to be willing to share love and kindness with all.
Aphorism of the Day, September 15, 2020
The book of Jonah is a satire on people who think God is exclusively for them in special and favored way. They suddenly become shocked that the message of God love and care is winsome to other people outside of Israel. If we become so "possessive" of "our" God we become worried and angry that other people believe that God is winsome in their lives too.
The book of Jonah is a satire on people who think God is exclusively for them in special and favored way. They suddenly become shocked that the message of God love and care is winsome to other people outside of Israel. If we become so "possessive" of "our" God we become worried and angry that other people believe that God is winsome in their lives too.
Aphorism of the Day, September 14, 2020
One of hardest things to learn and practice is equality in difference. We are used to equality for people who are enough like us, but when others are significantly different and we have to stretch our imaginations to walk in their shoes, we a lazily inclined to not treat them as our equals. The parable of Jesus about those hired at different times of the day and all receiving the same pay, scandalizes those who worked the longest. Sometimes we use our logic to say that we deserve a different status than others. Our country needs to promote actual economic effort to bring up to equality those who have been long diminished because they had the difference of being poor, and being born as heirs of slaves. We have never implemented restorative justice which would be a true expression of equality in difference.
One of hardest things to learn and practice is equality in difference. We are used to equality for people who are enough like us, but when others are significantly different and we have to stretch our imaginations to walk in their shoes, we a lazily inclined to not treat them as our equals. The parable of Jesus about those hired at different times of the day and all receiving the same pay, scandalizes those who worked the longest. Sometimes we use our logic to say that we deserve a different status than others. Our country needs to promote actual economic effort to bring up to equality those who have been long diminished because they had the difference of being poor, and being born as heirs of slaves. We have never implemented restorative justice which would be a true expression of equality in difference.
Aphorism of the Day, September 13, 2020
One might chuckle at some of St. Paul's dietary reflections, as in, "while the weak only eat vegetables." If we regard the words of the Bible as being universally valid in assuming God through Paul is saying to all vegetarians, "you're weak," then we have a very strange view of Scripture. Scriptures contain the quotidian personal opinions of people in the contexts of their situations and it is silly to generalize most of the words of Scriptures as rising to the level of a categorical imperative. It is true to say that Scriptures contain the human quotidian, but the content of the quotidian should just be regarded as quotidian. It's okay to see the mundane as inspired in the sense that it is a revealing of someone's honest opinion; one doesn't have to accept the validity of the mundane content to affirm the honest speaking of one's opinion. This means that everyone censors the Holy Scriptures in coming to individual hierarchies of what and how words are particularly meaningful to one at a particular time. And one can admit one's own hierarchies of "relevant" meanings without taking the scissors to the Gospels as Thomas Jefferson did because he could not accept meaning that expressed events which could not be empirically verified in compliance with natural laws. If he could have accepted that meaningful truths often are artful spiritual words to poetically touch the soul, he could have saved himself some editing. But people in every age have been defending biblical words in the wrong genre to the scorn of the verificationists, like Jefferson.
One might chuckle at some of St. Paul's dietary reflections, as in, "while the weak only eat vegetables." If we regard the words of the Bible as being universally valid in assuming God through Paul is saying to all vegetarians, "you're weak," then we have a very strange view of Scripture. Scriptures contain the quotidian personal opinions of people in the contexts of their situations and it is silly to generalize most of the words of Scriptures as rising to the level of a categorical imperative. It is true to say that Scriptures contain the human quotidian, but the content of the quotidian should just be regarded as quotidian. It's okay to see the mundane as inspired in the sense that it is a revealing of someone's honest opinion; one doesn't have to accept the validity of the mundane content to affirm the honest speaking of one's opinion. This means that everyone censors the Holy Scriptures in coming to individual hierarchies of what and how words are particularly meaningful to one at a particular time. And one can admit one's own hierarchies of "relevant" meanings without taking the scissors to the Gospels as Thomas Jefferson did because he could not accept meaning that expressed events which could not be empirically verified in compliance with natural laws. If he could have accepted that meaningful truths often are artful spiritual words to poetically touch the soul, he could have saved himself some editing. But people in every age have been defending biblical words in the wrong genre to the scorn of the verificationists, like Jefferson.
Aphorism of the Day, September 12, 2020
In a certain way, no sin is "forgivable" in the sense that God, "it's really okay that you did bad since in forgiveness I will give up my high standard to forgive you." Forgiveness is for the person, not for okaying the sin; forgiveness is not giving up on relationship when people have failed each other. Forgiveness is about continuing in relationship. The causal effects of sin linger which means that the sins themselves are not "forgivable, only the repentant person who did the sin." The people of the world have experience lots of forgiveness even while the effects of sin linger with often devastating collateral damage.
In a certain way, no sin is "forgivable" in the sense that God, "it's really okay that you did bad since in forgiveness I will give up my high standard to forgive you." Forgiveness is for the person, not for okaying the sin; forgiveness is not giving up on relationship when people have failed each other. Forgiveness is about continuing in relationship. The causal effects of sin linger which means that the sins themselves are not "forgivable, only the repentant person who did the sin." The people of the world have experience lots of forgiveness even while the effects of sin linger with often devastating collateral damage.
Aphorism of the Day, September 11, 2020
The Psalmist states the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. If that is God's nature, then we too are to be full of compassion and mercy. Mercy is best known in the practice of forgiveness. The great human sin is not our perpetual imperfections, it is the failure to practice mercy. The human community survives best when people practice mercy. This isn't a carte blanche for sin because we have the abounding grace of God known through mercy. It is the tough mercy of forgiveness actually being activated by willingness to amend our lives toward being better today than yesterday.
The Psalmist states the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. If that is God's nature, then we too are to be full of compassion and mercy. Mercy is best known in the practice of forgiveness. The great human sin is not our perpetual imperfections, it is the failure to practice mercy. The human community survives best when people practice mercy. This isn't a carte blanche for sin because we have the abounding grace of God known through mercy. It is the tough mercy of forgiveness actually being activated by willingness to amend our lives toward being better today than yesterday.
Aphorism of the Day, September 10, 2020
Apparently, the policy of Jesus on forgiveness is a reciprocal dynamic. "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." This is supported in the unforgiving servant who experienced forgiveness and then would not forgive someone who owed him. People who want to be "cut some slack" in their own foibles who in turn lower the boom upon others are those hypocrites who act out of self service rather than building relationships within community.
Apparently, the policy of Jesus on forgiveness is a reciprocal dynamic. "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." This is supported in the unforgiving servant who experienced forgiveness and then would not forgive someone who owed him. People who want to be "cut some slack" in their own foibles who in turn lower the boom upon others are those hypocrites who act out of self service rather than building relationships within community.
Aphorism of the Day, September 9, 2020
The parable of financial indebted is used by Jesus to illustrate sin and forgiveness. The great metaphor is about human stewardship; we are God's share croppers commissioned to take care of the world and each other and acknowledge the true owner of all through worship and thanksgiving. We often fail in this contractual stewardship relationship and our relationship with God, others and creation can suffer until it is righted. Wrong relationship behaviors define sin; sin, according to justice cannot be forgiven in the sense that the entire justice system cannot suddenly define a bad behavior as good. The sinner can be forgiven because God is mainly about us being in right relationship with the Divine and with each other. We forgive because we know we are forgiven. A person who does not believe in the need for forgiveness is the the one who lives in a distorted stewardship role with God and others, as a rule unto himself. Such a one lives in impiety and sociopathically.
The parable of financial indebted is used by Jesus to illustrate sin and forgiveness. The great metaphor is about human stewardship; we are God's share croppers commissioned to take care of the world and each other and acknowledge the true owner of all through worship and thanksgiving. We often fail in this contractual stewardship relationship and our relationship with God, others and creation can suffer until it is righted. Wrong relationship behaviors define sin; sin, according to justice cannot be forgiven in the sense that the entire justice system cannot suddenly define a bad behavior as good. The sinner can be forgiven because God is mainly about us being in right relationship with the Divine and with each other. We forgive because we know we are forgiven. A person who does not believe in the need for forgiveness is the the one who lives in a distorted stewardship role with God and others, as a rule unto himself. Such a one lives in impiety and sociopathically.
Aphorism of the Day, September 8, 2020
How many times do I have to forgive my brother? Seventy-seven times. If one is in a family and a community continuously for an extended time, one certainly may have to easily be forgiven and forgive seventy-seven times. When comes to sin, there are sins against the religious laws, against piety, against civil laws, family rules but there is also the laws of sensitivities and taste that are uniquely individual. Each of us have our own "conscious or unconscious" rules which might make us believe that people sin against us. Individual taste and sensitivities often conflict and so we can often sin against each other and be in need of confession. The greater issue is the maintenance of relationship which involves knowing each others sensitivities so that people learn not to offend by knowing how and where to step. The purpose of forgiveness is to believe in relationship to continue to get to know each other better and learn how to tango without stepping on the other person's toes.
How many times do I have to forgive my brother? Seventy-seven times. If one is in a family and a community continuously for an extended time, one certainly may have to easily be forgiven and forgive seventy-seven times. When comes to sin, there are sins against the religious laws, against piety, against civil laws, family rules but there is also the laws of sensitivities and taste that are uniquely individual. Each of us have our own "conscious or unconscious" rules which might make us believe that people sin against us. Individual taste and sensitivities often conflict and so we can often sin against each other and be in need of confession. The greater issue is the maintenance of relationship which involves knowing each others sensitivities so that people learn not to offend by knowing how and where to step. The purpose of forgiveness is to believe in relationship to continue to get to know each other better and learn how to tango without stepping on the other person's toes.
Aphorism of the Day, September 7, 2020
The issue of sin and forgiveness recurs in the Gospels with sayings of Jesus. This is indicative of the "all too human nature of the church and her members," even while they strive for an unreachable standard of the perfection of God in heaven. We can never give up the high standards even while we can never attain them and living this way should make us humble in being "recovering hypocrites." We "recovering" since we maintain the high standard without reaching it and as a result we forgive other who recovering hypocrisy incidences are just a bit different than one's own.
The issue of sin and forgiveness recurs in the Gospels with sayings of Jesus. This is indicative of the "all too human nature of the church and her members," even while they strive for an unreachable standard of the perfection of God in heaven. We can never give up the high standards even while we can never attain them and living this way should make us humble in being "recovering hypocrites." We "recovering" since we maintain the high standard without reaching it and as a result we forgive other who recovering hypocrisy incidences are just a bit different than one's own.
Aphorism of the Day, September 6, 2020
The phrase, "if a member of the church sins against you....." opens up a can of worms. If two members share a common moral system and there is an interaction which causes one offense, the problem arises when the "offender" does not seem to recognize the offense and so it is a "one-sided" interpretation. Obviously, if the offense is very blatant then it a different matter. Police often find mediating a domestic dispute to be the most troubling experiences, since there can seem to be "no-win" immediate outcomes. The domestic disputes within a church family reveal that the church whose standard of love is so high that when members are "all too human," mediation methods are needed. The promise of Jesus was that he as the Risen Christ would be present in the messy mediation of the "in-house, and domestic" problems of the church. The historical truth is that "in-house" disputes lead to the formation of competing congregations on the blocks down the street. Today parishes are divided in unspoken ways by political loyalties outside of the parish which is a great challenge to realizing "Christ being with the two or three gathered."
The phrase, "if a member of the church sins against you....." opens up a can of worms. If two members share a common moral system and there is an interaction which causes one offense, the problem arises when the "offender" does not seem to recognize the offense and so it is a "one-sided" interpretation. Obviously, if the offense is very blatant then it a different matter. Police often find mediating a domestic dispute to be the most troubling experiences, since there can seem to be "no-win" immediate outcomes. The domestic disputes within a church family reveal that the church whose standard of love is so high that when members are "all too human," mediation methods are needed. The promise of Jesus was that he as the Risen Christ would be present in the messy mediation of the "in-house, and domestic" problems of the church. The historical truth is that "in-house" disputes lead to the formation of competing congregations on the blocks down the street. Today parishes are divided in unspoken ways by political loyalties outside of the parish which is a great challenge to realizing "Christ being with the two or three gathered."
Aphorism of the Day, September 5, 2020
Love fulfills the Law, writes Paul. Paul can seem almost antinomian in his letter to the Romans. Are laws the forced behaviors of a society that we embrace to avoid punishment, and as a result we actually behave better and thus deserve the kingdom of God? Because we are good citizens who follow the law, does that make us better than those who don't? Maybe just better citizens and more law-abiding. Paul's trouble with the "law" seems to be with how the community of his upbringing used their "exclusive" access to the Law/Torah as a means of making them exclusive recipients of God's favor, also known as salvation. Love and justice have more to do with inner Spirit of lawful behaviors and the motives for why we do anything. I think Paul's conclusion is that we need grace to act "lawfully" with good behaviors from the motives of love and justice. Accessing the grace of love is to know the favored status with God, not having the accident of being born into a community that was privileged to teach and promulgate Torah behaviors for all of its members.
Love fulfills the Law, writes Paul. Paul can seem almost antinomian in his letter to the Romans. Are laws the forced behaviors of a society that we embrace to avoid punishment, and as a result we actually behave better and thus deserve the kingdom of God? Because we are good citizens who follow the law, does that make us better than those who don't? Maybe just better citizens and more law-abiding. Paul's trouble with the "law" seems to be with how the community of his upbringing used their "exclusive" access to the Law/Torah as a means of making them exclusive recipients of God's favor, also known as salvation. Love and justice have more to do with inner Spirit of lawful behaviors and the motives for why we do anything. I think Paul's conclusion is that we need grace to act "lawfully" with good behaviors from the motives of love and justice. Accessing the grace of love is to know the favored status with God, not having the accident of being born into a community that was privileged to teach and promulgate Torah behaviors for all of its members.
Aphorism of the Day, September 4, 2020
"Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst." This expresses the transference of the physical presence of Jesus into the spiritual and mystical presence of the Risen Christ within the gathering creating the church as the "alter Christus."
"Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst." This expresses the transference of the physical presence of Jesus into the spiritual and mystical presence of the Risen Christ within the gathering creating the church as the "alter Christus."
Aphorism of the Day, September 3, 2020
Why does Jesus say "if a member of the church sins against you" when in his time there was no church? This is an indication of the Matthean Gospel writer or editors translating perhaps a saying into the language use in the time when the church actually was a social reality. Speaking in the name of Jesus means that the early preachers believed their identity with the Risen Christ was so profound, that they could be the oracle of Christ in a new time and place and such words from the preacher as oracle of Christ, were then included in Gospel writings in seeming to be "actual" words of Jesus in his own time, even though he spoke Aramaic and the church did not yet exist. We can hold to the inspiration of the Gospel without misrepresenting them with dishonest scholarship.
Why does Jesus say "if a member of the church sins against you" when in his time there was no church? This is an indication of the Matthean Gospel writer or editors translating perhaps a saying into the language use in the time when the church actually was a social reality. Speaking in the name of Jesus means that the early preachers believed their identity with the Risen Christ was so profound, that they could be the oracle of Christ in a new time and place and such words from the preacher as oracle of Christ, were then included in Gospel writings in seeming to be "actual" words of Jesus in his own time, even though he spoke Aramaic and the church did not yet exist. We can hold to the inspiration of the Gospel without misrepresenting them with dishonest scholarship.
Aphorism of the Day, September 2, 2020
How was "my word against your word" to be solved in the Jesus Movement? The person with disagree are asked to air them within a community which shares a "persuasion" about the importance of Christ. They ask for the wisdom to "solve" the disagreement, not to change the minds of those who disagree but to forge the best way to remain in peaceful future relationship as a community. It may mean that every event submitted to the Christian jury requires "degrees of checking one's ego at the door." Sometimes one party has to check one's ego more signified by the acceptance of the decision of the Christian "jury."
How was "my word against your word" to be solved in the Jesus Movement? The person with disagree are asked to air them within a community which shares a "persuasion" about the importance of Christ. They ask for the wisdom to "solve" the disagreement, not to change the minds of those who disagree but to forge the best way to remain in peaceful future relationship as a community. It may mean that every event submitted to the Christian jury requires "degrees of checking one's ego at the door." Sometimes one party has to check one's ego more signified by the acceptance of the decision of the Christian "jury."
Aphorism of the Day, September 1, 2020
The Christ-saying for "democracy" as expression of group wisdom is noted in the logia, "where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." The assumption in the saying is that persons taking the "name of Christ," actually have disagreements which need to be dealt with in the community. The Christ in different people comes to the Christ of agreed upon action between different people is the group wisdom of "Christian democracy." What has/ is called "conciliar" Christianity is another expression of this "Christian democracy" made functional through collegial decisions on community matters of faith and practice. The Enlightenment and Modern Period might be expressed this way: "where two or three people are a gathered being possessed by the gift of Reason, a group wisdom, a democratic wisdom will be made known on matters of community practice. In democracy today, Christ-ophiles assume that Christ is center to one's life and Reason has a subordinate function role to Spirit. The problem is that modern reason contradicts many of the Scripture events because they don't conform to methods of empirical verification. And so it would seem that the Reason of Science is regarded to be superior to the reason of Holy Scriptures. Postmodern Christliness as Word is God, means that one must sort out "in discursive" analysis the seeming barriers which have arisen in democratic outcomes expressing the "objective truth" of the "voting community." As romantic as it may seem and a gushy devotional it may seem to quote the saying, "where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them," it really should be noted that it is an admission that the presence of Christ can be known within a "messy" family dispute. And this "presence" is true to "differences."
The Christ-saying for "democracy" as expression of group wisdom is noted in the logia, "where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." The assumption in the saying is that persons taking the "name of Christ," actually have disagreements which need to be dealt with in the community. The Christ in different people comes to the Christ of agreed upon action between different people is the group wisdom of "Christian democracy." What has/ is called "conciliar" Christianity is another expression of this "Christian democracy" made functional through collegial decisions on community matters of faith and practice. The Enlightenment and Modern Period might be expressed this way: "where two or three people are a gathered being possessed by the gift of Reason, a group wisdom, a democratic wisdom will be made known on matters of community practice. In democracy today, Christ-ophiles assume that Christ is center to one's life and Reason has a subordinate function role to Spirit. The problem is that modern reason contradicts many of the Scripture events because they don't conform to methods of empirical verification. And so it would seem that the Reason of Science is regarded to be superior to the reason of Holy Scriptures. Postmodern Christliness as Word is God, means that one must sort out "in discursive" analysis the seeming barriers which have arisen in democratic outcomes expressing the "objective truth" of the "voting community." As romantic as it may seem and a gushy devotional it may seem to quote the saying, "where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them," it really should be noted that it is an admission that the presence of Christ can be known within a "messy" family dispute. And this "presence" is true to "differences."
