???? Christian Nation ????

What is a "Christian Nation" ? Can there be such a thing? Are we one? At least those are question that I am confronted with.

Recently I have been learning and contemplating the genocides in Rowanda, and Darfur, and others. From my exposure to this subject (unknown to me until only recently) I have had some serious question about our Faith, God, and the Christian Religion that I have grown up with. So when I come back to this question of America I see it differently. I know that there is a great deal of tension with the issue of "America the Christian Nation", but for now lets just through this tension out the window and assume that it is. My question then is this, what then does that mean?

I ask myself how Jesus defines a Christian? Those who look after the orphans and the widows, who feed the hungry, who clothe the naked, who tend to the sick, who stand up for the oppressed! Not, those who believe certain doctrines, who adhere to various moral and religious codes, or who are associated with a religious institution.

Therefore if we are a "Christian Nation" then we would be primarily characterized a nation who cares for the orphans and widows, who stands up for the oppressed, who sacrifices it selves for the needy, and disenfranchised.

So here is the question: Are we a Christian Nation? What did WE do in Rowanda? What did WE do in Darfur? or What were WE doing during Darfur? What did WE do in Uganda????
Emphasis on the "WE". Its not "our nation", or "our government" Its WE (You, and myself included) ????????? What did WE do ?????????????

{{{{{{ Ambiguity of lifes porous boundaries }}}}}}}}

As I was reading a blog recently I got to thinking about some of the issues that were brought up at least indirectly. The issues was a question asking to define the difference between emerging and emergent. I really valued the response that was given by Tony Jones which basically critiqued the incessant need to label and categorize everything(typical postmodern critique). Of course this in my mind has a lot of value. But at the same time this thinking scares me immensely. This here introduces a trend that I see in my culture and in a lot of conversation that partake in. This fear and hatred of "labeling", or this overwhelming resistance to any kind of categorization, beurocracy, or even structure. (ex. What are you?? oh I am not part of a denomination I am non-denom.. or I'm not anything I am a Christian) And obviously the impetus for this thinking is the damage caused by excesses of the modern age (boxing people and life). But I am so afraid of this postmodern critique becoming the answer and then we are just in the same place again only looking differently. The fact is that our minds are built to categorize, we define and label everything throughout our day, that is how we think, and to try to move into some totally ambiguous blob of no boundaries seems to me to be somewhat foolish. Isnt there a proper place for label/defining/categorizing things even people??? Can these not be useful tool during some times and in some places.

This is where I like to concept of the hermenuetic circle which bascially means that we move from the whole to its parts and back to the whole again in a type of free flowing dance. Here it seems to me that labels and categories and structure are valuable tools or metaphors(dr. wright:) ) that allow us to think and speak rationally about reality. But at the same time we remember that they are just that, a metaphor, or a tool and should be put down when necessary.

The beauty of the metaphor is that it opens some doors and closes other doors. The emphasis that I wish to use here is that it "opens some doors"!!!!!

I'm just afraid of simply being apart of yet another historical reaction that just jumps to the other side and misses Jesus once again, but at the same time claims to have him. lol

???? Words ????

So I have been thinking recently about words. Fun times I know lol. As I read more and more, and discuss and continue to engage in my all consuming pass time of thinking I find that I run into a bit of a problem. I am confronted with words, that are larger or lesser used in out culture. I have tried to take from the wisdom of those who have gone before me who told me that the large ones vocabulary the deeper the understanding and the richer the mind. So i have taken on the onus of this task of trying to expand my vocabulary and descriptive capability.

Now here is my issue in which I expereice a certain sense of trepidation, in order to learn and think with more words one must use them regularly. But what happens when those around you dont use those words, or even worse dont understand them. I want to be pellucid with all in sundry, but still go about learning in a felicitous way. So how does one cultivates ones mind without comming of as arrogant or "better than" those around him/her? How do you develop your speech in an unbiguitous environment not conducive to such and enterprise??????

I hope you get my humor lol :)