An Ichtus...swimming upstream

So many times as a believer I've felt talked down to or have been afraid to share my Christian world-view. Praise God that today was different... as I sat eating my lunch with some co-workers we were having a lively discussion about all kinds of things. 3 of us are professing Christians (inc. me) and one older gentleman whom I believe is not a believer. As we sat there talking about various social issues and injustices.. I couldn't escape the palpable feeling of uncomfortable judgment, it's like I could see people eating of the "tree."

I felt so bad for them, and finally I had to chime in because it got to the point where people were justifying killing others. (Death penalty..etc..) I just calmly and somberly (because it's how i felt) explained my view on it, even though the world's institutions and governments sanction the use of death as a criminal deterrent, as a follower of Jesus Christ I can't hold to that same view, and I defended the sanctity of life by arguing that it's not me personally who is to judge someone based on their actions, that's our broken-fallen worldly system's job to do that. not mine. and the reaction I got was total disdain, which surprised me.

As I read Greg Boyd's blog on Christian Anarchy I was like "That's how I feel!!" and I was kind of relieved.. he said it best when he was talking about Jacques Ellul

"The Kingdom Jesus established is anarchistic in that it recognizes God alone as the arche (supreme power). It thus lives free from all other powers (an-arche [anarchy] means without authority). Governments are part of the fallen, oppressed world system that has been done away with in Christ.

In Ellul's estimation, it's not appropriate for Kingdom people to either support or revolt against governments. This gives them too much credit. Rather, following the example of Jesus, we should ignore them as much as possible, put up with them as much as we need to, and stay focused on living out the radical Kingdom. If we do this, then we, like Jesus, will find ourselves revolting against the government (and culture). We are, most fundamentally, called to be non-conformists. Our service to the world is the way our counter-cultural lives expose the invalidity of all forms of government by manifesting the reign of God." G. Boyd

As I got back to working after all this and shortly before I felt led to post this. I became aware that the Spirit was moving in me, and a peace came over me, like I knew that I had done what was asked of me and swam upstream in a world of fishes going downstream. I'm not taking pride in that i might be right or wrong, but I am thankful for the work that the Lord has done in me to make me more obedient.

my 2 cents...