bluegreen17 | easter

i'm reading a book called waking the dead by john eldridge. i'd say it's semi-radical christianity. when i first picked it up and flipped through it,i was somewhat put-off by the fact that there's a chapter on spiritual warfare. i think if there is a devil,we give him more energy by focusing on him too much. i'm not advocating not being aware of the dark side of life,just not overfocusing on it.

nevertheless i started reading the book and liked how it was written and appreciated the fact that it's not hysterical in tone. and it's ultimately very hopeful. right now i've just read about the fact that the cross was not used as a symbol for the first four hundred years of christianity. according to eldridge, the resurrection is much more important than jesus's death. to which i say:

yes! yes! yes!

at the end of this book,there's an excerpt from another of his books,called journey of desire.
in it,he quotes the message* version of john 5:39-40,in which jesus says:

you have your heads in your bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. but you miss the forest for the trees. these scriptures are all about me! and here i am,standing right before you,and you arent' willing to receive from me the life you say you want.

which reminds me ---

whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers,that you do onto me.

i definitely need to remember that.

------
*a contemporary english translation by eugene h. peterson

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i think if there is a devil,we give him more energy by focusing on him too much. i'm not advocating not being aware of the dark side of life,just not overfocusing on it.

Have you read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis? He made almost this exact same comment. Uncanny.

really? i agree with c.s. lewis?

when i was in high school i read -mere christianity- and was very impressed. i thought he made an intelligent case for christianity,which appealed to me. i then read some of the narnia books-my favorite is -the horse and his boy-. i never did read -the screwtapes letters-. reading something from the devil's point of view didn't and doesn't appeal to me. it seems that lewis was giving the devil too much attention by writing that book,but now you've piqued my curiousity.

of course,then there's the saying that the best trick the devil ever played was convincing people he didn't exist. i guess that's what i mean by not ignoring the dark part...i think it needs to be acknowledged,just not overly focused on. i'm not entirely sure of my views on all this,anyway...i just have certain leanings.

these days i don't really like c.s. lewis' religion books. i think he's too humourless and strict.

thanks for pointing this out to me. i like uncanny things!

i used to read the peterson new testament. back when i read the bible, that is. i ought to again, i suppose. it's a very real-feeling rendering.

i'd never heard of it until recently,so i took a peek at it and i'd like to read it at some point. the esteemed bono of u2 thinks it's great,and it doesn't hurt that i think bono is great in many ways (i'm a long-time huge u2 fan anyway) and i really admire the way he relates to God. it shows in his lyrics,if you listen to them in a certain way. 'heartland' is one of my favorite songs,and it's very spiritual and sensual.i don't even remember them,but i think the same could be said about the songs of solomon.

*runs over to bible*

ha,yeah,geez...listen to this:

song of solomon 7:1-4

how graceful are your feet in sandals,
o queenly maiden!
your rounded thighs are like jewels,
the work of a master hand.
your navel is a rounded bowl
that never lacks mixed wine.
your belly is a heap of wheat,
encircled with lilies.
your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
your neck is like an ivory tower.

what's with christians who think sensuality and sexuality is a tool of the devil? have they not read the bible? that's one thing about the impression i get from judaism. they have a much healthier view of physical life,in my opinion. i'm sure jesus didn't show up to make us become prudes. anyway,enough of my little rant!

from 'heartland':

see the sun rise over her skin
don't change it
see the sunrise on her skin
dawn changes everything

she feels like water in my hand
freeway like a river cuts through this land
into the side of love like a burning spear

of course it loses something without the music,which on this tune is very sexual...my sister sara and i joke around about adam's bass-playing being 'pure sex'.
: )

i agree that judaism seems much more body-centered than christianity. i regret the body-hating strains of christian thought. it was tragic the way they separated the spiritual from the physical, inflicting untold guilt and suffering upon succeeding generations of christians. sad. judaism is so earthy, with the prayers over table wine and so on.

as for bono, he's a sexy beast, isn't he? and spiritual too, going to show that it's possible to be both!

Very interesting post. Thanks for the book reference.

easter

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that's one hell of a comment

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songs of solomon and u2

Re: songs of solomon and u2

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