Podcast

Like and turning the other cheek and getting naked, going the second mile is an act of resistance. It is part of a reframed spirituality that seeks to upend the power structures in the ancient world. It exposes injustice and insists on a recognition of universal human dignity. As with our previous examples of resistance, I lean heavily on the research of Walter Wink (affiliate). This time, it focuses specifically on occupying Roman armies.

[Read more…] about The Second Mile

The second way Jesus tells people to resist, is to get naked. But it is a purposeful nakedness that plays with a cultural understanding of shame. In the process, it serves as a light of the world. That is a lot to take from the words, “and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your tunic as well.” So let me explain and draw a modern equivalent to getting naked. Once again, Walter Wink (affiliate) will be our guide.

[Read more…] about Get Naked

Jesus’ take on resistance begins with turning the other cheek. To be honest, most in the American Christianity find a way to dismiss this text. Those who take it seriously interpret it as bypassing self-defense. They suggest that, rather than absorbing a single blow, you should allow yourself to be hit twice. But there is an easy to miss cultural nuance that transforms what Jesus says.

[Read more…] about Turning the Other Cheek

Jesus’ exploration of his reframed spirituality continues with a series of teachings on resistance. This sounds odd for two reasons. One, in the United States we just had four years of liberal “resistance” revolving around Donald Trump. The other is that most of our Bibles have a translation that is something like, “Do not resist an evildoer.” So let me unpack this a bit.

[Read more…] about Is Jesus’ Resistance a Thing?

While this entire week of posts feels exposing, perhaps none more than one on honesty. That is right, despite decades of struggle with anger and adultery, despite two divorces, honesty is what hits home hardest. Perhaps because I know all the rest flows from my inability to be honest. So to avoid any allure of hypocrisy, I am going to talk about me. I am going to talk about my honestly to honesty journey.

[Read more…] about Honestly to Honesty

As Jesus continues reframing spirituality he explores divorce and more generally, sin avoidance loopholes. Again, if we skip the broader context, we miss this. If we miss the big picture, we start making rules about when people can and cannot divorce. Similar rules come up about remarriage. This is largely why the church is infamous for telling a woman to stay with an abusive husband. After all, he might hit her or verbally assault her, but he did not cheat.

[Read more…] about Divorcing Loopholes