SURPRISED BY HOPE

Scott McKnight is doing a series on N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope::Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. Scott is of the opinion that this book may well be one of Tom’s most significant books ever.

According to Scott, Tom has written the best book we have on the resurrection (Resurrection of the Son of God) and one of the highlights of the book is its exploration of a theology of resurrection instead of just focusing on proving the resurrection.

Follow this link to The Jesus Creed and either join the stimulating discussion or just read how people think and reason on this issue.

Scott McKnight will be visting South Africa in the first two weeks of May 2008.

(I wrote this in English as I expect Scott to follow the pingback to see what I have written in this regard.)

STUKKENDE MENSE IN ‘N STUKKENDE WÊRELD

Ons sou eerder nie oor die stukkende werklikheid waarin ons lewe wou praat nie, of as ons oor die stukkende werklikheid moet praat, kom ons praat oor die honger en die lyding en die swaarkry en die pyn en die armoede en al daardie dinge. Die stukkend-wees buite onsself. Ons sou onsself nie as stukkend wou reken nie.

Die woord waarmee die Bybel hierdie stukkend wees beskryf is ook ‘n woord wat eerder vermy word: Sonde. Moenie oor sonde praat nie. Moenie op sonde fokus nie. Moenie sondebewus lewe nie. Maar tog, mens worstel elke dag met hierdie gebroke werklikheid.

Ek het gisteraand twee baie lang gesprekke met twee tieners gehad. Die tieners het altwee die gesprekke geinisieer – hulle wou met my oor die dinge praat. Beide het in die slaggat van drank, dwelms, seks ens. getrap. Vir die duur van die gesprek wou die tieners net oor hulle eie gebrokenheid praat. Nie een van hulle se ouers weet nie. Meeste van hulle vriende weet. Hulle weet – ek is stukkend.

OOR TWYFEL

Brian McClaren skryf:

“When committed Christians want to talk about their doubts with me, I tell them this first: doubt is not always bad. In fact, sometimes doubt is absolutely essential. Doubt is like pain: it tells us that something nearby or within us is dangerous. It calls for some attention and action.”

“Doubt is not always a virtue, however. There is a dark doubt, an exaggerated and self-destructive doubt that leads to despair, depression, and spiritual self-sabotage.

“Out of control, it becomes unbelief, a hard heart, an arrogant or defeatist cynicism. But healthy doubt can serve as a Geiger counter that detects error.