“Among the most countercultural things Jesus ever said, no matter the culture, were his commands in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also,’ and ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven’ (Mt. 5:39, 43-45). Instead of the perpetual ‘us against them’ mentality, Christ gave us a different paradigm for cultural engagement, even in the face of conflict–and especially in the face of conflict. This Christlike way of living is not cultivated in echo chambers, but rather in communities of empathy and understanding where believers are willing to take a listening posture and, when necessary, to forgive and seek forgiveness.”
Eric Costanzo, David Yang, and Matthew Sorens, Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022, page 28.
photo by GAC
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 