"Reclaiming the American idea against all this means returning to the beginning: to our basic commitment to the inexhaustible, inviolable dignity of every person, and to our recognition that an effective and enduring politics can only be built atop this fundamental conviction." B. Sasse
Tag: justice
Quote of Note #210: We Will Still Love You
"Do what you will, and we shall still love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good." MLK, Jr.
Quote of Note #208: Compassion as Social Critique
"Thus the compassion of Jesus is to be understood not simply as a personal emotional reaction but as a public criticism in which he dares to act upon his concern against the entire numbness of his social context." W. Brueggemann
Quote of Note #200: Caring for the Weak & Vulnerable
"We do justice and God smiles."
Bible Note #62: Compassion & the Anger of Jesus–Mark 3:1-6
They knew that Jesus was guided by compassion for the weak and broken and not by some hard-edged interpretation of the law.
Quote of Note #193: The True Defense against Communism
"We must not engage in negative anti-Communism but rather in a positive thrust for democracy, realizing that our greatest defense against Communism is to take offensive action in behalf of justice and righteousness. After our condemnation of the philosophy of Communism has been eloquently expressed, we must with positive action seek to remove those conditions … Continue reading Quote of Note #193: The True Defense against Communism
Bible Note #57: Zacchaeus #1–The Real Zacchaeus and That Terrible Children’s Song
Christians, especially American Christians, can be really good at sanitizing the gospels in order to make Jesus less offensive. We want a version of Jesus that doesn’t make us uncomfortable, one that fits with our American way of seeing things. The story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus is a case in point. One of the … Continue reading Bible Note #57: Zacchaeus #1–The Real Zacchaeus and That Terrible Children’s Song
Quote of Note #190: Racism and Division in the Church
"The Church must speak out with one voice against bigotry and racism. We have been too quiet. The time is now. A platform has been placed in front of us and we must speak with clarity and truth. We've made a mess of things, but there is a way forward. It will require us to … Continue reading Quote of Note #190: Racism and Division in the Church
Quote of Note #183: Giving Myself Away for Christ
"But the truth is that there is enough time and enough wealth to go around. The people in the churches every Sunday outnumber the people who are on the streets and the number of people who are on welfare. If the church took up the responsibility of caring for the poor, of living internationally, of … Continue reading Quote of Note #183: Giving Myself Away for Christ
Quote of Note #179: Spiritual Wisdom and Justice
"Spiritual wisdom is false unless it goes beyond pious sacrifices and regulated worship services and enters into the bloodstream of society by giving justice to the downtrodden, the lonely, and the destitute, and ending the oppression of social outcasts (Isaiah 1:10-20; 29:13-24; 58-59; Amos 5-6; Micah 2-3, 6)." Calvin G. Seerveld, Biblical Studies and Wisdom … Continue reading Quote of Note #179: Spiritual Wisdom and Justice
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 