"...without realizing it, parents like me are sometimes embarrassed by Jesus. Why would Jesus draw people like that to himself? It is hard for parents to remember that children in the crowds saw Jesus with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners. Parents want to go into Jesus's presence at church in order to keep their kids safe from the world. But Jesus keeps drawing unsafe people from the world to himself. We are confounded. We complain, 'How am I supposed to explain this to my kids?' With that complaint we lose sight of something vital: To explain how Jesus reaches people no matter where they've been or what they've done is to explain to our kids the gospel. It is to explain our own testimony. It is to teach the next generation how Jesus relates to people and the world"
(Eswine, Preaching to a Post-Everything World, 81)
great quote. i think it was Philip Yancey who asked, "why can't the Church be more like AA? AA works because of radical honesty and radical dependence." sad to say, in my experience, this kind of honest transparency is often dangerous to display in the evangelical/fundamentalist sub-culture of the U.S. but there are the refreshing exceptions: a small, now defunct fellowship in the western suburbs of Chicago comes to mind.
Posted by: metal dad | February 10, 2009 at 08:23 PM
Great quote! Thanks bro!
Posted by: Jason Kovacs | February 18, 2009 at 09:11 AM
I must issue this disclaimer before I say anything, and that is:" Yes, Jesus never wants us to shun anyone, no matter who they are or what they did. I understand that and this idea of loving the unloved/lost.
I really don't agree with this idea. I'm not a parent but I don't want my kids to be around those who have no rules. Keep in mind, Jesus never was around the sinners when they were in their act of sinning. No way. To often we yell at the church for not hanging out with the unsaved. One is, I don't want my kids around BAD influences. Here is a quote, "YOu show me your friends, and I'll show you your future." We must be careful of who we choose to be our core group of friends.
Posted by: Phil | December 09, 2009 at 11:56 PM