cold, historical insights, and the opposition

Today was once again another cold day - only real cold.  Did I mention I hate the cold?  Me and cold don't mix well - like oil and water.  In fact it has been freezing rain here today and a brick 34 degrees.  It could be that it is one of those times where the rain is actually giving us a message: it's a cold day.  Economic recession, war, not much is on the up and up - save lavitra commercials. In actuality though there are some important things going on in our world.  Why, centuries and centuries later, have we not learned something from Christ.  Martin Luther King Jr. once made a statement that a man has already died if he is not willing to give his life for something - but the statement is often taken out of context - it is prefaced with 'in our non-violent' ways.  Jesus says that he came to bring a sword, (look it up... Matthew 10) but everything in the passage is about a backwardness that is so obvious we mistake it for straight forward.  A deeper look would expose that this passage points toward being so on board with Jesus' message of hope and kingdom that one would need to take up sword to get there.  In effect, we should have the passion enough to die for this type of connection with the kingdom and hope through Christ.  Later on, Jesus says that those who live by the sword die also by the sword, another deeply mis-used phrase. So.  Jesus in effect did not come to lead a revolution by military force but a new type of force that would change our reality.   ... Later he makes his thoughts about physical force more clear: "am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?"  What makes sense of this?  There is a deep longing within the message of Christ that brings a revolution of love so powerful and transforming, that it actually calls us to have altered states in our minds.  Think about it, "non-violent ways?"  No one actually thinks that non-violence is a real form of love is it?  I simply have two things that need to be shared.

1. Why do we believe that it was great for one man to stand opposed to all that we see as wrong.  War, segregation, unfair laws, and more.  It was great for a man who is a follow of Christ to stand up and do that - then... but not now.  If I were to stand in front of my church and chastise them for believing in a war that should not be waged and call on them to bring back our troops - I would be ousted from the church.  Why?  Because I oppose them politically?  Spiritually?  Why is it no longer acceptable for a man in the church to call out what he sees as wrong? There is serious opposition to this?  Do we not want to hear good news? 

2. Good news.  If we were to so truly believe this state of mind to the point where we actually loved people, shared wealth, cared for each other - do you think it would be possible to overcome some of the challenges presented extreme fanaticism?  I do.  I believe that the kingdom that Jesus spoke about was truly revolutionary, and we have very few people that enter into it that don't get caught up in something. [myself included]  

My hope is that we overcome.