A crushing, yet liberating enlightenment (paradox, anyone?)

John Howard Yoder's book The Politics of Jesus is breaking me. Shredding me. There are times in reading where I nod along with what he saying, there are times where I feel myself about to fall apart in a mess of tears and conviction, there are times I don't understand what the crap he's saying because he drops ridiculous vocabulary, there are times I'm angry because he's Biblically and consistently showing me that I hold many of my views in opposition to God's expectations for how I would view and interact with others, and there are times my jaw drops because what he's suggesting is so revolutionary, so paradigm-shattering, that if Christians grasped it and lived by it, our witness in the world would be transformed.

In other words, when the world thought of "Christian", they wouldn't think "homophobic and judgmental," they'd think "radical love and commitment to their God."

Politics of Jesus is breathtaking in its scope, and I'm only now beginning to grasp it after reading large parts over a year ago. I cannot claim ignorance or justify my inaction in so many areas of my life.

I'm not just called to care about my friends and enemies. I'm called to actively give my life for them.

I'm not just called to be aware of God's being and expectations for my life. I'm called to stand in awe of Him and quake in his Presence, giving deep respect to Him as I recognize I am creation and He is creator.

I'm not just called to give intellectual assent to what God has done (and is doing). I'm called to line up my life in its entirety: intellect, emotions, thoughts, actions, and speech with a commitment to being transformed into the image of Christ.

My first and primary allegiance is not to liberalism or conservatism or democracy or moralism or judgmentalism: it's to a King and a Kingdom. Much thanks to Derek Webb for continuing to radically shape my thoughts as well.