The Shape of Things

• Spend less than $200 for food for the entire month
• Buy an alarm clock (so that I won’t have my iPhone on my bedside stand)
• Run a 5k in less than 25 min (my personal best is 25:50)
• Play Wii Fit everyday
• Read the book of Genesis (taking notes on each chapter)
• Learn 5 words in Portuguese
• Write a [written] letter to my nieces and nephew
• Call family once a week
• Date night with Kelly at least twice

As I was enjoying the sound of Kelly’s voice in the other room as she talked on the phone with a friend… I heard the subject of politics come up. This surprised me a bit due to the fact that she generally doesn’t talk politics all that much. All of sudden she walked downstairs and said… “Is Barack Obama Muslim?”

I said “No, he is a defiantly a Christian, where did you come up with that?” Her friend’s Grandpa had told her that he was Muslim.

Do we live in a country where even though there is 40 minute video called ‘Reconciling Faith and Politics’ on http://www.barackobama.com we can get issues so confused? Are we that uninformed? Am I uninformed?

This is a testament to the importance of pursuing and living in a diverse community. A place that challenges your thoughts and convictions. A place where tough issues can be discussed as respectful adults.

I feel like I am in that place… though I often take all the knowledge and thought around me for granted. I am known to be quite hard-headed, but I am learning a lot about tough ‘gray’ issues and a lot about myself.

For example… even though I haven’t been able to formulate my thoughts just yet, there is an interesting debate going on at my pastors blog regarding the “Gay Conversation“.

What are you thoughts people? Are we uninformed? If so… why?

This past weekend the church that Kelly and I attend merged with another church called Interbay.

I find this is be quite interesting due to the fact that you really don’t see a lot of churches in the inner city. Typically churches will close down there doors, sell the property to a developer that will want to build condos and then move the congregation out to the ‘burbs.

Not Quest and Interbay. They are going to continue to spread the love and grace of Christ to Seattleites.

A couple posts on the merger from Pastor Eugene:
an incredible legacy
we are one

It was also covered by one of the local papers:
2 very different Seattle churches decide to unite

I want to thank Joe and David for commenting on my post regarding Religious Pluralism. However, I do want to clarify my thoughts…

I fully support the separation of Church and State, and also the first amendment. My question was a theological one, not a political one. Let me restate it:

By saying that we live in a Pluralist society are you saying that the Gods of Hinduism, Islam, etc… exist? And if so, by acknowledging their existence are you negating your faith in God?

I’ll leave you with two quotes:

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

A.W. Tozer in the Knowledge of the Holy

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

Yesterday was the first of what I am sure will be many debates between the countless (eight) candidates vying for the democratic presidential nomination.

I haven’t paid attention to the views on the most of the candidates, but I did have a chance to view this speech by Barack Obama: Reconciling Faith and Politics

His comments about us living in a pluralist society got me thinking. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your savior, can you also believe we live in a pluralist society? Let me try and unpack this for you.

On one hand you have Jesus Christ saying the following in the book of John

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

On the other hand the theory behind religious pluralism:

In its strongest sense, religious pluralism holds that no single religion can claim absolute authority to teach absolute truth.

Obama’s response to his opponent’s claims in the 2004 Illinois Senate election that “Jesus wouldn’t vote for Barack Obama” was the following:

I answered with what has become the typical liberal response in such debates, namely I said that we live in a pluralist society and I cant enforce my own religious views on another and I was running to be the Senator of Illinois and not the minister of Illinois.

So what are my views on Obama’s stance on Faith and Politics?

Obviously his statement was a very well crafted political stance on a tough issue. He said it with conviction and I was really pumped up after hearing it. I was saying to myself… this guy is a strong Christian. But the more I studied the issue and really thought about it, all I see is another politician who is very gifted in public speaking. He was right down the fence, but he made it sound like he was on everyone’s side.

No thanks Barack. I like my leaders to stick there neck out… take a risk. Someone like Jesus Christ.

I was fortunate enough to get a call from my buddy Steve today who is in his first semester at Dallas Theological Seminary. We lived in the same city for about 6 years and grew very close together, but since I moved to Seattle and him to Dallas it has been hard to stay in contact. Today however was absolutely great!! We talked for about 90 minutes about lots of things (seminary, marriage, singleness, free will, community, etc) and for that brief period it felt like old times.

I’ll leave you with a phrase that Steve brought up a couple times…

“faith seeking understanding”

define: faith
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

define: seeking
the act of searching for something

define: understanding
the cognitive condition of someone who understands