One That Will Raise Some Hackles

The difference between active righteousness and passive righteousness is the difference between asserting oneself and having oneself emptied. There is really only one right answer in a Christian sense between these two.

"… it shows us clearly that real sin does not consist in individual transgressions of the law at all, but in the basic attitude of man – his striving to establish his own righteousness, and to glorify himself in the presence of God. But this is sin because such a delusion does violence to God’s honor, and does not acknowledge that man can live only by the grace of God." (Rudolf Bultmann Christ the End of the Law)

Since the whole of Rudolf Bultmann’s work gets shoved aside by the typical evangelical for issues unrelated to the topic he is addressing above, it is necessary to explore this further. The striving of one’s all for God has some unintended consequences. One’s all encompasses one’s own open rebellion against God. It is seen with the elder brother of Luke 15 and Friedrich Nietzsche sees it plainly in his advice to “will to power.”

"Man must incorporate his devil or, as he [Nietzsche] put it, man must become better and more evil; the tree that would grow taller must send its roots down deeper." (Irrational Man by William Barrett)

In other words, asserting oneself in any way (including synergistically working toward holiness) incorporates the very devil of human nature. It may not be sexual sin, heroin addiction, or any other “prodigal” sin that a typical Christian might define as the essence of sin. This “elder brother” sin is much more subtle and more difficult to detect in Christian circles. It manifests itself in clean-cut suburbia, Republican sensibilities, and sexual propriety. It looks like old-fashioned American know-how, but it disguises the ultimate condition of sin seen in the Garden. It is the sin of overthrowing God to create one’s own righteousness or power without Him.

Fred Eaglesmith Quote

When I was just a boy, my daddy said to me, "Always stay straight and true and things will work out, you'll see."

Well if my daddy was here tonight to listen to me sing my song, I'd look him straight in the eye and I'd tell him he was wrong.

- Fred Eaglesmith's song York Road

From One of My Papers

What are the dangers then of a produced identity over and against a received identity? The produced identity is man-made and it is ultimately given, not by the one it produces, but the world around him. If my identity is produced and not received, then I hang on every compliment my pastor might give me. I wait with baited breath for it. My identity is based competitively with those who are in my community. A community of men gives me my identity. One day, I may perform well. One day, I may perform poorly. It waxes and wanes like the moon. As a businessman, my identity increases and decreases every day based on what the market does and how well I have anticipated it. As a husband, my identity is based on my identity as a businessman. As a wife, my identity is based on how well I am winning the war with Father Time. As a child, my identity is based on which schools have accepted me. As a pastor, my identity is based on how much my church grows. And so it marches on. It is a futile cycle that never ends. This is the fruit of the third use of the law, the Puritan idea of church discipline, and the “Protestant Work Ethic.”

Christianity is very different in its pure form, however. It is blissfully different. It is based on passivity and reception. It is based on a gift. “Come to me all who are heavy-laden and I will refresh you.” (Matt. 11:28) This does not sound like a striving religion. This does not sound like a situation where a man’s works define who he is. It sounds like a man’s identity is established despite his situation. As always, Luther says it best:

"Beware of aspiring to a righteousness of such purity that you would not wish to be looked upon as a sinner, or, still worse, not to be one. For Christ dwells only in sinners. It was for this very reason he descended from heaven, where he had his dwelling with the righteous, to dwell among us poor sinners on earth. Meditate on love of such power, and you will then experience his consolation of love." - Martin Luther

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God,
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down,
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o'er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

He Is Risen Indeed

Mark 16:1-6

And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here..."

E.J. Dionne Article on Neo-Atheism

It's true that religious Christians were among those who persecuted Jews. It is also true that religious Christians were among those who rescued Jews from these most-un-Christian acts. And it is a sad fact that secular forms of dogmatism have been at least as murderous as the religious kind.

But what's really bothersome is the suggestion that believers rarely question themselves while atheists ask all the hard questions. But as Novak argued in one of the best critiques of neo-atheism in the March 19 issue of National Review, "Questions have been the heart and soul of Judaism and Christianity for millennia.'' (These questions get a fair reading in another powerful commentary on neo-atheism by James Wood, himself an atheist, in the Dec. 18 issue of The New Republic.)

Very nice article by Dionne answering the shrill atheism of folks like Richard Dawkins. A little on the liberal end, but I'll take it. Read the whole thing here. - DOB

My Grandfather

Here is an interesting article about some political inner-workings that my grandfather, George Hawkins, was involved in. It was during the administration of Governor "Big Jim" Folsom and Grandaddy was a state representative from Etowah County, Alabama. He later was elected to the State Senate after an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 1958.

(That's Governor Folsom pictured.)