Daily Lenten Reflection 2014 (3/13)


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You’re Not a Pacifist Are You?

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http://www.missioalliance.org/youre-not-a-pacifist-are-you/   “You’re not a  pacifist  are you?” I get that question a lot. People who have read my books or heard my sermons will often “confront” me with that question. There seems to be a hint of scandal implied in the question, like asking, “you’re not a  pornographer  are you?” This strikes me as a bit strange. I suppose the hint of scandal comes from the assumption that pacifism is a sort of cousin to cowardice. This also strikes me as strange. To endorse the dominant view that the employment of violence is compatible with Christianity requires no courage at all — that’s just following the crowd. But to differ from the dominant view on the sanctity of state-sponsored violence may require an uncommon reservoir of moral conviction. Pacifism is not a popular position in America, and especially not among patriotic evangelicals who have ardently sought to amalgamate the American state and the Christian ...
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With Bread”: The Etymology & Theology of Companionship

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Spikenard Sunday/Palm Sunday by Kurt Vonnegut

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