Monday, February 21, 2005

bound and loosed

"what paul doesn't say is that the gospel deals only with personal ethics and not with social structures. nor does he say that the only way to change structures is to change the heart of individual persons, preferable the person in power, and then see that he exercises his control of society with more humility or discernment or according to better standards. what needs to be seen is rather that the primary social structure through which the gospel works to change other structures is that of the christian community. here, within this community, persons are rendered humble and changed in the way they behave not simply by a proclamation directed to their sense of guilt but also by genuine social relationships with other persons who ask them about their obedience; who (in the words of jesus) 'bind and loose.'"

1 comment:

geoff and sherry said...

nice quote, BF. i happen to know you are reading "The Politics of Jesus" by John Howard Yoder (not the love-child of the current Australian Prime Minister and the little guy with all the Force)...so i'm guessing the quote is from there.

i can relate to being "rendered humble" in our missional community. i hope we become known as "those humble people" as we continue to seek justice, love, and mercy in our city.