Just about every great religious and philosophical tradition has some version of the Golden Rule. It's an ethical framework dating back some 4,000 years to ancient Egypt. 2,000 years ago, at a time when common Jewish thinking was "an eye for an eye" retributive justice, the Sermon on the Mount upped the standard. In the context of explaining our heavenly Father giving good … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Extends the Trajectory from the Golden Rule to the Platinum Rule
compassion
Beatnik Christianity Replaces the Ethical Framework of Right vs. Wrong
The single worst piece of advice I ever received came from a groomsman's dad shortly before my first wedding. He said, "You need to look at marriage like that scene from Apollo 13. 'Failure is not an option!' You must honor your vows no matter what." For him, and for much of Christian culture, there's no room for complexity or nuance. It doesn't matter how much you're … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Replaces the Ethical Framework of Right vs. Wrong
Beatnik Christianity Sees Christendom As Nauseating to the Kingdom of God
Christendom is to the Kingdom of God as cancer is to the human body. It's a corruption that insidiously warps and seeks to kill our Lord's spiritual vision. That's why it's beyond tragic that so many Jesus followers today hear the words "Kingdom of God" and conceive of something vaguely akin to Medieval Christianity where the institutional church exercised hegemonic power over … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Sees Christendom As Nauseating to the Kingdom of God
Beatnik Christianity Bends Over Backwards to Accommodate Special Needs
In all of Christian culture, the thing I find most absurd is the Catholic Church's prohibition against gluten-free Communion wafers. This sacrament is a means of grace to spiritually feed God's people, but even microscopic levels of gluten make it dangerous to worshipers with celiac disease and other severe gluten sensitivities. Yet the Vatican's dogmatic hierarchy refuses any … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Bends Over Backwards to Accommodate Special Needs
Beatnik Christianity Celebrates Racial Diversity
Jesus is King. His Kingdom is a transformative, counterculture movement for a peaceful world living into God’s perfect will for human flourishing. The principles undergirding this movement are love, truth, grace, compassion, forgiveness, hope, humility, justice, mercy, sustainability, redemption, and wisdom. It is a beautiful vision that transcends such barriers as sex, … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Celebrates Racial Diversity
