March « 2006 « Simply Mandi Kaye

Monthly Archives: March 2006

Mar 13 2006

Jesus and Homosexuals

by Mandi

I have found the most objective and Christ-like response to homosexuality. Scot McKnight has posted on his blog a series about Jesus and Homosexuality.

Brief excerpt:

Humans are Eikons; humans are people; they are not morality acts or immorality acts. That is my point. If we believe, as I do, in God’s embracing grace that awakens in us the capacity to embrace God, ourselves, others, and the world (see Embracing Grace), then we will begin each and every moral discussion with the fact that humans are Eikons of God, persons, people, relationally-charged folks whose central need is to relate to God, self, others, and the world. So, I begin right here: How would Jesus have “treated” homosexuals? The answer to that question is incredibly simple: he would have treated them as Eikons, as human beings made in God’s image who are designed to reflect God’s glory in this world by relating to God lovingly, to themselves lovingly, to others lovingly, and to the world lovingly. They would have been welcomed at the table of discussion, they would have been invited to listen to him, to interact with him, to follow him, and to fellowship with his followers. They would have been challenged to live before God as Jesus taught. In short, they would have been loved by Jesus. Not shunned; not humiliated; not ostracized; but given a seat for as long as they cared to be with him. He would have told everyone and anyone that there was a seat (or place; they didn’t use chairs) at the table for them.

…………….

If I may, I’d like to draw a significant conclusion at this point: the walls around Jesus were permeable. The walls of most churches are impermeable. Those in and those out are clear. I find the recent trend of many Christians, many of whom are “emerging” folk, to create environments where the walls are permeable to be one of the most significant features of the emerging movement and these environments have the capacity to unleash kingdom power. Jesus’ table fellowship, which is the heart of his mission, is more like coffee discussions at coffee shops or what a student calls “party evangelism” or “porch missions” than it is like “church” as we now know it and do it.

How right he is! We spend so much of our time judging and ostracizing when Jesus would never have done the same. Jesus would have invited everyone to his table. He loved everyone. Why can’t we be a little more like Him?

Categories: Christianity, God, Grace, Homosexuality, Jesus, Love, Religion | 1 Comment »

Mar 13 2006

Coolest sidewalk art I’ve ever seen

by Mandi

Check it out! Seriously, this guy rocks.

Categories: Randomness | No Comments »

Mar 5 2006

Epiphany

by Mandi

It hit me tonight, like a ton of bricks. No matter how Christian I try to be or how Christian people think I am, it’s not enough.

I’m nothing like Jesus.

I call myself a Christian, which means Christ-like. But I’m nothing like him.

You see, I live in a Christian bubble. I am surrounded by only Christians. I work in a Christian organization, and my social life revolves around the church. Jesus was not like that! The first thing he did when his ministry started was surround himself with sinners. His closest friends were people who were part of the rougher crowd. He came to heal the sick, not the healthy!

So why is it that Christians seem to believe that they can’t hang around unbelievers? It’s like we’re still living in the world of 3rd grade, and the nonbelievers have cooties and somehow Jesus is our cootie shot. When will we take a stand and grow up?

I want to be like my Jesus.

Categories: Personal, Spiritual Growth | 5 Comments »

Mar 3 2006

Is the pro-life view inconsistent?

by Mandi

As I was performing my morning ritual of blog reading, I came across a most interesting post on Parableman. He is commenting on recent posts made on Pro-Life Blogs that suggest the common position of pro-life with exceptions (for example, rape and incest) is an inconsistent position.

I agree with Pro-Life Blogs.

My beliefs on abortion are very closely tied to my faith and belief in God. I believe that God is the Creator of every life. I believe that God knows every child before they are even conceived. I believe children are gifts, not consequences.

If a woman is raped and becomes pregnant, God has a reason, plan, and purpose for the child. No one on earth has the right to take the life of a child God saw fit to bring into being.

By allowing exceptions, we are indirectly saying, “No, God. You were wrong. This child shouldn’t be allowed to come into being because it’s too traumatic for the woman. We think you made the wrong decision by creating this life so we are going to take it.”

Jeremy, of Parableman, says, “Being pro-life is being generally opposed to abortion, not being absolutely opposed to it, and moral considerations might lead someone to be generally opposed to it while allowing some exceptions, particularly in these life-or-death cases.”

What greater moral consideration is there than the life of a child who did not choose to be brought into the world, can not choose to remain in it, and is at no fault whatsoever for any choice made by the mother, or the man who may have raped her? What kind of morals do we have when we kill a child God brought into this world in order to save the life of the mother? If our steps are numbered, and I believe they are, then killing the child won’t save the life of the mother if God intended her to die. And saving the life of the child won’t kill the mother if God intended her to live.

Perhaps my argument is too “Christian flavored” for you. But for me, the two issues (God and abortion) are so closely tied together that you can’t talk about abortion without talking about God.

Categories: Abortion, Christianity, God | 2 Comments »

Mar 3 2006

Lent?

by Mandi

So I’ve been having this discussion through the comments of my friend Zach’s blog (I use the word “friend” loosely since I’ve never met the guy, but I immensely enjoy his blog..and he is a brother in Christ).

Basically, I don’t get the tradition of Lent. Let me ask you the same question I posed for him:

How does giving up soda (tv, chocolate, meat, etc.) make one more like Christ?

Zach assumed I was being facetious, but I wasn’t. It honestly seems superficial to me. Maybe I just don’t understand the tradition well enough. I was never taught anything about Lent growing up. All I’ve ever seen are people who never make any attempt to follow Christ throughout the year give something up for a few weeks before they give in to temptation and endulge themselves in whatever it was they gave up.

This seems superficial to me.

I understand that the point is supposed to be about sacrifice. But how arrogant are we that we think giving up chocolate for 40 days is anything remotely comparable to Jesus’ sacrifice?

Maybe I’ve missed the boat altogether. I’m sure that some of you will not hesitate to tell me how wrong I am, but please don’t miss my point.

I am not belittling anyone who participates in Lent with a pure and sincere heart.

I am however, seeking answers to my questions. Why should Lent be important to me? How would me giving up something (Chocolate milk, for example, something I love dearly) for 40 days make me any more like Christ?

Categories: Christianity, Religion | 4 Comments »

Mar 1 2006

Dan Brown is a Christian

by Mandi

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Dan Brown, author of the controversial The Da Vinci Code, asserts that he is a committed Christian.

“Suggesting a married Jesus is one thing, but questioning the Resurrection
undermines the very heart of Christian belief,” said Brown, who described
himself as a committed Christian.

Some sources completely scoff at this idea.

Ok, I admit. Brown certainly doesn’t live the testimony of someone who is committed to living for Christ. But you know what? Neither do a lot of folks who consider themselves Christians. And admittedly, a lot of folks who call themselves Christians aren’t. The Bible is pretty clear on that: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matt. 7:21-23).

But the Bible also says this in the very same chapter: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

There isn’t a single person alive who doesn’t do something that breaks God’s heart on a daily basis. If being a Christian means you do everything right, then no one can claim the name.

No one knows Dan Brown’s heart except God.

I’ve already posted on why I think there’s nothing wrong with The Da Vinci Code, and I do believe that a Christian could have written that book. Why is the church so pitted against creativity and imagination? It’s as if nothing good has happened since the 70′s. Did we reach the pinnacle of creativity decades ago? If we did, then this world is a sad sad place. I believe that my God takes joy in art and expressions of ourselves through art. God’s nature is that of creativity. Look around! See what He created! We are made in His image–that makes us creators too!