I have issues.
I know, I know--that sounds bad. (Or maybe if you know me, you already knew that.) But I mean I have issues with politics. I have issues with Republicans. I have issues with the current president. I have issues with Democrats. And I have issues with the president elect.
You might say I'm hard to please. That's true.
In fact, of all the presidents to have served our great nation--and check out this fascinating campaign poster above, with thanks to Jonathan Horowitz--I can't think of one I would trust completely, or agree with completely.
Reason being, ultimately the only "citizen ruler" (which is what presidents are, from a federalist, constitutional, and historic point of view) that I trust and follow is Jesus. That's the significance of the "kingdom" part of this blog's title.
Jesus is, in fact, the ultimate citizen ruler. According to the Christian tradition, He who was God became man ("a citizen") in the Incarnation, and lived, died, and rose again in perfection and in my place. His resurrection was His inauguration into His "presidency," an office He will occupy until the End of Time. My faith in His administration brings me all the benefits which have accrued to Him as the Perfect Son of God.
This is the good news. And this is why, when it comes to other citizen rulers (ie. presidents) and other rulers in general (kings, prime ministers, generals, what have you), I take comfort in the knowledge that God is ultimately in charge.
As proof of this point, check out the ancient wisdom of Solomon--a king himself--when he wrote:
The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever He will.
Last night my children and I prayed for the president elect. We also prayed for his family. And the administration he will build. Our prayer, among other things, is that God--the King of Kings--would guide his heart like a farmer might guide a stream into his fields.
My children were eager to join me in this prayer. Won't you also?
My local paper runs a weekend book review feature in the business section called Saturday Reader. The books that are typically discussed relate to best practices in business, an interest area of mine.
In August, this review was offered about two books, each of which dealt with a similar theme: how does a business person deal with dissatisfied customers?
The books reviewed included Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000 and A Complaint Is a Gift.
Everyone has been on both sides of this issue: either being complained to, or having a complaint. If your experience is like mine, the titles of these books say much that needs to be said.
One issue that the review doesn't touch on is the challenge of "getting" at the discontented customers. How do you hear from them before their issue snowballs into a crisis?
I liked this phrase in the review especially: "...the passion evinced by unhappiness can be an entry point for further dialogue."
The word "church" has an interesting history. Miriam Webster traces the roots of the modern English word to the Middle English chirche, which ultimately comes into the English language from kyrios ("lord, master") in the Greek term for "house of the Lord."
But words are tricky things because the word which is translated with the English word "church" in the Greek New Testament is the word ekklesia, which means "those who are called out." The word ekklesia is much more like the word synagogue, which means "gathered together."
Whether the English word "church" is the best term to describe what the New Testament calls the Ekklesia is a moot point. But in an age of deconstruction of meaning, its worth reexamining what these terms suggest. True enough: etymology isn't everything. But it can illustrate where we need to change our thinking.
- For example, a building, or an event, strictly speaking, are not "church." It is the people at the building, not the building itself, which is "the church." It is the people at the event, and not the "event itself" which is comprises the church.Taken all together, I like what one colleague has said: "We are called to be the church, not go to church."
- I wonder: how many non-church people get that idea? How would they say Christians are doing at 'being the church'? How many Christians get this idea? How would they rate themselves?
