Thought for today - 10/28/2011

 

GET IT RIGHT
"A knowledge of the real Jesus is essential, not just for Christians but for wider society, because his influence is so wide. The reality of an individual who has set the western calendar, permeated human thought and history for over 2,000 years, and influenced the culture of the dominant nations for a millennium demands to be taken seriously. The huge questions about just who Jesus is are more than mere theological musings. And getting Jesus right is also vital because those who claim to follow him do so much in his name. When they get his identity wrong, we see the cruelty of the Crusades, the Inquisitions and entrenched political conservatism. When they get it right, they are inspired to lead sociopolitical campaigns, battle slavery, and establish humanitarian services. This Jesus turns out to be far more at home in the issues affecting communities than he is in ivory towers or church politics."
- Joel Edwards, An Agenda for Change: A Global Call for Spiritual and Social Transformation