From the Heart: Paradigm Shift

I have in the past few months been introduced to your teaching, books and theology. Since I have been listening to your teachings online and reading/listening to some of your books “Myth of a Christian Nation” and “Myth of a Christian Religion” along with listening/reading books by Shane Claiborne, I have had a massive paradigm shift in my faith walk. I thank you so much for helping to open my eyes! Yes, my paradigm has shifted so drastically, it is hard to understand all of the implications in my life based on Greg’s teachings of scripture and theology.

Now, I find it very tough that I will probably be “swimming upstream” from others at my church, including most of the leadership. Although, I recognize that this is what Jesus called me to do and that I need not be worried about my comfort and acceptance, but to put forward His true word in love. I will try, lovingly through self-sacrificial service, teaching, and discussion to help them understand the issues that we are sometimes blinded towards. If anything, I will try to get them to read Greg’s books, but if they won’t, I will keep trying to convince everyone.

I (at the moment) am a registered republican (even though I am a Latino, born and raised in SoCal, go figure. Talk about a wasted vote every 4 years :-), I have always found it disturbing what democrats and others, that are against the party, say about the party that I belong(ed) to. This was because I did not, in principle, believe these things to be true about my beliefs and hoped that was not true of the party’s beliefs. But now my eyes have been opened, not just about the issues on the republican side, but I now see the futility of allowing the political parties and the “world (ie, powers and principalities)” set the rules, frame the debate and trap us into thinking these are the only ways of helping solve social issues (biblical callings) of our time.

My eyes have been opened to how we are to follow Jesus’ example in not letting ourselves get sucked in to or get limited by politics in order to bring the “Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.” There are many more positive, more effective, Kingdom ways that we can impact the world for Jesus. I really think the best way to think about it was said by Greg in his debate with Jim Wallis. In response to Jim’s statement that Dr. King’s use of the political system and the “winds of change” are responsible for lasting change, Greg responded with, “People’s heart’s changing is what brings about the winds of change.” I believe this whole-heartedly. We can only change the world to the extent that we are effective in bringing Christ-like change to ourselves, as well as to one person at a time using Kingdom self-sacrificial love; which is just another way of saying, bringing the “Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.” Thank you Greg for helping me see everything much more clearly!

Thank you and God bless,

John

Image by Ian Sane.  Sourced via Flickr.