A Question for the Red Letter Christian Types

I went to hear Tony Campolo speak last night. As usual, he was enjoyable, engaging, and talked passionately about issues that I care passionately about.

This time he spoke about a group of people I've heard of - the "Red-Letter Christians", which, best as I can tell, is a group of believers who think it's important to take the things Jesus said seriously, particularly in regards to issues of social justice, the environment, poverty, and so forth.

Dr. Campolo spoke very convincingly of the need to care about all of these topics (though I admit that I was not particularly hard to convince).

And yet, as we walked away, I wondered how the following question would be answered:

Much is made by those who espouse the words of Christ of the need to work to eradicate poverty and injustice, causes which are obviously of the utmost importance. However, I wonder what one who says it's an achievable goal to eliminate poverty does with another statement of Jesus', "the poor will always be among you." What is the balance between working to eliminate poverty and injustice based on the words of Christ, while recognizing that this is not an achievable goal, based also on the words of Christ?

I'm all for eliminating poverty and spreading the Kingdom of God, but just once, I'd like to hear an articulate poverty activist, a "red-letter christian" address this other passage. It's just not one that seems to come up. And I just can't buy the idea that I can take seriously some words of Jesus and not others.

So, I'm opening it up - anyone want to take this question on? Anyone want to engage this one a little bit? I'd like to hear some opinions, however varied they may be.

Intellectual Stimulation

I went to a speech/lecture given by Dr. Tony Campolo at a local university college tonight. I've heard him speak a number of times, and read a few of his books, but always enjoy the chance to hear him again.

What I'd forgotten about myself is that I absolutely love the academic world. I love writing papers and discussing ideas. I want to know how the pieces fit together, and what a wide variety of people think about a topic. I want to discuss an idea passionately, ask lots of questions about it, and maybe even have an argument about it.

Evenings like that are so often creative stimulation for me. I feel alive in those moments. My thoughts are stirring, even now, with the many possibilities for writing projects from the ideas and questions bouncing around my head.

I needed an evening like this today. After a rough few days, I needed to laugh and think and be challenged in my views. I needed to evaluate why I agreed, and why I disagreed with various points being made. I needed to use my brain a little. I needed to do something that made me feel like celebrating the fact that I'm alive.

I almost stayed home in exhaustion and disgust with myself. I'm so glad that I didn't. Those moments of feeling alive are a gift that remains somewhat rare (though becoming more common than they were in the past), and each and every one is a gift to be grateful for, and a gift worth celebrating.