I've always had very limited music knowledge, so it doesn't surprise me that I have never heard of an artist named Moby, who Sojourners highlighted in their recent Special Issue. One comment, however, caught my eye:

Moby’s willingness to also walk the walk – evident in his ongoing commitment to simple living and so-called “Robin Hood-style philanthropy” – are indeed a unique representation of seeking, while in the spotlight, to follow Jesus – whom Moby sees as “essentially a homeless anarchist

Props to him for living simple and engaging in philanthropy, but seeing Jesus as a "homeless anarchist"? I didn't buy it (and still really don't), but when looking up the exact definition of anarchit on Dictionary.com, I found that "anarchist" is defined as one who engages in anarchy, with one of the definitions of anarchy being:

- a theory that regards the absence of all direct or coercive government as a political ideal and that proposes the cooperative and voluntary association of individuals and groups as the principal mode of organized society.

The others didn't fit him at all:

- a state of society without government or law.
- political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control: The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy.
- confusion; chaos; disorder: Intellectual and moral anarchy followed his loss of faith.

Interesting, like I said, when I think of Jesus, "anarchist" doesn't come to mind, but I can see it using the definition above.

I think this relates to my post last night. Some like Dallas Willard, others loathe him. I think those that loathe him do so due to his emphasis on our role in spiritual growth and maturity, thinking his focus puts too much stress on our effort, and I agree that when we look too much to our own power we are doomed. However, as the title of this blog reflect, I like balance, and I think he does possess a good amount of it. Therefore, I wanted to post this quote I read in his "The Great Omission" that I picked up last night:

We must approach current disappointments about the walk with Christ in a similar way. It too is not meant to run on just anything you give it (JPN note: his analogy a paragraph earlier focused on a the fictional tale of his neighbor who was having car problems, he thought it was a lemon, but then found out the neighbor was adding a gallon of water to each tank of gas, cars weren't meant to run on water). If it doesn't work at all, or only in fits and starts, that is because we do not give ourselves to it in a way that allows our lives to be taken over by it. Perhaps we have never been told what to do. We are misinformed about "our part" in eternal living. Or we have just learned the "faith and practice" of some group we have fallen in with, not that of Jesus himself. Or maybe we have heard something that is right-on with Jesus himself, but misunderstood it (a dilemna that tends to produce good Pharisees or "legalists," which is a really hard life.) Or perhaps we thought the "Way"we have heard seemed too costly and we have tried to economize (supplying a quart of moralistic or religious "water" now and then.)

I've been reminded and confronted of late both through reading and personal experience the large group of people who are frustrated with their faith, mad at God, etc. I may get myself in trouble here as this is sort of a rant and those are not often well-received, but most of the time I find that these are the very people who are not involved in a community of believers, have not set out on a proper study of the Bible (using the excuse that they can't understand what is written in it) and thus have not set forth a biblical worldview in their lives and heart. They are involved in things contrary to what the Word teaches and thus blame the Church or God for their misgivings. Does this world suck at times, you bet it does. Are we living as God intended, no way, not since the Fall of Man. But thankfully through Jesus we have access to the Kingdom of God, right here and right now, and the promise of heaven when we pass from this life to the next. Unfortunately, Satan is the prince of this world and in control, but God has broken into this world, redeemed His people, and offered us hope through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Thanks be to God. We get through these "life sucks" times (and I have them often) by reminding ourselves of Who is in charge here, keeping an eternal perspective, and falling back onto God's Word and the community of believers for support and encouragement. Please, no more being mad at God and the Church, it gives me a headache.

Related to this, twice in the past week (once in an email from our school's FCA coordinator remembering a student who died a year and a half ago and who had a basketball court dedicated after him and once today in an article on the Amish school shooting) I heard it said that these occurrences were God's plan. The exact text from the Amish article reads:

We think it was God’s plan and we’re going to have to pick up the pieces and keep going...

I'm sorry, I just don't buy into this thinking. Do you really think it was God's plan that a madman broke into a school, shot ten young girls, murdering five of them and turning the gun on himself, or that in CO a guy did the same, sexually assaulting six girls, killing one and himself, or the countless young girls and boys around the world who serve as sex slaves for foreign tourists, or the people living in desitute conditions in Darfur, in constant fear of death and starvation? Do you really think that God planned a 7th grade boy would come home from school perfectly healthy one Friday afternoon and be dead by 10pm? This isn't God's plan, this isn't what He had in mind when he created the world and humanity? But due to the rebellion by Satan and the Fall of Man, this is the world we live in, and being an apocalyptic-thinking person, I have to think it's going to get worse before it gets better. That brings us back to the text and conclusions I began with. Yes, there are times when I question God and how He could allow certain things to happen. But I trust in the end that all will work out, those who deserve the punishment will get it and those who put their faith, hope, and trust in Christ will get the eternal reward that was bought for them on the cross and with the resurrection of Jesus.

Did that make any sense at all?