Reading further in McLaren's book, I read a quote from authors David Lowes Watson and Douglas Meeks that made me think:"Only a fraction of our sins are personal. By far the greater part are sins of neglect, sins of default, our social sin, our systemic sin, our economic sin. For these sins Christ died, and continues to die. For these sins Christ atoned, and continues to atone. . . . As long as evangelism presents a gospel centered on the need for personal salvation, individuals will acquire a faith that focuses on maximum benefits with minimal obligations, and we will change the costly work of Christ's atonement into the pragmatic transaction of a salvific contract."
I wonder if in our quest to reach a personal relationship with Jesus, we may stumble into these very pitfalls. How does one achieve this relationship without making it "all about me?"
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So the question is - should I just worry about saving my own hide, or should I worry about ALL our hides?
Just like the other day, when you pointed out that GRATITUDE could be seen as a SUBVERSIVE act, you've made me think about something in a way I've never considered before.
Its like we should marry Evangelism with the Social Gospel . . . wait, starting to sound like the Great Commission.
WOW. A very profound quote that I want to reflect further on. Thanks for posting that!
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