tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post3381322717310726767..comments2024-03-21T03:45:48.679-05:00Comments on Enter the Rainbow: Life MetaphorsAndy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05944614269873479581noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-35665662445224219082010-01-22T22:34:06.377-06:002010-01-22T22:34:06.377-06:00My favorite metaphor for life.. life is a dream. ...My favorite metaphor for life.. life is a dream. I guess I could be a little biased, since God has blessed me with the most vivid dreams ever, to the point where they actually rival real life :PXamuelhttp://www.xamuel.com/10-metaphors-for-life/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-58164076092577792342009-10-08T22:17:09.895-05:002009-10-08T22:17:09.895-05:00This metaphor came to my mind earlier. "Faith...This metaphor came to my mind earlier. "Faith moves mountains".Pablonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-57709413033693397322009-08-21T21:57:34.321-05:002009-08-21T21:57:34.321-05:00You can battle without fighting!
You can have righ...You can battle without fighting!<br />You can have righteous anger.<br />Sometimes willingness to put yourself in harm's way is a step of faith. Humans battle to stay alive, Christians battle to advance righteousness. It is a matter of motive and perspective.<br />It's Ok to want to destroy your enemy if you enemy is evil itself.<br />If you have an earthly perspective, then war for the purpose of advancing your own agenda and destroying someone else's is wrong. But this war is for "all the marbles." Death or Life, Salvation or Damnation, a battle that must be won with eternity in the balance. There are no bigger guns than Righteousness, Faith, Truth... <br />Don't forget the shoes!!!They are also a part of the armor... Peace.Kyle Bridgmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794403792411961360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-64095105927726467512009-08-21T10:29:40.266-05:002009-08-21T10:29:40.266-05:00Andy - Thanks so much for hashing it out with me. ...Andy - Thanks so much for hashing it out with me. I'm thinking this is definitely not the first or last time I'm going to have this particular conversation with someone, and I love the chance to grow my perspective. We may not entirely agree, but I've also come up against several people in my generation that want to argue against my faith in general with: "the bible is so violent; therefore, God is violent; therefore, you are violent, etc." The reality is that there are violent scriptures in our bible, and I feel it's more important for me to capture those than to ignore them or replace them. I know you understand what I mean.<br /><br />in order:<br /><br />-You were probably clear the first time around, but I got very distracted by the bonus argument. Thanks for clarifying again. You know what those logicians say... straw men are but food for red herrings! (Actually, I made that up just now, but it sounds great, doesn't it?)<br /><br />-Thanks! Every once and a great while, there's a warm, fresh, chocolate chip cookie in my field of cow pies.<br /><br />-"Have strength" <br />"Stand, then" <br />"Stand Firm"<br />"Withstand" <br />... I just see the admonition of this passage as a 'it's gonna get rough, do not be ill-prepared,' as opposed to 'it's gonna get rough, so takem' out with your super power!' I just don't see this as speaking to a group of people who are trained to "fight" telling them to fight, but rather as speaking to a group of people who are used to retreat or surrender telling them to... not do that!<br /><br />-Phew! =)<br /><br />(ps - light saber)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-44849698238618288252009-08-20T21:11:53.330-05:002009-08-20T21:11:53.330-05:00"I feel like you're arguing for this scri..."I feel like you're arguing for this scripture's lack of conveyance by saying that what the world could really use today is less violence."<br /><br />The fact that the world could use less violence is not the reason Eph. 6 doesn't translate well. And to counter my argument by saying that the ancient near east was not in need of more violence is a straw man. That's not what I said.<br /><br />My observation was that warfare is so different today than it was then, that the meaning is changed. That the world can use less violence, not just now but in all times, is kind of an added bonus argument.<br /><br />Your third paragraph is exquisite, btw.<br /><br />"...it's not about defeating the enemy; it's about being best equipped to face the enemy."<br /><br />I disagree. I think everything in Ephesians 6, except maybe the boots, is designed precisely for defeating an enemy.<br /><br />"...you can't ruin my fun and preach the whole time about how battle imagery is outdated and irrelevant."<br /><br />I wouldn't dream of it! This line of thinking is largely tangential to where the sermon is actually going to end up, once it gets smushed together.<br /><br />(ps - great conversation!)Andy B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05944614269873479581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-7609459902469460342009-08-20T17:46:28.133-05:002009-08-20T17:46:28.133-05:00(Warning. I'm not going to answer your actual...(Warning. I'm not going to answer your actual question. Instead, I'm going to keep talking about battle metaphors, because I am really enjoying this train of thought right now. I might answer your question later. To other readers, please answer Andy's question and just ignore me.)<br /><br />I don't know, Andy. I feel like you're arguing for this scripture's lack of conveyance by saying that what the world could really use today is less violence. That's kind of a red herring, isn't it? I'm not sure the Roman-occupied "world" two millennia ago was in any desperate need of more violence, even if they believed that a true "end" was imminent. So, if the argument for a different metaphor is just a general plea for more goodness, why was this passage ever written in the first place? Why didn't Paul just say "to the last day, be righteous like a jolly embrace and to combat the enemy prepare within you the jeer of a firm faith" and be done with it?<br /><br />I guess I'm just on the positive universal side of this one. I see that perhaps the world today, as yesterday, is still quite in need of a mobilized people who are unafraid and even loyally eager to practice a living gospel; refuse to equivocate; live in joy always; learn from every situation; think clearly enough to even have a theology of salvation; and use life-giving words instead of a life-taking weapon. A full suit of armor is suitable for people on what could be a relatively dangerous journey. Same, you might pack the minivan differently or choose a different vehicle altogether if you knew you were likely crossing an ocean and/or the mountains on your journey. It's not just about survival or comfort at that point, is it?<br /><br />But really, I hear you. I agree completely about getting where the enemy doesn't want us to get, versus defeating the enemy. But, like I said before, that's why I think this passage is good: because it's not about defeating the enemy; it's about being best equipped to face the enemy.<br /><br />The violence we're overexposed to these days is only teaching us lessons in defeat; one side always just wants to get the other side. What the world is showing us is, then, not compatible with journey imagery, yet Ephesians 6 is not completely incompatible with journey imagery, either. So what if, instead of throwing passages like these out for an alternative to violent imagery, we used these passages well to reintroduce the idea of a destination to a world that's convinced of a destruction. It's just my take.<br /><br />Ahem. Now.<br /><br />In summary, clearly, what I'm trying to say is, you know, I'm singing "A Mighty Fortress is our God" this Sunday, and we're doing Mmoloki Warona too, so you can't ruin my fun and preach the whole time about how battle imagery is outdated and irrelevant. <br /><br />:-)DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com