An occupation of love, grace and courage (Mennonite Weekly Review)

[struggle4progress]

By Bert Newton

... Over the years, I’ve marched and organized with this crowd, and what has always struck me is how they actually practice the way of Jesus even though most of them have no background in the Bible or Christ-centered faith.

Jesus led a movement to form alternative communities (churches) that practiced shared economics, inclusion of the marginalized and decentralization of authority. That way, everyone gets to be priests for each other.

Jesus led this movement from the margins of his society in Galilee to the center in Jerusalem, where the temple was. The ancient world knew no separation of temple and state, so temples, in ancient societies, were centers of political, social, economic and religious power.

Jesus went to the temple, the center of power in his society, and occupied it. He threw out the people who worked for the temple establishment and began teaching there about the alternative society that he called “the reign of God — a society where the outcast, the unclean masses, are given power and authority ...

http://www.mennoweekly.org/blog/2011/10/12/occupation-love-grace-and-courage/

[murielm99]

1. "When I hear them defend property and profits over

people, what I hear them saying is that there is no love, no grace, no God."

The Mennonites and the other Anabaptists have always had their message straight. They don't proselytize, but show their faith by example. They know, and they show, that Jesus spoke truth to power. He was and is Truth.

I always notice when people of faith include the concept of grace in their message. I consider it central to Christianity, yet so many Christians, especially the fundie types, forget all about it.

[pnorman]

2. As a NON-believer,

this resonates with me!