the searbys

I have usually kept this blog pretty neutral and focused on our lives and little stories but a headline today has me feeling the need to comment.

"Televangelist Calls for Chavez' Death"

Pat Robertson has said that we should kill the Venezuelan president. It is these sorts of comments that incite hatred, laughter and disdain toward Christians. Anyone who might be interested in the person of Jesus would be quite confused to hear that someone professing His name supports murder. Under the Old Covenant found in the Old Testament of the Bible this sort of act might fit as one way that God operated through people in the world. But the New Covenant between God and man, brought about by the coming of Jesus Christ, changed everything. It is no longer up to "us" to cleanse the world of sinners or sin by sacrifices to God for forgiveness or the killing of those who oppose God. Jesus defeated sin by becoming the one and only sacrifice God will ever require for forgiveness to be granted. While he was here on earth he taught us what God expects from us under this New Covenant. He said, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. " And when the man he was speaking to asked, "who's my neighbor," Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, illustrating not only that everyone is our neighbor but punctuating the fact that even those who you despise are your neighbor and to be loved. I can't talk about "just war" or "killing to save," as some might say. It just doesn't fit with what I see as the teachings of God through Jesus and the many writers of the Bible. What do you think? There's much more to say but I just had to make it clear that I am saddened when people claiming Christ as their master, especially those in leadership, make comments like that which Mr. Robertson made yesterday. Lord have mercy on us, lead us in love to change the world, bringing peace to nations, hope to cities and wholeness to hurting individuals, no matter how far from goodness they may seem.
-joel

Joel,
Hey thanks for keeping me up on your life through this site. I am so frustrated with opening up cnn.com today and that being the home page highlight. I cant understand why he made the comment, and also the other comments he has made in the last six months- it pisses me off to think that this is just another notch that people like Jon Stewert and Bill Meyr (spelling, the guy from politically incorrect) can use to bring down the name of Jesus.
matt mcclane  

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i'm sorry that this has nothing to do with what you wrote but i dropped my sister off at IWU today and got all excited when we passed avantis. i told her to go there lots. :) julie  

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mmmm... Avanti's. We ate at Fazolis tonight but it will never be as good. -Jen  

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i didn't actually eat there, if it makes all you southern folk feel better.  

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I think you just wrote your abstract for your next sermon, Joel! Mom  

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I know more about Avanti's than anyone!  

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