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Randy's avatar

Solanus Casey is right on the money. Down through the years it has come to my attention that American Christianity is a religion of prosperity and we don't much care for the hard things of the sufferings of Jesus or the early church or Christians down through the centuries. We prefer our peace and prosperity, Francis Schaeffer, than taking up our cross. And, of course, any individual of that day who saw someone carrying a cross it was because that individual was headed to be crucified. We don't know what it means to cry out in the dark and have the heavens as brass, Pastor Vic, and God clearly refusing to say anything or offer any assistance. A critical weakness of the modern American church is far too many leaders and pastors who don't know what it is to scream into the night and have God say, no, that's not how we're doing this. We love to read about Jeremiah but fail to connect with his broken heart and we don't have a record of anyone who really believed him and turned to the God of Israel because of his witness. Interesting what we prefer from Scripture. OK - got to stop. Getting carried away. Randy

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David B's avatar

Excellent article, Daniel. Gethsemane is a very instructive case of prayer; Lewis makes much use of it in Letters to Malcolm. In the earlier part of your essay, I couldn’t help but think of the ghosts in The Great Divorce: most of them were just sulking. A lot of atheism is just a bad case of the sulks. For Jesus, winning a kingdom required a courageous and submissive faith; thy will be done. It takes no less for his disciples, his subjects: “He that overcomes....” “They take it by force.” “Be strong, quit you like men, let all you do be done in love (not a sulky, “I’m not feeling loved”). Staying faithful to his God was not easy for Job, either. Or David. Or the apostles. So, like, duh (how’s that for a scholarly conclusion?). I encourage your readers to consult Oswald Chambers; his was a manly faith - the kind that overcomes and wins the kingdom. Lord, have mercy on us all and gives us the strength and grace and courage we need to stay faithful in this darkening day.

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