The Edge of the Inside » Social Commentary

Joshua Case(s) the Oil Spill Around the Table

Todd Littleton — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:34:48 +0000

Theology student, golfer, and competing podcaster Joshua Case is joined by Julia Clawson, Ben Lowe, and Tom Sine discussing the nearly month old offshore pipeline disaster. I describe the event that way as it just does not make much sense to me to refer to thousands of gallons a day as a “spill.”

Central to this podcast episode – “What should Christians think, say, and do in relationship to such a disaster?” As Tom Sine points out in the course of the discussion, Christians have learned to mobilize to help in the face of natural disasters – Katrina, tsunamis, earthquakes and floods. But, what are we to do when the drama unfolds miles from the shore.

Ben Lowe and Julia Clawson remind us that while finger waving goes on in Washington, we who are so dependent upon petroleum products bear some responsibility as we sate our appetite for more and better.

Tom Sine contends we must really re-think our eschatology to include the redeeming of all things – including Creation.

Take some time and go give the podcast a listen. Likely there will be something to provoke you to thinking – or should!

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Reverse Mentoring? What about Reverse Learning? Adora Thinks So

Todd Littleton — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:30:09 +0000

Brad sent me a link to this TED video. Once you get past the reality Adora is 12 years old, you will still be enamored with her grasp of what it would mean to learn from each other. What do you think?

Candid from Canada – Jordon Cooper on Theological Conversations

Todd Littleton — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:19:20 +0000

One of these days I want to visit Saskatoon. Jordon tells me it is a beautiful place and a trip to Cooper Cabin could be just as fun as our sharing space in a condo in Nassau. I am always reminded of our need to hear from other perspectives when I read Jordon’s blog. He writes on a wide variety of subjects and he does so from Canada.

What’s the big deal about Canada? Currently the country gets plenty of air time as we witness the 2010 Winter Olympics. We have ventured to both Canadian coasts – Vancouver, B.C. and Prince Edward Island. Beautiful!

For me this represents a couple of personal experiences. No, not visiting two places in Canada. Traveling to a variety of cities around the world representing the SBC on the Baptist World Alliance General Council gave me the opportunity to gain a different perspective on life and faith. Outside the confines of our great borders there is a great big world full of thinking faithful people who help fill in blind spots created by our sense of self-aggrandizement. I am also reminded of the wisdom that resulted from Leslie Newbigin’s time in India. Living, listening, and practicing the faith abroad gave Newbigin insight into the cultural captivity of the Gospel in the West. So, when I read Jordon, though admittedly part of that West, I find a fresh look into some of the flare ups making the rounds in some theological circles.

Jordon offers some thoughts under a post titled, Theological Debate as Blood Sport. He leads with a long quote from Jamie Arpin Ricci. From there Jordon reminds us of the necessity of maturity as we debate theological issues before a watching world. I just finished reading Faith at the Edge. Wennberg suggests it is good to hold a humble epistemology.

Such a move requires a more honest grasp of ourselves. Jordon seems to be calling us to love first. It may lead to less blood shed in what has certainly become blood sport.

Derek Sivers and Contextualzation

Todd Littleton — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:44:04 +0000

A quick note to watch this week’s “Weekly Video” in the first sidebar. Click to enlarge. Debates about context and contextualization find their way into a variety of presentations. Here Sivers asks, “Weird, or Just Different?” Too often anything we do not get is just weird. Assuming this to be the case simply discards the other and cheats us out of gaining a much wider understanding of life.

Slavery By Any Other Name – Tragic

Todd Littleton — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:17:18 +0000

Over at MartyDuren.com, Marty is offering a four part series based on his interview with Pulitzer Prize winning Douglas Blackmon. He begins,

It seems fitting that this series is being launched on the holiday to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. since the primary subject matter of this interview ended with the founding of the modern civil rights movement. Dr. King would certainly have appreciated and work of Douglas Blackmon in bringing to light a period of history that most Americans have long forgotten if, indeed, they ever were aware of it.

Moore Says, “Jesus Has AIDS”

Todd Littleton — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:00:07 +0000

Russ Moore alerted his readership to a newsworthy development. “Jesus has AIDS.” Capturing the use of the “magnetic” headline, Moore reminds many who would keep “others” at arms distance that Jesus would not.

Russ spends a great deal of time with the subject of adoption. What would it look like if we adopted a people stigmatized and marginalized by this disease. Even more what plans do you have for reaching beyond labels and concerns to see people who need hope and healing in the name of Jesus?

When Jesus AIDS Others – World AIDS Day

Todd Littleton — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:17:46 +0000

“Do you see this woman?”

My cousin died of AIDS before we knew much about the disease. Emaciated and wracked by the disease he was a shell of his former self. He died in relative obscurity. No doubt his family felt stigmatized.

Several years later I would sit in an Ethics class in seminary. By this time, the latter 1980′s, churches were scrambling to understand what to do and how to protect themselves. One fellow, a member of a large church in the DFW area, brought the church manual designed to help inform people and protect themselves.

“Do you see this woman?”

Wear a condom. Don’t share needles. Be monogamous. If you are around blood grab a pair of gloves. Protect yourself. Some friends and I were “pool cleaners” during that same time. We were told to be sure to maintain the proper chlorine levels. In areas where a given group of people were at higher risk we thought it best to shade the higher side of acceptable. We were protecting ourselves.

“Do you see this woman?”

“Pastor, we believe God wants us to adopt a little girl.” “Great,” I replied. “We believe our church should help us with this decision. This little girl’s mother died of AIDS.” “We are with you,” I affirmed. We met together and discussed the conviction of this couple. They had children. Double the national average. But, they believed God wanted them to be Jesus to this little girl. We prayed. We affirmed their commitment. We supported them in prayer and other means as we learned together what it would mean to AID others. We have shared in the joy of watching this young girl continue to grow with the lingering threats accompanying HIV.

“Do you see this woman?”

Jesus asked Simon if he could see the woman who had wept at Jesus’ feet. Who had anointed his feet with an expensive perfume. Who had wiped his feet with her hair. Scandalous. Seductive. Controversial. Yes, that was Simon’s response. While he thought Jesus was scandalous allowing this woman to seductively wipe his feet with her hair he wanted no part of the controversy that would follow his reputation. Jesus asked, “Do you see this woman?”

Simon could see a person whom he could categorize as sinner. Simon could see a person whom he was concerned about her behavior and alleged practices. Simon could not see this person. He could not see this person who had been AIDed by the message of Jesus and the person of Jesus. He could not see how he himself should have been prepared to engage and, yes, embrace this human being in desperate – even knowing – need. He was protecting himself.

According to Snodgrass, this incident wherein Jesus tells a parable about two debtors and greater loving, the story and its accompanying parable wound us from the back. We would scold Simon. We would then be scolding ourselves.

LORD God grant those suffering the stigma of a disease we fear peace, be they in alleged high risk groups or suffering under the weight of a parents errant lifestyle choices. Father, to those orphaned by this dis-ease gather “parents” around so they might find hope and direction in a world with often too many options that only scar us further. Jesus remind your church to AID others in your name. Spirit of God keep us safe as we risk our own care for the benefit and blessing of others.

Finally a Post About Adultery as Abuse of Power

Todd Littleton — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:28:13 +0000

Rick strikes another blow to the shallow perceptions of the way of following God found in the Ten Commandments. A taste,

The “Thou” that “shalt not” is the one who can, i.e., the one with the power to take. In a paternalistic culture that is the male. In a secularized, egalitarian gender culture (at least as for sexual autonomy) the “Thou” jarringly becomes male and female. The seventh commandment is about power, not sex, and mostly about the misuse of power. One can use power inequitably but you just do not. You do not because you know without ever hearing it stated that it is wrong to use liberty for license.

Sustainability and Faith

Todd Littleton — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:14:03 +0000

Rick does it again. Too often conversations about the way God intends humans to live centers on “do’s and don’ts.” Enter the abuse of the Ten Commandments. We either want them somewhere on our courthouse lawn or them extinguished from all public display. We either want to judge others for what they are not doing, or we want to do life as we want. Is there another way to look at the Ten Commandments?

Continuing to be reminded of Dr. Garland’s Hebrew course, I read Rick noting the commandment about sabbath has more to do with human sustainability than Blue Laws. It has more to do with finding a healthy rhythm than not mowing the lawn. The writer of Hebrews suggests, “There is therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God.” Life the way we live is un-sustainable. What do you think of Rick’s piece?

Another post along the same lines may be found here. (If the post falls from the “Featured” status, look for the post dated Aug. 6, 2009 – Shaping Us Toward Sunday.)

And now the lighter side from aintsobad

Todd Littleton — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:42:29 +0000

My friend Rick returned from San Antonio with thoughts from the scenery at Sea World. This will prompt you to click over and read, at least I would,

If you eat lots of carbs and have not exercised since the Carter administration you should not ask spandex to do more than God intended when She created the material. What I have seen here the last two days could get some people arrested as war criminals.