I’m convinced the church looks more like Jesus when we are defending other people’s rights, rather than our own. When we are giving away and living generously, rather than demanding our own way. And if that scares you or makes you feel like you will lose something, then you now understand why this was so hard for Jesus’ disciples and why it feels so counter-intuitive in our world. We are Christians first, Americans second. Our primary identity is to be followers of Christ. Paul writes so much about how we are foreigners and aliens in this world. Our ultimate loyalty is to Jesus. That doesn’t mean we can’t be patriotic and fight for social justice. It simply means, my allegiance is to THE King.
Despite Peter's initial reluctance and later denial, Jesus' consistent closeness and call for a new purpose encourages us to leave behind regrets and embrace...
In exile, identity is challenged and alliegence is divided. There was conflict in the Jewish community in Babylonian exile. Some wanted to hear Jeremiah’s...