"The distance [from our own cultures] forged by the Spirit of new creation . . . entails a judgment against evil in every culture. . . . The judgment must begin, however, 'with the household of God' (1 Peter 4:17)--with the self and its own culture. . . . Similarly, those who seek to overcome evil must fight it first of all in their own selves."As I was reading today, this quote particularly captured my attention. First, I appreciated that Volf was able to affirm that Christians are called to be BOTH drastically accepting of others (the Holy Spirit "creates space in us to receive the other" - 51) AND holding onto moral judgments of right and wrong. Most of us seem to deemphasize one or the other, but both together are Christian.
~Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace (52)
Second, the biblical statement, "judgment begins with the household of God" hit me powerfully. Do we take this seriously? Yes, we preach piety and moral values, but do we really engage in the hard work it takes to root out deep seated evils from ourselves and our communities? Do we preach at those who lack the Spirit, condemning them for their "evil ways," while we who have surrendered to the Spirit's claims walk blindly in the darkness? I fear that too many in American churches have a "form of godliness" while denying its power. . .
What do you think?
Thanks for this quote by Volf, it is really good. I agree with your thoughts. The church does often seem to preach against evil, but then continue in sin. Your last sentence captures it well.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of a couple songs by Derek Webb, but one is "I Repent" where he sings:
"I repent of parading my liberty...and for the way I believe that I am living right by trading sins for others that are easier to hide"
Your thoughts capture this same sentiment well. How often is it that we simply cover up our sin while exposing the sin of "the other."