"Judgment, in my opinion and experience, is an in or out, win or lose, accept or reject, all or nothing proposition - whereas love, as defined above, does not include "out", "lose", "reject", or "nothing" as options." Beautiful Syl...I think Jesus, the God-man constantly reveals this love in the Gospels. Jesus Simply says, " God is Love." The most profound revelation from those words might be, " if God is not love...God does not exist. His love is boundless...there is no barriers, fences, borders, walls or compartments. It knows no limits.

I think that is was I love about the diversity and beauty of faith in Jesus. I have friends from all denominations of Christianity, and the fact that we can open up in conversation and share in the incredible profound reality of Jesus...excites me. We weave a tapestry that unites, and strengthens the faith...the story of Jesus the God-man. And I don't find doctrines problematic, I just don't think we should limit them. Just as light tends to disperse and scatter revealing more maybe doctrines display the same possibility. As a pastor once said to me..."“Never be content with your current grasp of the gospel. The gospel is the life-permeating, world-altering, universe-changing truth. It has more facets than a diamond. It's depths man will never exhaust.” And with that my biggest concern over the last 10 years has been engaging folks in faith conversations around Jesus. It's easy for us to speak in terms of doctrine, dogmatics and christian culture and language. But there is a whole generation of more with absolutely no biblical background...many who will not limit the conversation within those parameters. So I try the find new ways to engage them...new metaphors. To me Jesus is the gravity that holds life together...and I constantly remind myself of that reality. Rick, Thanks for engaging me here, may we both continue to pursue everything Jesus is. Love and Peace.

Rick, for the longest time I struggled with Jesus divinity. Not that I didn't believe he was God. The problem was wanting to make 100% God, like there was no other ingredient in his make up. But he was fully human, and fully God...not 20:80 or 40:60, he was fully both. And the profound mystery of the gospels for me is, not that he came to make us divine-beings...but to be fully human. I don't think Colossians is solely a human vision...if anything it is the image of all reality, from the higgs boson particle to galaxies. Jesus is the divine substance that holds the matrix of reality together. But I still think the gospels is about becoming fully human and our realition ship with all creation...the cosmos.

Usually in the context of my blogging over the years it hasn't been my intention to judge a person usually it is to engage through questions, and critique various aspects of church and christianity and faith. But you are right is is difficult not to judge, but as difficult as it is Jesus reveals we're not to. Matthew 7:1..." Do not judge, lest you be judged ". Or as Eugene Peterson eloquently puts it; "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. Did Jesus hate sin? I don't know...I know there is nowhere in the gospels where he says, " hate the sin, love the sinner." That appears to be a christian invention. You raise an interesting question towards the end of your comment, " living according to God's plan." I'd like to wrestle with that one over coffee. Is it really a plan of holy, righteous moral living...or is it something profoundly more redemptively imaginative? We really really struggle with love, and grace...the idea that love can conquer all. It's kind of crazy, but in the gospels about the only people Jesus judged were those who liked to judge...it didn't judge the prostitues, theives, tax collectors the riff raff of the town before he hate with them; the woman at the well; the adultress; Zachias...the thief on the cross. He loved them...I think radical scandalous redemptive love does something divine. I decided long ago to love...the addicts, the gays and lesbians, the transgendered, the alcoholics and pushers we see at CARTS every week. I have been fortunate enough to develope realtionships, friendships with some of them. If Jesus wants to judge me...I hope if I've errored it was on the side of love. Anyways, as always Drew much love and peace to you Nelia and the kids.

Hi ( Rick ), I hope you don't mind if I engage in the conversation. I'm kind of an old guy, I've been on this journey for a long time, and I don't say that to one-up anyone or to say I know more...just that I have been wrestling with christianity in the shadow of Jesus for a long time. But I would ask in a world that has covered a great deal of distance crossing the threshold of postmodernity...and in a traffic jam at the intersection of faith and culture, do we need doctrines in an evoloving faith? And what could we call the doctrine of Jesus found in the context of the gospels? I mean I think if we could de-fragment the program form the time God presses start till now...it would be humanity and God. Not a personal story line about me, but all humanity...a network of neighbours local and across all geographic boundaries. And in this matrix, this web that holds it all together is "love" for neighbors and God. And there has to be an equilibrium, when we love our neighbours as much as God...the realitionship must be as horizontal as it is vertical...or it's out of balance. This is when we see " injustice " around us...and it is justice, redemptive justice that repairs and puts things in balance again. What might the base line be, perhaps Colossians...the profound mysterious idea that Jesus holds " all " absolutely everything together. His life, the Gospels show us this. If humanity can live it, live into the redemptive imagination...or concsiousness of Jesus...we see what the fullness of humanity might be like. A more biblical vision might be the Kingdom of God.So I might imagine a doctrine being nothing more than being " fully human "...and how do all faiths interact into that profound reality. And again Rick thanks for the stimulus, and letting me engage in the conversation. Peace.

Great stimulus Mike. First thought that comes to mind is evolution it's real, and humanity...despite religion we are one. Maybe the most profound idea of religion is "humanity." Maybe in the most mysterious simplicity "humanity" is religion. Jesus wrestled with the idea of what it is to be fully human.Maybe in a religious, or a faith-filled landscape how do we look for where paths cross in our understanding of the human journey on the landscape of creation. I have to admit I identify with Jesus in a very profound way, and when I let go of " christianity " initially it was scary. But then it was like floating in space...incredibly mind boggling that I could float freely in this space. John Cobb, said something recently that really stuck with me. No where in the Bible does Jesus insist on us being faithful to christianity...profoundly it is to be faithful to be living into being fully human. Keep he questions coming mt friend.