this is an excerpt from a book called a Generous Orthodoxy...."I tell the story of my encounters with Jesus to say that now, after many years of following Jesus and learning from many different communities of his followers, I’m just beginning to arrive at a view of Jesus that approaches the simple, integrated richness I knew of him as a little boy…You could say I’m finding a new simplicity on the far side of complexity"
Thanks is advance!
2007-03-31 04:48:34 · 5 answers · asked by lolabarry 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
First of all I love the book. MaClaren is a thinking about Christianity in a good way.
Jesus was a person. We experience Jesus as a person. As with any person I will relate to him differently than you will and neither of our experiences will be in totality the complete person of Jesus but if we draw on all of our experiences there will be more truth about Him together than separate.
Sometimes we over analyze Christianity into propositions instead of the experience of a personal Jesus Christ. Children never do this. They always relate to Jesus as a wonderful personal God.
Personal note of caution: Not all experiences of Jesus are equally valid or equally true just like all experiences of other people are equally valid or true. We have to be discerning in our evaluations of expereinces of Jesus.
2007-03-31 08:30:03 · answer #1 · answered by bm1153 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The author has discovered a truth. People complicate almost everything. As the author learned theology and investigated what followers believed his view of Jesus became clouded. Eventually his own relationship began to reveal that Jesus is not all that complicated and the simple things he learned as a child complete the picture of Jesus much more clearly.
2007-03-31 11:58:32 · answer #2 · answered by kaehya2003 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Makes perfect sense. After learning many things about Jesus and different ways in which people follow and worship him, the author has gone back to the basics that he learned as a child.
Same with God. After reading lots of theology you come back to the simple truth that God is Love and throw all the rest away. You get to a point in the journey to God that you must let go of everything, including what you think you know about God.
2007-03-31 11:54:15 · answer #3 · answered by tonks_op 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that religion has twisted the Jesus story to fit it's needs till it no longer resembles Jesus in any way.
If you actually study all that is said about Jesus from all sources a different picture starts to emerge. A far clearer more logical Jesus introduces himself to you.
The nonsense that has been made up about Jesus becomes more obvious, and the real truth about Jesus becomes clear.
Religion was devised to correct the true teachings of Jesus because many just couldn't stand the message of love and unconditional acceptance that he taught.
love and blessings Don
2007-03-31 11:59:54 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, {3} And said, Truly I say unto you, Except you be converted, and BECOME as little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. {4} Whosoever therefore will humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Childlike innocence ..... Childlike faith
We must de-evolve to see.
2007-03-31 12:13:15 · answer #5 · answered by bonsai bobby 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋