Red Letter Living in 2007

I'm going to have to get out one of my 'red letter' bibles to check out this theological idea ... both for personal application in my daily living, and also for wider application to church dynamics, dynamics within other groups and organisations, and within wider society too

sourced from Phil Baker

At dinner with Tony Compolo a few months ago he commented that he and a few of his comrades had become known by some critics as the RED LETTER Christians - i.e. their theolgy seems to come just from the words of Jesus in the NT.  He loves the tag.  It has provoked me to plan a series for 2007 on Red Letter Living.

As I came into church yesterday to preach my last message for the year (on my birthday none the less) someone handed me a small article I thought I'd pass on.  The article was entitled "What if the Amish were in charge of the war on terror?"  It reads as follows:

"The killing of several Amish school girls in Pennsylvania recently by a lone gunman was as distressing as it was senseless.  Whilst the predictable response was one of outrage and revenge, the Amish community baffled most with four public acts of reconciliation in the week following the event.  First, some elders visited Marie Roberts, the wife of the murderer to offer forgiveness.  Then, the families of the slain girls invited the widow tho their own children's funerals.  Next, they requested that all relief monies intended for Amish families be shared with Roberts and her children (we're talking over $1 million).  And, finally, in an astonishing act of reconciliation, more than 30 members of the Amish community attended the funeral of the killer.  Gets you thinking doesn't it?  What if the Amish were in charge of the war on terror?  Given that hate, vengeance, war and violence have been the main strategy to date, maybe a new approach of forgiveness, love and sharing is worth a go.  Just a thought."

Would Red Letter Living work at the international level?  Give it a go, at least at the personal and the community level in 2007.  Righteousness exalts a nation.

Have a great year.

Comments

[The Madmouser]

The Amish are quite amazing people. We could learn a lot from them. I fear I have not grown enough to be so forgiving. If  someone murdered my children, I would want revenge, even though I know it is wrong. So, I need to change my attitude regarding revenge and 2007 is a good time to start. If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate the help and encouragement.

[Gavin Knight]

do what I plan to do: get a Red Letter bible and read the red letter
words (which can mainly be found in the 4 gospels but I think there's a few in Acts and a few in Revelation) --- the red letter words are those spoken by Jesus himself --- and then reflect
on how to make them real in your life