Category: Uncategorized

Creative Theology

It comes to my attention today, that everyone has creative theology. And you'd expect this to produce a sort of open mindedness in the church, rather than division--yet for religious matters, everyone divides perfectly. Yet, the one thing that nobody can tolerate these days, is creative theology.

There are men who are mad at Calvin for having personal revelation, men who are mad at Augustine for believing and speaking so eloquently, there are men who are mad at me, at Luther, at everyone but Aquinas it seems. And even then, there will probably be those who are angry with him, too.

I come to a story of a martyr I read in Theilman Van Braght's Martyr's Mirror, how an Anabaptist was killed by a Catholic Inquisitor. And the Anabaptist had bad Christology--and a few other bad doctrines--and the Inquisitor had perfect theology--so to speak, if ever you could, I found no fault in it.

And what ended up happening, was this Anabaptist was delivered unto death, and in there I saw the faith starkly. For, it was the Law that made the Anabaptist right, and his mercy, for on measures of Mercy, Forgiveness, and Love, the Anabaptist had in great measure a faith unlike anyone else in that room. While having bad Christology, he was saved by living the truth, and perishing for his belief in his baptism. 

Was it the baptism that killed him? Satan will say it was. But, it's not the Baptism that killed this Anabaptist, but the confession of faith, and the truth, that his baptism represented the full measure of the Law in Christ, and for that a good man was put to death.

His last words were, "Are not the tares to be uprooted on the last days?" Speaking of Christian charity.

Therefore, we know the weightier matters of the law take precedent, as when Christ reigns on Earth for the Millennium, there will still be the other faiths dwelling among us, but He will reign, and He will cause it to rain or drought, and it seems like the Law is more specifically on God's heart than a few Theological trivia.

For if you say Augustine or Calvin or Luther or the Anabaptists in my book and their methodology and systematic theology are heresies, I say these are the true faith. Sir Thomas Moore and John Donne's Brother dying for the faith are as real as any Anabaptist's for it's the Mercy of the Faith that we die for. It's the truth of the Faith, while Satan uses the most cutting edge and splitting haired theories to kill us, it all falls into the fact that that's all nonsense. It is the law of God that gets the Anabaptist or Catholic Martyred, and their desire to live out the truth in Mercy and Love.

With that said, Theology hasn't been my primary focus as a Christian. My theology is the Athanasian, Apostle's and Nicene creed. I have no other deeper theology, and wherever I find true Christianity, there I have a friend, whether Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox, throughout all time and space. And that's my creed, that Theology is least important, and what we do with Christ, and how we live our lives in peace and mercy, and how misery attacks us so often for this, and no other reason. That is the faith I cling to.

Rejoicing!

He meets Mary in the tomb,
And He walks through the walls.
He makes Thomas touch His hands and side.
Touch.

I was on a boat, with Peter,
And we were fishing, but caught no fish.
So, Jesus did what He did before,
And told us to cast over the other side.
And He did. I came running out of the boat
With Peter, and there was a fire
Upon the sand, which Jesus kindled.
And so, we cooked the fish over the spit
With salt, mustard and ginger.
We ate to our fill, and talked
And rejoiced...
I feel like the one who leaned on His bosom
And asked, "Is it I?"
No... it is not I.
I feel like a betrayer, but cannot be;
For the LORD loves me.

The Wine and Grain

Jesus was a man who loved to feast;
He drank salubrious wine at weddings,
Ate perfectly roasted fish with salt and mustard,
Rubbed a head of grain from the stalk
And ate those finest grains.
Perhaps this is why they didn't like Him?
Was that He was no prude, but a man
Who taught us how to enjoy life
Though the world would never let us have it?
And that was His message,
Was how much better the world could be
If men were allowed to enjoy the good things
Instead of the lofty and high things?
But, because all was made lofty and high
That you could have no life unless you sought it,
Not to seek your life here,
But rather in the next.

Pilate

Pilate begs the crowd to free Jesus,
Whips Him, scourges Him,
Trying to appease the Jew's
And save Christ's life.
But, a voice cries out,
"He made Himself a King
"And if you don't kill Him
"You are no friend of Caesar's!"
A lone, false witness from the crowd
Who twisted Christ's words;
For Christ Himself said
His kingdom was not of the World
But in the hereafter.
And the crowd wanted Him dead.
So Pilate washed His hands of it
And gave Christ over to them
For it was not in Pilate's power
To free or kill Him, but in Christ alone
And the false witness of the Jewish People.

The Garden

Christ, that Garden, like my beloved Pinchot,
Judas knew you took refuge there.
And the place you enjoyed and loved,
A place of joy, and of peace, you prayed
And He came and took you away
To Pilate, where in the most sober
Words, and salient tongue,
Pilate asked you if you were King,
And you told Him your kingdom
Was not of this world, but the next.
I await to go to that world too,
Oh LORD Made Flesh...
God's Eternal Word,
The Sabbath of my heart...
You are Begotten not made
And Your Word is the Father's
And Your Flesh is the embodiment
Of the Father's Word,
Since you were pierced, 
And then raised to eternal glory and fame.

The “Mad Man” of Nazareth

John's Gospel is true,
For it almost makes Christ look mad.
You hear the arguments made,
And you see it through the Jew's eyes
That this mad Samaritan came 
And called Himself the Messiah.
A madman himself
Enlightened me to this nuance---

Yet, the fact remains, Christ
Performed real and many miracles.
And He taught salient teachings
More coherent than any sage before Him.
And He was a sober man
You see in the Gospels---
And He was filled with Compassion.
I know no more merciful man than He
Who could look at a Samaritan woman
A woman caught in adultery
And a lame man laying by a pool
And have utmost compassion on them.
And a Blind man, whom the Pharisees were 
Furious to find was healed.