Judas

Recently I got a few books for my spring reading list which included Peter Rollins' Fidelity of Betrayal and Viola's Pagan Christianity. At first, I started to read Rollins and to be really honest I got so pissed off that I nearly threw the book across the room. Instead of doing that I thought that maybe I would take some time and read the next chapter. I was just hoping that it would get better. It didn't and this time I was at Starbucks so throwing the book across the room meant hitting the trendy guy who was on his Mac complete with vest, white headphones, and dark thick rim glasses (I know I know…) So instead of throwing the book, I decided that I would read it like I would read a book by Dawkins.

What started to happen though is I realized that I was being hit with a lot of things that I had never heard before and that I really needed to consider. It is always good to have a conversation partner in times like these. I feel very fortunate that mine happens to be my wife. It is always weird when I neglect to share thoughts that I am having, how my attitude shifts towards the selfish jerk. Anyway, so some thoughts.

Judas

At the very mention of this guy's name, my stomach turns. It is amazing how for so many years I had demonized him and thought that he was anti-Christ. Rollins first chapter in his book deals with this head on and ask questions that I am still dealing with in my mind. Money quote, "One should wonder if Judas didn't kill himself, what it would have looked like for Judas to encounter Jesus after His resurrection."

I asked Emily this same question. Her response was that it probably would have been a beautiful encounter of forgiveness and restoration. I didn't realize that there was so much controversy surrounding Judas. Really, I just thought of him as the betrayer of Jesus and considered him evil. There is a lot of speculation though on his motives and his actions and some of the most interesting of speculations come from many of the early church fathers particularly Origen, St. Augustine, Ignatius, etc. Throughout church history many theologians had differing views on Judas among these were people like Calvin and Aquinas. These views look very different.

So before anyone reads this and thinks that I am somehow straying into the realms of heresy, please know that I am still thinking through all of this and there are a host of other theologians that were aforementioned that have said or considered similar thoughts.

It is interesting to think that Judas was in God's divine plan and that Christ himself knew that he would betray him and yet did nothing to stop him. Most of the Sunday school lessons I learned early on said that Jesus knew that because he was God, and he knew that he needed to be crucified. I heard that Judas went to hell. I am not exactly sure where this comes from. Since Judas was in the Divine plan of Christ, was Judas doing the will of God?

Jesus, at the crucifixion prays to God and asks them, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." Does this prayer include Judas? How does that forgiveness play itself out?

I find it really interesting that after Judas receives the 30 pieces of silver and after Jesus is arrested, Judas goes and returns the money. I wonder if this is a repentant heart. Judas obviously is so distraught over the arrest of Jesus that he kills himself. There was obviously a love that Judas had for Jesus on some level.

Peter Rollins offers a question that I do not see any historical precedent, other than a Scorcesy film and a Gnostic Gospel, that is what if Jesus met with Judas privately and asked him to betray him? Again, please don't throw any stones my way. I am really just thinking out loud.

Thoughts?

A Day in History

Today is a pretty huge day for this country. I remember when the votes were tallied and came in how the jubilation went out from the African American crowd. It was amazing to see the faces of people who had experienced Rosa Parks, integration, and racial injustices now be able to see hope for a future and that the walls of discrimination of race are starting to crumble.

Although I do not consider myself patriotic or define myself as an American primarily, I am in a sense proud of this country for making race a non issue in this election. To be sure, it was brought up enough and I am sure some people voted based off of race but I think this was a small group of people who allowed race to enter their minds when voting. I loved what Cornel West said about the future African American generation being able to grow up knowing that it is possible to be president.

No matter who you voted for or didn't or even if you voted at all, I think we all can at least pray for Obama and that he will do what is right. I pray for him and his family for humility, which I believe is what this country and specifically this nation needs. It is time for this country to realize that our standard and self proclaimed, "Greatest nation on earth" status is flawed and bankrupt. I am praying that Obama and his advisors figure out that there is no such thing as righteous war and that they will seek peace and diplomacy above all. I pray for this nation that if Obama becomes the greatest president in history that we will understand that he is a man and that Jesus is Lord and the President isn't.

Recently I had a conversation with Paul. We were talking about politics and the economy and all that jazz. Out of that conversation came the birth of an idea that we both shared. What if this economy collapses and gas prices rise and we can no longer afford all the toys, gadgets, or SUVs that we use to? What if all the smoke and mirrors of prosperity shattered into a thousand pieces and we no longer had dreams and hopes for riches? What if the noises of the busy city streets, the sounds of MP3 players, and the hum of electricity all stopped and instead we heard the still small voice of the Creator calling, "My way is perfect and my burden is light."?

So in a way, I am torn. On one hand, I really would like if America's economy would boom but on the other hand I see that we have filled our hearts with the pleasures of riches and have exploited hundreds of thousands of people in the process. So in a way, I pray for the downfall of this type of economy. I pray that things do collapse and in the process we are able to hear the voice of the Creator God. I am not sure that Christ was joking when he said that it is easier to fit a camel through the eye of a needle than for the rich to inherit the kingdom of God. I use to think that he was talking about the rich upper class in this country but actually that is all of us who have jobs and are making minimum wage in this country. We need to repent.

I hear God's economy is pretty stable. Maybe we should give it a shot. Of course, that means the reversal of all things and that I may be the lowest on the totem pole, but I am pretty sure that the lowest in God's kingdom is better off than the richest in the USA. What would it look like if Jesus was sworn into office today?