the long now

A reader writes …

When I hear you making the case for “A New Kind of Christianity” I keep thinking of something the former head of the National Cancer Institute said: “Human beings…have this endless ability to think they are at the end of history.” One of the sites I frequent is the Long Now Foundation (http://www.longnow.org) where they’re teaching long term thinking; obviously something many of us in the west don’t do well. They encourage writing the date like this: 02010 (like looking at the odometer and realizing you’re just breaking the car in). I’m an advocate for women/girls. I’m acquainted with blank stares; the kind I get when talking with evangelicals about how first century interpretations of the Corinthian passages, combined with short-term thinking are not helping the cause of women around the world. Imagine the paradigm shift across the board of realizing that maybe we’re not at the end of history but the beginning! Then people couldn’t say, “Well, it has been this way for two thousand years.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for being at the cusp of Christ’s return, just sayin’. We all have a lot to learn and miles to go but our inability to ourselves as a link and not the last “man” standing might have something to do with the challenge we face. In the mean time we can work toward “A Kind New Christianity.”
We get stronger as we go. Be well.

Thanks for this comment … This is the longer-term perspective I’m trying to help people cultivate, especially under the tenth question on the future.