The Unasked Question of Terrorism: Fear and the Fear of Fear
Parker Palmer, in a beautiful and important essay called “The Broken-Open Heart: Living with Faith and Hope in the Tragic Gap”, speaks of our need to overcome “the primitive brain.”
No one who aspires to become fully human can let the primitive brain have its way, least of all Christians who aspire to a gospel way of life. When the primitive brain dominates, Christianity goes over to the dark side. Churches self-destruct over doctrinal differences, forgetting that their first calling is to love one another. Parishioners flock to preachers who see the anti-Christ in people who do not believe as they do. Christian voters support politicians who use God’s name to justify ignoble and often violent agendas. When the primitive brain is in charge, humility, compassion, forgiveness, and the vision of a beloved community do not stand a chance.
This primitive brain, he explains, snaps us into the fight-or-flight reflex. That reflexive reaction to danger has great survival value when you’re trying to escape from a saber-toothed tiger or when you are trying to bring down a mastodon to feed your clan. But the primitive brain isn’t so helpful when you’re in the middle of a tense conflict with your spouse or negotiating with a high-strung teenager.
Or dealing with terrorists. (Continued after the jump)
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Question #7: The Sex Question
The seventh of the ten questions in my upcoming book deals with sexuality, a subject constantly in the headlines. For example ...
Here is a conservative case for gay marriage ...
Here is Nicholas Kristof on the role of religion in the oppression of women ...
And this on an intersection of gay black Africans and white American Christians.
In the book, I plea for an approach to human sexuality that goes beyond "fer it" or "agin it." I try to open up more of the complexity and depth of the challenge and opportunity we face at this moment in our ongoing development as male and female human beings.
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Countdown Day 28
The gospel is for us a beckoning, a summons, always associated with transitive words like “leave,” “come” “go,” “follow.” (28)
From A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith (available February 9, 2010)
"Brian's writing is brave and honest, vulnerable and courageous, disturbing and unsettling, reassuring and hopeful. Every now and then you come across a book you've been waiting for. A New Kind of Christianity is that book." (Steve Chalke, MBE, founder of Oasis Global, UN Special Advisor on Human Trafficking)
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Love the Bible? Love the earth!
Let the folks of Hope Mennonite Church give you 350 reasons why!
To learn more ... here's the place to start.
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Nicholas Kristof on 21st Century Slavery …
A short but unforgettable video here.
President Obama has declared January "Human Trafficking Prevention Month," and several Christian organizations are deeply engaged with this issue. If you'd like to help, here is a good place to begin.
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