Join The Underlines // The Best Of What I Read
A batch of the best highlights from what Joshua's read, .
The spiritual disciplines—the “practices of love”—are how we learn to live out the Kuyperian conviction that there is not a single square inch of creation that isn’t claimed by Jesus.
Practices of Love
Kyle David Bennett
In the U.S. there is assumed to be a smooth fit between discipleship and killing. That assumption, held so easily and unreflectively, trespasses against our obedience to God alone. I wonder whether my questioner understands that for descendants of Jeremiah and followers of Jesus, obedience to God may require us to refuse the state’s claim to our loyalty. Does the Department of Defense grant that my fundamental obligation is not loyalty to country but obedience to God? I doubt it. In such circumstances, where Caesar cannot distinguish between our proper subjection and our ultimate allegiance, it may be best to say bluntly, “A loyal American? Of course not. I’m a Christian!” (D. Brent Laytham, “Loyalty Oath: A Matter of Ultimate Allegiance,” Christian Century, July 12, 2005)
Desiring the Kingdom
James K. A. Smith
It wasn’t until reading Genesis one day that I finally came to a theological understanding of what had been happening in the pottery shop all along. “And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:9). This verse caught my eye because it explains the very metaphor that I had adopted to describe my pottery trips: sight and food. The stomach was made to hunger for food; the eye was made to hunger for beauty. We were made to consume beautiful things. Excellent music, great films, stunning performances—these are all food for the hungry soul.
The Common Rule
Justin Whitmel Earley
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