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Courage and Discretion

What would you rather be known for - courage or discretion? For that matter, which would you rather have more of? And before answering, you astutely point out that one can quite well be known for both. You also chastise my sloppy syntax with its prepositional terminus.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Just humor me.

The thing about discretion is that artful use of it can preclude the necessity of future courage. In other words, if someone is prudent enough to avoid the possibility of calamity or failure, the need for future courage is greatly diminished. The man who portages around the rapids is assured of a sound canoe and dry gear and need fear neither the eddy nor the evening spent in damp underwear.
Conversely, the man lacking discretion plunges ahead and in doing so must conjure up the courage to deal with his imprudence. He must also sheepishly ask to borrow his friend's dry underwear. Another act that takes guts. Courage necessarily precipitates the need for continued courage.

Courageous behavior also tends to propel a person into situations that also demand increased discretion. In this way, derring-do can provide great opportunities to practice circumspection.
And perhaps this is the link you tried to make earlier: Discretion is at its best in the context of courage. Nervy prudence develops in some correlation with audacity.

For as long as I can remember, I have consistently specifically prayed for wisdom, meaning discretion. And I am beginning to think this prayer may have been mostly motivated by the hope that its answer would ensure some insulation from mistakes.
But true wisdom is not a ticket to avoiding the possibility of misfortune. Rather a widsom rooted in the fear and trust of God will only increase one's likely exposure to risk, adversity, and the label of "idiot." See the folks memorialized in Hebrews 11.

I don't plan on making this blog a diary-like confessional for all my anxieties and epiphanies, but at times it's probably alright to share "a moment." I'll keep begging God for more wisdom, but I hope that wisdom includes a healthy dose of intrepidity.

Inventing Economic Injustice for the Middle Class

Joe Carter at the Evangelical Outpost points out the absurdity of looking for economic injustice in the middle class:

Our churches do not speak out about Christians being such reckless stewards of God’s resources that they become “precariously perched families with no savings, high credit card debt, loans taken against homes of decreasing value.” Most of our economic problems are caused because we serve mammon rather than God. I certainly don’t know anyone whose put themselves in such financial straits because they were overly concerned with helping the needy.

Indeed, even the poor in our country have more possessions than the rich young ruler who Jesus had told to sell all he had in order to find salvation. And the middle class, for all our perceived economic hardships, have an excess of wealth that could feed every poor person on earth. “Woe to you who are rich!” exclaimed Jesus. “For you have received your consolation.” In hearing those words it would be foolish to think He isn’t talking about us. After all, Christ warning isn’t based on a progressive tax scale.

Read the entire article, then take this test.

From A Rich Young (Anxious) Ruler

Christians generally suffer from a whole host of anxieties that are peculiar to the Christian Faith. Christians who walk in the legalistic side of the ditch tend to maintain a perpetual suspicion of the efficacy of grace. Their conterparts in the opposite ditch worry that the Reformation is about to go into remission at any moment, so they crack open another can of Grain Belt and look for an opportune moment to sneak a mild expletive into the conversation.

Other streams of Christianity are engaged in perpetual crises arising from the omnipresent threat of the enemy of our souls and see a 1:1 correlation between physical maladies and spiritual oppression. Other believers live in nervous fealty to the political powers that be, sometimes seeing a 1:1 correlation between the agenda of heaven and the respective agendas of the Republican or Democratic Party. Others of us worry that people like Jim Wallis, who criticizes the aforementioned groups, are not worrying enough about the old-time, propositional theological truths of penal substitutionary atonement and the inerrancy of Scripture.

It goes on. Theological wonks feverishly parse Greek verbs and awkwardly introduce words like "genetive" and "koinonia" in conversations that have nothing to do with the linguistics of the Bible. The rest of us are nuerotic about having quality devotional time with God and Oswald Chambers.

I have to own up to having all of these anxieties in some form or another, but the anxiety that plagues me most often is the ethical tension of being so wealthy in a world of such poverty.



This wouldn't be such a problem if Jesus had simply just gone to bed instead of staying up and talking with that rich young ruler. Nevertheless he did, and he spoke often about money and in doing so revealed the economy of the Kingdom of God.

But did Jesus say what he said so that I would be guilt-ridden and conflicted everytime I plunk down $1.65 for a cup of coffee? Do I do anything to honor him by being nervous and frustrated about the relative affluence I experience? I doubt it.

Jesus plunked down his life at Calvary, and in doing so he ransomed God's people. But he did it for "the joy set before him." Joy. Ultimately, for those who have ears to hear, all of Jesus teachings and examples are supposed to bring us joy as we remain in him. The only answer for the myriad neuroses of Christian life (and in particular, the anxiety of wealth) is to remain in him and to find our joy in him. I think this is the only way to effectively call each other to live more sacrificially in light of Jesus' words. We need to feel the responsibility of our blessings, yes; but we will only discharge those responsibilities well if we are happy in the process.

So, for those of you who visit this blog and wonder if I live in some sort of tormented preoccupation at the evil in the world - I don't. But I do live with some anxiety about how to be a compassionate steward of the wealth that God has given me. And I will take any suggestions or advice you may have for me on how to stay vivdly aware of the needs out there while remaining joyfully passionate about meeting those needs in the name of Jesus.

By the way, here's a good article by Doug Hayes on "Suburbia v. Social Justice"

Brand New Look, Same Inept Blogger

Howdy folks,
As you noticed, I decided we needed some updating around here. The place was looking pretty shabby, as I was getting nowhere with the previous template. Basically I was running neck-and-neck with this blog in the race for the world's most aesthetically grotesque blog.

I'll keep making what I hope are improvements. Have a great weekend, and always remember the power of one.