NT Wright @ Act Justly... 2/2

One of the most exciting developments in Christian thinking today is the way in which people from many backgrounds are rejecting the old 'either/or' of a spiritual' or a 'social' gospel.

Having struggled to keep up with my notes - I read the forward to a Christian Aid resource written by NT Wright. A handful of paragraphs sum up his presentation.

You can down load the material here
"God has given us a beautiful world to live in, but it's massively overgrown with the thorns "and thistles of human injustice. The problems are too big for us to tackle. But God has promised that one day he will remake the world. Paul's greatest letter reaches one of its highest points (Romans 8:18-30) with the news that God will heal the world and fill it with, his love and beauty. The final scene in

The Bible is not of Christians escaping from this world and going to 'heaven', but of the new Jerusalem renewing both heaven and earth and joining them together in a great act of healing. One day God will put the whole garden to rights'.

But we don't have to wait passively until that day. God has already begun the project. When Jesus died on the cross he defeated the powers of evil that keep the world enslaved to injustice and oppression. His resurrection launched the new creation. We live in the time between the beginning 1 of that work of putting the world to rights and its glorious completion. God wants us to share in the task here and now.

This is the framework within. which our work for justice, joy and peace in the world today makes fully Christian, fully biblical sense. As we read scripture and pray for wisdom, the Holy Spirit is urging us to bring more of God's future plans into the present. When we take a stand on behalf of the poor and against oppress ive systems locally, nationally and globally, we are not simply doing random acts. We are putting the victory of Jesus into operation, and anticipating the day when God will put the whole world to rights once and for all.

One of the most exciting developments in Christian thinking today is the way in which people from many backgrounds are rejecting the old 'either/or' of a spiritual' or a 'social' gospel. There is one God, and he is the creator and redeemer of the whole world. What God did for Jesus at Easter he will do for the whole world. Those who love God, whose hearts are renewed by his Spirit, are called to work in the present time so that the powers who think they run the planet will be confronted with the joyful, exuberant, justice-bringing news that Jesus Christ is Lord. God is at work in the garden. It's time to join in." (NT Wight Act Justly. Christian Aid)

Comments

Eleanor Burne-Jones said…
Many thanks for the useful blog entries!
Warmest blessings
9:17 PM
Eleanor Burne-Jones said…
Postscript.. there's a yahoo group called wrightsaid which might be worth trying - anyone else using it? I also found one on yahoo for Jurgen Moltmann's works. Now all I need is the hours in the day to read my emails!

Warmest blessings
Eleanor
Sister under private vows
Penzance
9:22 PM
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