Let Us Love
The meaning of the cross, of redemptive suffering, also appears in a different light for those who suffer and are killed as part of the struggle for justice. Too often Christians have treated the suffering Christ as some kind of cosmic legal transaction with God to pay for the sins of humanity, as though anyone’s sufferings and death could actually “pay for” others’ sins! Christ’s cross is used to inculcate a sense of masochistic guilt, unworthiness and passivity in Christians….
[Thus} to accept and endure evil is regarded as redemptive….Solidarity with the poor and with those who suffer does not mean justifying these evils, but struggling to overcome them. As one struggles against evil, one also risks suffering and becomes vulnerable to retaliation and violence to those who are intent on keeping the present system intact….But risking suffering and even death on behalf of a new society, we also awaken hope.
Rosemary Radgord Ruether
The meaning of the cross, of redemptive suffering, also appears in a different light for those who suffer and are killed as part of the struggle for justice. Too often Christians have treated the suffering Christ as some kind of cosmic legal transaction with God to pay for the sins of humanity, as though anyone’s sufferings and death could actually “pay for” others’ sins! Christ’s cross is used to inculcate a sense of masochistic guilt, unworthiness and passivity in Christians….
[Thus} to accept and endure evil is regarded as redemptive….Solidarity with the poor and with those who suffer does not mean justifying these evils, but struggling to overcome them. As one struggles against evil, one also risks suffering and becomes vulnerable to retaliation and violence to those who are intent on keeping the present system intact….But risking suffering and even death on behalf of a new society, we also awaken hope.
Rosemary Radgord Ruether
Imaging the Word An Arts and Lectionary Resource, Volume 3
Spiritual Practices: Keyword Listing
Keyword listing is a method of observational Bible study. It doesn’t require any special skills, tools, or training. You can read more about the process of keyword listing here. You can choose any word or short phrase to study using keyword listing. For this passage, we suggest the following keyword(s) to start your study.
Starting Points
Keyword listing is a method of observational Bible study. It doesn’t require any special skills, tools, or training. You can read more about the process of keyword listing here. You can choose any word or short phrase to study using keyword listing. For this passage, we suggest the following keyword(s) to start your study.
Starting Points
- Love - Discover what John says about love
- Heart - Discover what John says about our hearts
- God - Discover what John says about God in this passage
Spiritual Practice - Breath Prayer
Overview
In 1 John 3, John the apostle says that if we keep God's commandments, if we live the way that he wants us to live, he abides in us and we abide in him. In the previous verse, he specifically identifies the core of God's commandments; to believe in Jesus Christ and to love one another. If we honestly do these things, God abides in us and we abide in him. I think this is every Christian's desire, to abide in God and have God abide in them. John tells us how to get there; believe in Jesus and love one another. Doing so is not always easy, however. We need God's help to do the things that make way for him to abide in our lives. This is breath prayer is a request for God to abide in us and, by extension, to help us keep his commandments.
Prayer
Abba Father, abide in me
Overview
In 1 John 3, John the apostle says that if we keep God's commandments, if we live the way that he wants us to live, he abides in us and we abide in him. In the previous verse, he specifically identifies the core of God's commandments; to believe in Jesus Christ and to love one another. If we honestly do these things, God abides in us and we abide in him. I think this is every Christian's desire, to abide in God and have God abide in them. John tells us how to get there; believe in Jesus and love one another. Doing so is not always easy, however. We need God's help to do the things that make way for him to abide in our lives. This is breath prayer is a request for God to abide in us and, by extension, to help us keep his commandments.
Prayer
Abba Father, abide in me