The Left Side of the Graph, by Clyde Meador
clydesthoughts.wordpress.com…
It’s possible to lead a group of people who think differently than you by rallying them around what you have in common and protecting equal rights for all.
As I scroll through my feed, I'm reminded how differently I see the world as compared to many Christians on here. To me, it comes down to our fundamental understanding of who we're supposed to be, why we're here, and how we ought to relate to the world around us.
Our sentness informs how we relate to the world. We see people not as enemies, but as captives of the true enemy, dead in their sin as we once were. As such, we should have compassion for them while holding one another to a high standard of obedience in God's mission.
If you get serious about God's mission to cross cultural barriers to make disciples, get ready for a negative/defensive reaction from those who aren't serious about it.
Nervous to tell someone about Jesus? That’s normal! But don’t let it prevent you from faithfully sharing the gospel. Stop and pray for “10 seconds of crazy boldness” and tell them what Jesus has done! (@CyndiLogsdon)
Say you’ve been assigned to be the chaplain to your neighbors, local business leaders, school communities, local marketplace workers, and city government. How would that affect how you feel about them?
That mission has been done poorly and hijacked to promote evil does not absolve us from obedience to what Jesus commissioned us to do. We have been sent to be disciples who cross cultural boundaries to make disciples of all communities.
For those of us who live in cultures that prioritize us, it can be difficult to see how it shapes our understanding of our faith & of the world we live in. When we spend significant time with/in other cultures, we're better able to see the influence of culture on our faith.
Bravo to whoever convinced us all that silicone bands are better/cooler/safer/more comfortable than metal rings (and started selling them at like $60 each)!
Christianity is designed to work in/from the margins. Look around. If you find yourself near the cultural center of power, the economy, or cultural influence, you’re in a dangerous place.
People who tend to post exactly what I’m thinking about social issues, but faster and better than I ever could:
@JosiahHawthorne
@bookkeepPLUS
@PastorBenMarsh
@AlanLCross
These folks make my participation here unnecessary. If you’re not following them, I recommend it!
Is it possible the world doesn't make sense to you because you're not engaging with people? To know your neighbor, don't rely primarily on commentators and bystanders to understand those to whom you've been sent.
This exactly. We need to ask, does everyone fall neatly into categories defined by outsiders? If we're not careful and humble, we create categories that may facilitate our efforts at the expense of the those to whom we've been sent.

