It seems to me that that's more or less the same sentiment that's being expressed in this recent find on FaceBook. (I just love the FB group The Christian Left.)
How did things get so complicated?
During my recent Lenten Bible studies I came across this passage (Mark 6:12) --
"So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God."I was struck by its simplicity. Apparently Jesus didn't instruct his disciples -- his first ministers -- to tell people anything about how he was of one substance with the Father. Nor, it seems, did he want them to say anything about how he, himself, was the one and only way to God. In fact, it appears from this rather clear passage that the original message of the very first "Christian" missionaries -- and Jesus' closest companions -- had nothing to do with Jesus at all. "Repent of your sins and turn to God."
Why did things get so complicated?
I know the socio-political and pyschological reasons, of course. I'm really just asking a rhetorical question here. Still, it does give me pause to consider how simple it seems the message of Jesus and his earliest followers really was.
In Gassho,
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4 comments:
Thank you. Sharing on Facebook. :)
Not the same thoughts, but the same idea, kind of, occurred to me recently. I went to the churches of several different denominations in my early years and a children's song they taught in every one was, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world; red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight..." I wondered when the disconnect happened. Probably about the same time "judge not" & "Love one another." got flushed.
Exactly, Cuss! I recently heard someone talking about their early church experiences. At some point they said to their mom, "If God is love, what happened to Rev. Brown? He hates kids!"
Thanks kloppski.
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