the Way, the Truth, and the Life

When I was forced off of I-94 heading north from Detroit due to the crazy rush hour traffic, I chose my logical substitute, M-3, a.k.a. Gratiot. I have traveled this before a few times, a straight shot from the 94 Detroit Gratiot exit all the way to the family abode. This time it was different though, I had my urban planning goggles on this time, and Christ's mercy. The trench freeways in Detroit that I have been educated so much about really do a great job of masking the truth. I have heard in class, even in my undergrad courses, that the design of the freeway system was to target the worst neighborhoods and clear them out, called urban renewal. Also, in my point of view, the freeways avoid the visual mess of surface streets and neighborhoods. It was clear seeing all the struggling people, the collapsing homes and buildings, the garbage and debris, that Gratiot in Detroit was not a pleasing site. The freeways are underground to allow for a pleasant commute between downtown a...

I need to change up the style of these entries. Realizing that I write every now and then, and more so discussing massive theological breakdowns that need to be chapters, if not books on their own, I want to shorten up my writing and write about a lot more. Everyday life may enter in, massive theological breakdowns still may have a place, but I am certain that American Idol will not appear here. Like in the last sentence. Besides, my blogging sort of started with everyday observations. Writing down, or at least keeping mental notes of significant events in life would keep me fresh and aware of what God was doing in my life. I have written a lot about how the mundane or day in day out activities are not wasted gaps in our lives in between the giant choir concert or the overseas mission trip. Every moment has something to do with Jesus, and He just wants us to acknowledge that plain truth with His Spirit. When I skip over this is when life will truly become mundane, tedious. So, m...

Understanding godly freedom is a bit of a challenge for me. First, freedom has become a bit of a buzz word of sorts, like faith, grace, and the like. What comes to mind is listening to a person at church use freedom in a way that suggests that they are free even from God's commands. When I hear that, alarms go off in my head. They are not saying this directly of course, but certainly implying it, if not acting it out. This gets to my point on freedom. I struggle much thinking that we have been freed by God through Jesus. All I hear are things like: obey my commands; stop living for the self; death comes through these actions; life comes through these. What exactly are we freed from? The question is answered better by asking why we are freed. We are freed to use our freedom creatively, moving with the Spirit of God. I do not have to pull out a map anymore. With this specific action at this specific time I only need to keep two things in mind. First, Love God (do not hurt...