Nasty prepositions

Faith of...or faith in...Jesus?  Galatians 2:11-21 My bible translation has little footnotes for the passages that describe the source of Christian hope:  Is the proper translation "faith IN Christ" or the "faith OF Christ"?  That is, whose faith is it--ours or Jesus'--that saves us?  The Greek is ambiguous and scholars argue both ways.  So what's a mere pew-sitter to do?  It's probably not the first time that prepositions have gotten someone in trouble.  I tend to think that it's Jesus' faith or rather faithfulness to death on the cross in my place that did the trick.  In that sense, faith really doesn't belong to me in the first place, but is a gift from God.

But doesn't Christ's gift of faith to me demand a faithful response?  I'm thinkin' yes.  Maybe demand is too strong; maybe "invite" is more like it, offering me the possibility that I might refuse the invitation, at my own expense.

This Jesus is a complicated guy.

Interfaith dialogue and Neighborhood identity

Communities rise and fall on their ability not only to get along, but understand and reconcile.  Arlington Interfaith Council has been promoting good relationships from its inception.  It will sponsor a panel discussion on Sunday, January 16, with people representing all three of the Abrahamic faith traditions--Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Visit here  Just so, as an activist community AIC takes pride in "the Arlington way."  I hope it's a success and well-attended, but I'm not optimistic.  Those who care about this kind of "life quality" issues are few and far between.  It's difficult to lift up neighborliness, when so many of our neighborhoods are that in name only.  I live about 20 miles from Arlington.  I barely see my neighbors.  I only know them by sight.  In fact the family across the street has two children, both born in the past six years, that I've never met.  Our neighborhoods are more likely to be defined by associations of choice--sports teams, clubs--than those of accidental geography.  Does neighborliness increase or decline when we can exercise full choice in the neighborhoods with whom we associate?
The tragedy in Arizona over the weekend heightens our lack of human connectedness.  Those people who put themselves outside the neighborhood are a danger not only to themselves but to the fabric of human communities.

New Year, New Congress

{Image from : NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio]
I haven't put anything here for a while...distractions, duties...A new resolve to follow the daily lectionary cycle may spur more frequent writing, about how the Bible and the newspaper may be read together.
Today's morning Psalm 72, together with the new Congress convening yesterday put me in the mind of seeking a joining.  I don't know if reading the US Constitution on the floor of the House will be a good thing or a bad thing.  Certainly showmanship is involved.  So is the showmanship of Psalm 72--a psalm for the blessing of the king who is righteous and cares for the poor.  The psalm blesses the king and the land that he governs for taking the path of judging the people with righteousness and the poor with justice, delivering the poor and needy when they call, "the poor and those who have no helper." [v. 12]  "He has pity on the weak and the needy and saves the lives of the needy.  From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight."[v.13]  According to Psalm 72, the sole characteristic of a good king is the way that, under his domain, the poor and needy are treated.  So how will the power of the US Government, characterized by the US Constitution measure up to that standard?  It's complicated.