Kevin Austin at Lakeside, Thailand, and other Exciting Places

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

For many Christians any means works as long as the end is reached. The truth of Jesus being the end, the big main point, has in many cases become a goal rather than a statement of truth. The life of faith, in other words, has been turned into a competition rather than an authentic way of life. This makes sense when looking at the crusades, manipulative preachers, and showy, entertainment oriented worship services. If the end is all that matters, then converting people with a sword, a lie, or a flashy smile is acceptable. But, is it really any means to the end? Is this what Jesus is saying above? Eugene Peterson, in his excellent book, The Jesus Way has this to say:

“In the text that Jesus sets before us so clearly and definitively, way comes first. We cannot skip the way of Jesus in our hurry to get the truth of Jesus, living Jesus in our homes and workplaces, with our friends and family.”

The means are just as important as the end. The Jesus way plus the Jesus truth leads to the Jesus life. This is so important! It’s clear that much of what is wrong with American Christianity originates in elevating the truth above the way. We cannot attach any way we want to the truth of the Gospel. Only the Jesus way will do. The Jesus way is not one of coercion, or manipulation. The Jesus way does not involve violence or any dishonesty of any kind. The Jesus way does not prefer safety, riches, comfort, or selfish ambition. The Jesus way is characterized by: love, humility, sacrifice, submission and faith. And this way, combined with the truth of Jesus naturally leads to life. We wonder why our churches are lifeless, or why our lives are shallow, or why Christianity is viewed as irrelevant. Could it be that we have inadequately, inappropriately, attached the wrong ways to the right truth? Are we trying to use a spoon to drive a nail? In John 15:6, Jesus shines the light on this:

“If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

We must stay connected to Jesus and the Jesus way or we lose our life, are pruned, withered, and eventually are good for nothing but feeding a fire. Read more about this in: The Jesus Way, by Eugene Peterson

“In the immense cathedral which is the universe of God, each man, whether scholar or manual laborer, is called to act as the priest of his whole life – to take all that is human, and to turn it into an offering and a hymn of glory.”  Paul Evdokimov

On my 48th birthday I am reflecting on my life so far, as well as wondering about the future.  This is my ultimate goal: to turn all I am and do into an offering, a hymn of glory.  I want to do all from a heart of love.

Check out two new listings in the blogroll on the right. One is a site called “Real Fusion”. Real Fusion is artistic and thought provoking. It’s good for Christians to think and Real Fusion helps us do just that. The second new blog is the Carter Center. I just completed reading Jimmy Carter’s latest book and was deeply stirred. The Carter Center is doing fantastic work.

I recently watched this movie with my two sons. It was delightful to laugh, be intellectually engaged and spiritually enriched without having to cringe at the bad words and sexual content. Can Hollywood make good family films? Yes, and Evan Almighty is one of them. . .

Eternity is drawing everyone. What is life all about? What is an authentic life? These are the themes of the beautiful movie, “The Fountain”. While God is not a character and the major religions are absent, the spiritual quest is there. We are captivated by the questions the movie asks.

The acting is superb. The music enchanting. The cinematography is beautiful. The story is romantic, exciting and moving. I give it a solid A.

Prophecy is “God’s word spoken into a particular situation with power and creativity which awakens people and propels them to act.” Watching Babel was a prophetic experience for me.

The movie weaves four distinct, seemingly random places and people together into a tapestry which does what good art is suppose to do – it awakens, stirs the emotions, teaches in a new way and leaves the “entertained” with some serious questions which if answered will propel us into action. Prophetic. There is heartache. But there is also hope.

It’s a movie for thinking adults. It’s not entertainment in the mindless sense. I don’t think my children are ready for it, but someday I would willingly engage them with mutual dialog. Some scenes are emotionally disturbing, but there is nothing gross or erotic or used for the sake of titillating any part of us.

The biggest prophetic word that came to me as I sat stunned at the end was that every culture and every people are completely lost. We are broken, shamed and in desperate need of salvation. But there is also hope in the movie. Hope that some of us can find reconciliation.

Other movies that have affected me similarly are movies like Syriana, Traffic, and The Black Robe.

I recommend it!

I recently finished reading the book, “How the Irish Saved Civilization” by Thomas Cahill. It is a wonderfully written book. One particular poem caught my eye for it’s simplicity and beauty as well as the truth it lays out. It’s written by Joseph Plunkett.