Reclaiming Rainbows Revisited

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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"Reverence for God in the present work is preserved by capitalizing

pronouns, including You, Your, and Yours, which refer to Him."

Preface to NKJV

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    1. Before reading the quick hits below as we revisit RR, please read the entire column by clicking on "Reclaiming Rainbows" in the right column under November issues.

    2. The responses to "Reclaiming Rainbows" have been fast and not furious except for one person who means well but cannot distinguish the will of God from the mirror's reflection.  Indeed, some of the challenging to hysterical responses to RR from the left and right seem related to my inability to rationalize their extra-Biblical ideologies by the book; noting the apparent inability for the extremes to receive the loving inclusions despite rite proscription in a Psalm 25:10 kinda way.  Simply, it's the problem peculiar to the extremes of revising Genesis: "So man created God in his own image; in the image of man, man created God."

    3. It has been sad to see the right object to the inclusions of our grace-filled Lord and sad to see the left insist that loving everybody must include presiding at a rite proscribed by Holy Scripture; reminding me that neither extreme will allow for genuine love to include all people while proscribing some behavior.  The left and right share an arrogance of feeling there's no need for improvement in how they behave as reflective of belief in God as personified in Jesus and prescribed in Holy Scripture.  In my estimation, and I pledge public confession and repentance if I am wrong by contradiction to Jesus and Holy Scripture, living in God's neighborhood is knowing God loves us just the way we are but too much to leave us just the way we are.

    4. I have been frustrated by the Biblical ignorance/defiance of the left and right in excluding God's included (right) while insisting on what God has precluded (left); saying, essentially, "I know that's what Jesus and the Bible say buuuuuuuut I think..."  That kinda arrogance from the extremes just overwhelms me to intellectual numbness.  It's the movement from imago Dei to imago ego in our increasingly naval-gazing civil and ecclesiastical cultures.

    5. Yeeeeeeet, I apologize to my dear friend for running with his vision about the pins before getting this clarification: "I would not have come up with the idea of adding the word reclaim to the rainbow.  I think the rainbow can do without that.  I think if a few million Christians would wear a rainbow lapel pin, with love for all in their hearts, it will eventually be noticed here and there...give gazillions of opportunities to tell others about God's gracious promise to the entire world...We will be able to talk about God's grace and demonstrate His love..."  I agree.  I confess my sin of adding reclaim without getting his consent and also how it would repel rather than invite conversation, prayer, and the ultimate goal of experiencing the fullness of His graces.  Frankly, I see how that has worked with my pony Return2.  People ask me what the name means and then...

    6. Of course, there are those, especially from the middle - You know the ones who are moderately committed to some things and Someone for fear of offending bravehearts with their fainthearts and not being liked irrespective of Acts 5:29! - who cause me to recall Moody being criticized - I think by Presbyterians - for how he did evangelism.  He said, "I prefer how I do it to how you don't do it."  He also said something that both extremes may want to consider to convert their ideologies to fidelities: "The only way to keep a broken vessel full is to keep it always under the tap."  I think moderates make Him puke in a Revelation 3:1-6; 14-22 kinda way.  That's why I think Biblical Christianity is not left, right, or moderate.  It's, uh, Christian by the book.

    7. Years ago, I was attacked by someone for saying I cannot preside at a same-sex wedding while being a passionate advocate for gay civil rights: "What if one of your sons were gay?"  My response: "Uh, I don't understand your question.  I will love my sons regardless.  Sexual orientation has nothing to do with loving my sons.  Even if my sons were gay and professing marital relations, I would love them, love their partners, and receive them just like I would receive sons engaged in marital relations more reflective of Biblical Christianity.  I get it from Jesus who loves you and me like that.  I can totally love anyone; but I don't have to appreciate every part of their behavior.  So, really, I don't understand how your question relates to my sons if they were gay.  I'd just love them; even while not agreeing with a part of their lifestyles.  But I'd love them any way."

    Sooooooo I expect to add a rainbow to what I hang around my neck without the word on it despite my commitment to reclaiming rainbows by the book.

    Hans' approach is better than my first response to his vision.

    Hmm.

    I think there's a lesson in that for all of us - left, right, middle, and...Christian.

    There's always room for improvement.

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"Behold, I make all things new...even..."

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Blessings and Love!