Celtic Odyssey

Brian's latest book. So, last night, my wife and I went up to Mayflower Congregational Church to listen to one of my favorite authors, Brian McLaren . He was there promoting his latest book, Why Did Jesus, Moses, The Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road: Christian Identity in a Muli-Faith World . I’m not really sure what I expected, but it was great being able to listen to Brian give his presentation. While I haven’t read this latest book, it seems that it’s getting a lot of positive attention from other religious groups - especially from those mentioned in the title! Brian’s point in the book is to propose a middle ground between a strong Christian identity that is hostile (or un-hospitable) towards people of other faiths or a weak (or watered down) Christian identity that is affirming of other faiths. He believes that a follower of Jesus can have a “vigorous hospitality toward, interest in, and collaboration” with people from other faiths and still maintain a strong f

11. We are an ecumenical community. In sacred history, God has allowed many different streams. They are all refreshing in different ways. So we reject party spirit in any of its forms, secure in who we are and where God has us; refusing to mold others to our own understanding of truth. Other people do not have to be the same as us. We are developing a theology which is comfortable in difference. In the freedom that a desire for unity brings, we are to dismantle the walls between separated sisters and brothers across religious and secular boundaries. What’s so inspiring to me about this Understanding is that we’re not alone in the thoughts and ideals contained here. I’m hearing these same thoughts and expressions from others. For example, one of my favorite musicians is Trevor Hall . He has a song titled, Unity . In it, he states: Whatever path you follow push on till tomorrow Love all serve all and create no sorrow So many rivers but they all reach the sea They telling me he’

“I believe that many who find that ‘nothing happens’ when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand.” ~~~ C.S. Lewis