Keren Threlfall

collections of thoughts

Decrying the Racism Within

It’s easy to decry the racism that marches in on a city, unmasked and carrying torches. It’s much harder to identify the subtle, masked racism that dwells within my own heart, a racism I could otherwise be blind to. One rarely admits to being racist. Even the KKK has a code of conduct that sounds noble at first glance, interlaced with Scripture. It takes effort and intention to detach politics from your religion and examine what has become unrecognizably entangled. It takes vulnerability to admit that the problem isn’t “this is not who we are as a country,” but that we’ve whitewashed and retold those parts of our history to maintain a romanticized national narrative. It takes silence…to hear the voices of those who have been silenced for centuries, and to know that in the recording history, it is most often the people in power who get to tell the story; but that history is never only the voice of the dominant. It takes courage to realize that we naturally try to drift towards people who are most like us, but that there is a line that is easily crossed when we begin to believe that “different” means inferiority or reason to be feared as a threat. (In Christianity, we sometimes like to blame “conviction,” “a sensitive conscience,” or the Holy Spirit for what is in actuality, feeling uncomfortable with something that is unlike us. In both the secular and sacred worlds, it’s easy to become fearful of what we do not know, and to let that fear turn into something else.) As a wise man once said, “The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.” And as another wise man — a survivor of the consummation of fear and hate, the Holocaust — also told us, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” I posted this on my personal Facebook all the way back in August, in the fallout of Charlottesville. But I felt it warranted being posted here, too. Photo: Unsplash

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Reading 2013: Touching the Hem

For Elizabeth A. Johnson, working through a Biblical response to physical affliction was not merely an abstract theological question to be dealt with at random. For her, the questions presented themselves in the form of chronic illness that interrupted the life she thought she would have, years before many feel forced to search for such deep answers. In Touching the Hem: A Biblical Response to Physical Suffering, works through a theology of a Biblical response to physical suffering by working through five main related studies: God’s character, God’s works, our circumstances, our response, and God’s response. Elizabeth is a gifted writer, and her study and personal devotion to this topic shine through the book. While this is definitely not a fluffy women’s book, it is an easy, well-organized read. It is both academic and accessible while blending in Elizabeth’s personal experience with the subject matter. Although I am not currently enduring a time of chronic physical affliction (and the book certainly deals with far more than chronic health issues), I still found the book devotionally and spiritually valuable. I have suffered from minor health issues in the past, and know that, unless I die suddenly and soon, I will face them again, though the severity and longevity remain presently unknown. At the same time, I think that if I read this book while in the midst of intense physical affliction, it would lend even greater value. Elizabeth’s audience will be primarily those who hold to a (classical) Cessationist theology, as is evidenced by her chapter dealing with faith healing. This is also evidenced in the following statement:  “When people find themselves healed today, while it may feel like a miracle to one who has suffered so intently for so long, it generally can be explained by God’s working through natural means to heal them. The healing is still of God, when it comes, but it is not usually an actual miracle. True healing occurs on God’s terms alone: according to His perfect will and timing. It is never solely by the hands or words of a man.” With room for beliefs between Cessationism and charismaticism, I appreciate her open ended statement that leaves room for the possibility for God to heal through miracles, though such occurrences be rare or unseen to many. Elizabeth does an excellent job of connecting physical health and spiritual health and showing Scriptural support of how these are linked together. Seeing this link…

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Reading 2012: How Children Raise Parents

Although I’m still confused as to how the cover image fits with the theme of the book, How Children Raise Parents: The Art of Listening to Your Family is a Christian parenting book written from a relatively rare, yet refreshing and much needed perspective. The theme of the book is similar to that of Sacred Parenting, in that the emphasis on parenting is less on how to “change our children,” and more on how God uses parenting to change, grow, and mature us into adults who parent with love, strength, and humility. 

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Links to Think: 05.21.12

  Muscular Christianity – While this article is probably now already ancient internet archive material for some, in this article Michael Horton gives some helpful thoughts on some of the recent surge of teachings on masculinity that have been floating around the internet (and books, conferences, and sermons). (I realize there are also about 30 other trending articles on the issue, and clearly this is just one.) “So enough with the beards (if it’s making a spiritual statement). Enough with the “federal husband” syndrome that goes beyond the legitimate spiritual leadership of the heads of households found in Scripture. Enough of the bravado that actually misunderstands—sometimes rather deeply—what real sanctification looks like in the lives of men as well as women. And why does every famous pastor today have to write a book about his marriage and family? Beyond Scripture, there is godly wisdom and Christian liberty. Biblical principles focus on what it means to live in Christ by his Word and Spirit, and even in those few passages that speak directly to men and women, there will be legitimate diversity in application. My point is that the larger goal here shouldn’t be to trot out more gender stereotypes from our culture, whether feminist or neo-Victorian, but rather to rediscover the ministry that Christ has ordained for making disciples of all nations, all generations, and both genders. We need less niche marketing and more meat-and-potatoes service to the whole body of Christ. There, men and women, the young and the old and the middle aged, black, white, Latino, Asian, rich and poor hear God’s Word together, pray and sing God’s Word together, and are made one body by receiving Christ’s body and blood together: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” In that place, at least, there are no women’s Bible studies and men’s Bible studies, distracted youth groups and child-free golden oldies clubs, but brothers and sisters on pilgrimage to a better homeland than those that have been fashioned for us by this passing evil age.” Slightly related, is this article, “Ultimate Fighting Jesus,” with these slightly humorous (my favorite is the next to last sentence) insights: “So, what does it mean to be a Christian man?  If we’re not careful, we’ll end up just being dudes who are rude and crude. We drink beer, eat red meat, smoke cigars, swear like Christian sailors, insult boy bands, watch Ultimate Fight Club, drive Hummers…

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