“It is, I think, easy to underestimate the attracting power of unconditional love. But in the person of Jesus it was captivating to many people who lived when he lived, and has become the foundation for millions since… this points to the essential role the church plays in how people respond to Jesus. Jesus being taken seriously as model of living a life devoted to God depends in no small degree on how well the church embodies the life and teachings of Jesus… It comes down to this. The church’s faithfulness in following Jesus’ call to a singular devotion to God, unconditional love for neighbor, and the practice of peace and justice in the world influences those who struggle with having faith and/or what kind of faith they have.”
–Jan Linn, A Different Jesus, p. 94
[Correction: Yesterday’s post had a mistake in the fourth sentence. It should have read: “Thus, calling an unusual or wonderful event a miracle doesn’t require you to explain why another unusual or wonderful event you wanted to happen or believed should have happened didn’t…” Our apologies to our readers and to Jan.]
