Bonhoeffer.... creation and fall....the image of God on earth

“In man God creates his image on earth. This means that man is like the creator in that he is free. Actually he is free only by God’s creation, by means of the word of God; he is free for the worship of the creator. In the language of the Bible, freedom is not something man has for himself but something he has for others. No man is free “as such” that is, in a vacuum, in the way that he may be musical, intelligent or blind as such. Freedom is not a quality of man, nor is it an ability, a capacity, a kind of being that somehow flares up in him. Any one investigation of man to discover freedom finds nothing of it. Why? Because freedom is not a quality which can be revealed- it is not a possession, a presence, an object, nor is it a form for existence- but a relationship and nothing else. In truth, freedom is a relationship between two persons. Being free means ‘being free for the other’, because the other has bound me to him. Only in relationship with the other am I free.
No substantial or individualistic concept of freedom can conceive of freedom. I have no control over freedom as over a property. It is simply the event that happens to me through the other. We can ask how we know this, or whether this is not just again speculation about the beginning resulting from being in the middle. The answer is that it is the message of the gospel that God’s freedom has bound us to itself, that his free grace only becomes real in this relation to us, and that God does not will to be free for himself but for man. God in Christ is free for man. Because he does not retain his freedom for himself the concept of freedom only exists for us as “being free for.” For to us who live in the middle through Christ and know our humanity in his resurrection, that God is free has no meaning except that we are free for God. The freedom of the creator is proved by the fact that he allows us to be free for him, and that means nothing except that he creates his image on earth. The paradox of created freedom cannot be eliminated. Indeed it must be made as obvious as possible. Here created freedom means- and it is this that goes beyond all previous deeds of God, the unique par excellence- that God himself enters into creation.”

it's like the music we play when we don't have words

'Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."'


'See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. '

I'm moving.


I love that God messes up my plans.

sick of safe

Here's something I've been thinking about a lot the last few days, something that was evidently on my mind over a year ago.... I've kind of been thinking about it in connection with fear......

March 4th, 2008

It really makes me wonder sometimes, reading of Jesus and his life, reading about the disciples lives....and the extremes they hit. I don't mean extreme in a bad way, just extreme love. I still struggle with reconciling it all in my head. I'm not saying it has to look the same for everyone, or that it should, but I am left with this feeling that somehow we rationalize the Bible down, we talk about love as if we know what it is, and yet no one lays down their life for another person. We give with limit, when God's love knew none. We expect to live, do some good things, generally be ok people, and somewhere it seems love has lost its danger. Do we ever seriously consider what it may cost to follow, or do we simply follow and give no heed to the cost? I don't know what the cross means to everyone else-but I don't think Christ was scoffing when he told people to deny themselves and carry their cross. We have watered down love. We want the good feeling and the thrill, without ever truly having to take a full risk- we'll only see a dim version of love as long as we're willing to only go to half-lengths to show it.
The question is, do any of us have the courage left to show it?

Will any of us opt for extreme love rather than mediocre?

is the cost something we are willing to pay?



And now, a year later, I think the answer to that question is ... Yes.

Once you see, once you really see who Jesus is, Yes.
because there aren't any more options left.

He is the only thing that's left.
Jesus, who he is, and how he has lived love.

nothing else matters anymore.