Year In Review: Top Ten Posts of 2017

Here are the top ten articles of 2017.

I don’t seek to be intentionally controversial, but commenting on current issues and drawing a theological response tends to be confronting. This confrontation impacts me as much as anyone who might read or take an interest in my perspective on those issues. For in the end it’s not my word that I seek to share, it is God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life.

What the past year has shown me is that theology is not superfluous. It is made superfluous by theologians and their audience. There is little room for fence-sitting when proclaiming truth in a world hellbent on following all manner of untruth. There is no room for employing the Gospel (read:Jesus Christ) into the service of an agenda.

We cannot serve two masters for ‘if we once serve another master alongside Christ, as will always be the effect of this procedure, we must not be surprised to see bad fruit growing from a bad tree’ (Karl Barth, CD 3:1:414). We can speak into the world boldly, but we cannot ‘if we do not find a place for confessing Christ’ (Ibid) in the midst of doing so.

In the past year I have aimed to be true to the truth that confronts me daily. This truth isn’t a concept I created. It isn’t God made in my image or a set of moral principles that I have set up to lord over others. As flawed and clumsy as my approach may be sometimes, I’m simply its messenger.

Hence the theological haiku, Gratia Veritas Lumen, which forms the title of this blog. Meaning we live by God’s grace, through His truth, in His light.

This past year I’ve been cut off, unfriended, abused and had to remove myself from abusive forums for seeking to present a perspective that challenged the logical fallacies and reckless conclusions of those around me. For that I was called a bigot, falsely accused of making money off of bashing gays online; I was called a racist, pathetic, loser, Trump supporter and other explicit things I won’t repeat here.

Why? For entering into a dialogue with a different point of view that didn’t agree with the mainstream. For giving Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt and offering conditional support to the concerns of many Conservatives who are increasingly becoming marginalised for holding to a position that seeks to maintain the good from the past.

Progress is not progress, if it ejects tradition. Progress becomes oppressive when it fails to build upon, maintain or restore healthy traditions.

May God have mercy on us as we all move forward into the New Year. May He, in Jesus Christ, especially bless those of you who take the time to support this blog, and take an interest what I write here.

‘Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ (Isaiah 40:30-31, ESV)

Happy New Year, folks.