Is Our World Safe?

So I just recently listened to Skye Jethani speak at the Okoboji Bible Conference. So something interesting about this post already, I normally don't use peoples names. But I felt the need to maybe hoping he would clear up what he said and in one of his books he was bold enough to name a few pastors he disagreed with. So this is my attempt at being bold. Not that he will ever read my blog.

Back to my point....

One thing he spoke on was how we view this Cosmos. Do we view it like Peter as a dangerous world and we react with fear and violence (Peter cut off the ear of a Roman soldier.) or do we view it like Jesus, as a perfectly safe place and we react with faith (Jesus healed the Roman soldier.). So I think there might have been more to his example of Jesus living out in faith, but at one point while he was speaking my ears were really giving me a hard time and felt like I couldn't hear anything. But I do know he was talking about Peter and Jesus at that point when the Romans came to get Jesus and he would ultimately be crucified.

So I sat there for quite a long time thinking "Did he really just call this a perfectly safe place to live? Is he living on the same Earth as me? Is he talking about something more?" But he kept saying this world is a perfectly safe place to live. Now...I wonder would you be able to say that to Christians in a certain Asian country that I use to work in? Could you tell them while they are hiding for their lives because of persecution that we live in a perfectly safe world? Could you say that to thousands and thousands of people who know that they could die tomorrow because of their faith in Jesus.

I disagree Skye. There aren't two ways to look at the world. There is ultimately one way to look at this world. This is a dangerous and scary place to live. Now there are two ways we can live this out. We could live in fear trying to get God on our side. Or we could live in Faith knowing that even though it is a dangerous world God is with us and I have nothing to fear. I also believe Jesus viewed this world as a dangerous and scary place to live...otherwise I don't think he would have been praying.

I also disagree with you on one other thing. Living a radical lifestyle is not about changing your circumstances and I thought it was maybe a little too bold of you to call that lifestyle unbiblical. I don't know if you noticed but I was the one who gasped out loud when you said that. So here is what I think...being one who tries to live this lifestyle. Sometimes living radical for Jesus is about changing your circumstances. For instance, my husband and I felt God calling us to get rid of our cable. So we changed that. But it is very Biblical to sell all of your stuff and become a community of believers. Acts 2 is a great example of that. But not my point... living radical is about using your circumstances in a different way for God. Using what you have and using it for Christ. Challenging those around you...even those who are "higher" in authority than you. I don't think your view of living radical was at all what most of the authors I have read were saying. Have you read "Crazy Love" or "Unleashed"? Just wondering.

So my challenge for you whoever is reading this. View this world as a dangerous and scary place, but don't live in fear. Live in faith knowing that God is with us.