Unintelligible Sunday Notes (9/13/15)
Genesis 4:1-18, NRSV
1 John 3:11-18, NRSV
Reflections
We either bear the marks of Christ in self-sacrificing love
Or we bear the mark of Cain in self-justifying narcissism
The marks of Christ are the wounds of healing love
The mark of Cain warns people to stay away
The marks of Christ bring reconciliation
The mark of Cain increases our isolation
I am my brother’s keeper
The end of narcissism is nihilism
A life centered on self leads to the incriminating mark of Cain
A life centered on Christ leads to giving yourself away
When a rich man helps a poor man two men are rescued
One from the black hole of poverty
The other from the black hole of self
What am I?
I am a child of God.
I am not an only child.
I am my brother’s keepers.— Brian Zahnd
-
- Power that comes from violence, physically and verbally
- This is story of insidious violence
- This is also story of pervasive grace
- First time being introduced in Genesis
- Sin
- Shame
- Evil
- City, civilization
- God calls out Cain’s feelings, shows understanding
- Asks him questions, pursue him
- But Cain didn’t respond to God well
- Sin is lurking, crouching
- God doesn’t do eye for an eye
- Love your enemy whereas the world teach to hate your enemy
- To Do:
- It starts with us, taking up the cross and follow Jesus
- To bear the mark of Jesus, not mark of Cain
