Just got an article sent to me today by Andrew Strom. A follow up to his article on nine lies. One of the great things about the article is it gets people thinking about things we normally associate with being Xn and then gets us to look at the Bible. So we learn things like "asking Jesus into our hearts" is not in the Bible and Jesus doesn't talk about "prosperity" (I better not start writing on the prayer of Jabez). All good stuff.
However, A. Strom talks a lot (as do many others) about the need for revival. Which after doing a quick word search in the NRSV, CEV, message, RSV and King James bibles and found no hits.
This got me thinking about Bonhoffer and his detesting of the idea of "deux ex machina" An ancient Greek idea often used in their plays where God comes in at the last minute and fixes everything up.
Revivals are quick and spectacular things, were God comes in and fixes everything up. I would argue that God is not like that. Jesus was born in a stable and died with a bunch of criminals, and when he did do miracles asked people not to tell others. Hardly spectacular, and futhermore part of being Xns (the church) is that we are God's ambassadors on earth (eph 6:20). And, because it is us doing the work it's not going to be as spectacular as a revival might be. To quote Charlie Kaufmann's movie Adaptation "there will be no deux ex machina!".
So, maybe it's time to stop praying for a revival to change the world and start asking God to change us so that we can change the world. Just a thought.
P.S Adaptation has a great example of deux ex machina, when Laroche is killed by an alligator at the end of the movie.
However, A. Strom talks a lot (as do many others) about the need for revival. Which after doing a quick word search in the NRSV, CEV, message, RSV and King James bibles and found no hits.
This got me thinking about Bonhoffer and his detesting of the idea of "deux ex machina" An ancient Greek idea often used in their plays where God comes in at the last minute and fixes everything up.
Revivals are quick and spectacular things, were God comes in and fixes everything up. I would argue that God is not like that. Jesus was born in a stable and died with a bunch of criminals, and when he did do miracles asked people not to tell others. Hardly spectacular, and futhermore part of being Xns (the church) is that we are God's ambassadors on earth (eph 6:20). And, because it is us doing the work it's not going to be as spectacular as a revival might be. To quote Charlie Kaufmann's movie Adaptation "there will be no deux ex machina!".
So, maybe it's time to stop praying for a revival to change the world and start asking God to change us so that we can change the world. Just a thought.
P.S Adaptation has a great example of deux ex machina, when Laroche is killed by an alligator at the end of the movie.
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