Outside the Pigeon Holes

A recent article on Greg Boyd's website , Reknew, inspired these thoughts and a confession: This is a difficult reality to internalize but helpful when one 'gets it'...I don't like to get too deep into trying to explain evil in the world or why there is suffering even among those who trust God deeply with their safety and well-being. But what I do believe to be true is that God is good. All the time. God does not promise that we will never face trials or have bad things come our way --The world is too complex with spiritual issues and the cacophony of human voices demanding their independence -- but He does promise that he will never leave us in the midst of trials. I also believe that we ARE protected from many things which we will never know about - or that God can and does greatly reduce the impact of something working against us (depicted in the cartoon - which I found here: https://godguysandgirls.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/291937_10150267924702537_592537536_

"When our eschatology (end-times view) has more to do with the "destruction of the wicked" than the 'restoration of ALL THINGS' then we really should re-think the Jesus we are preaching. The world is waiting for some GOOD NEWS not DOOM & GLOOM!" - Blaise Foret This is my take as well...Not that I don't believe that there will be some kind of 'recompense for the wicked' (what it looks like I do not know - only God truly knows), I just believe that Jesus' focus and the whole purpose of His work in his ministry, on the cross and in His resurrection was restoration and hope, not destruction and punishment. Scripture says destruction is a work of the enemy. As difficult as it can be, I believe that hope and restoration should be first and foremost in my heart and mind as well - even in the face of the immense evil that we face in the world. It is what Jesus modeled up until his last breath. Punishment, wrath and anger are not listed as b