What are we going to do today, Scott? Try and subvert the empire!

In light of a class I am taking on Colossians, I thought it might be fun to offer various ways one might subvert the empire. I am open to any and all suggestions. And please, be creative.

oh wait, you're sad again

So I have been thinking a lot about deconstruction in the past month or so. I got a wild hair (that’s for you Brandon) to read a book summarizing the life and thought of Jacques Derrida. After my brain finished imploding, I was ready to entertain John Caputo’s What Would Jesus Deconstruct? I really enjoyed this book! All of this leads me to what I have been reading in the book of Philippians.

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

OMG! (That’s, “oh my God!” for all you non IMing, Google-chatting folk). Paul, you’re so crazy! As if we could ever be so presumptuous to not fear and tremble before God. But then again, it is God who is at work. And perhaps we are a bit presumptuous, or smug in our perceptions about the world. And because we can’t box God in a corner (God is unboxable; He can’t be boxed), we have to allow Him to roam free a bit. Therefore, our salvation must be worked out with fear and trembling because it God, the unboxable, who works it in us. Our presumptions must be constantly challenged (deconstructed, if you will). And for what? To enable us to will (desire) and work (perform) for His (God’s) good pleasure. God works salvation in our lives for his own happiness! But God, "if it makes you happy then why the hell are you so sad?" Oh yeah, the whole fear and trembling thing. But in all reality, the whole fear and trembling thing really isn’t cool these days for us postmodern - folk - who - want - to - be - on - an - aimless - journey - with - no - absolutes - who - still - talk - way - too - much - as - if - they - have - something - to - say. Wait, that's not fair to Christian postmoderns (who still talk way too much!) Oh wait, your sad again.

I suppose you might say that if you want to see deconstruction applied to the Christian life (can deconstruction really be applied at all) find the one who fears and trembles before God.

re-imagine

The good news of the gospel is that we can re-imagine the world. We can see things the way they are; the way God sees them. It’s difficult to re-imagine the world when your next-door neighbor had their car stolen right out of their driveway not one hour after she had arrived home. Why do the folks who can’t afford to buy a new car have to be the one’s who have their car stolen in the first place? The older cars are easier to break into, I suppose. However, the reason she is driving a 1990 Buick in the first place is because she can’t afford to buy a “better” car because they cost too much. And so it goes. I’m trying to re-imagine the world right now. All I can think about is what I would have done if I had shown up in the middle of the act. I can’t seem to re-imagine the situation as God might see it. I can't seem to re-imagine the world.