it's late...

...after our first family Christmas gather of the season. My Dad got me a wireless router for Christmas, and now I can sit on my comfy couch and blog away. Tonight, I found my way to the God's Politics blog and have done some reading. I wanted to share a little bit; I have thoughts and here they come...

Labels just stink, don't they? The more I think of it, the more it seems like labels emerge because we just don't have the time to get to know a broad base of folks. Some of the labels that have been re-occurring in my path over the past few days:

Christian Right- label given to anyone that voted for Bush based only on issues of abortion, same-sex union, and even Iraq since Hussein was (at least for a period of time) the anti-Christ. If this is you, you tend to think that James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson are the 21st century names of guys like John, Peter, and Phillip. Can't you just hear it in the text? "Simon, who is called Dr. Dobson." You may think that homosexuality is a communicable disease, and of all the stuff God said that God didn't like, this is the worst. Not because that thought ever came out that ever came out of a mouth, it's just the impression that I get.

Progressive Christianity- If you're a coffeehouse jumping, post-modern, almost social activist, than this you. You may or may not like it, but progressive is just another word for liberal and you might feel like the people at church might lynch you for voting for Kerry. After all, if you're not conservative than you must be liberal, right? (see above description) The dualism of the established church just ticks you off--or as I call it either/or-ism; you're more likely to sip your latte and be ticked with your friends than do anything about it.

Red Letter Christian- you're a baptist that might actually talk to someone who's had an abortion or sex with a partner of the same gender. In an effort to distance yourself from an intolerant bunch of folks, you've given yourself a whole new name to be known by. The Jesus Seminar has categorized you folks (basing this next statement on color alone) as the one's who follow what we are most certain Jesus actually said...so good then, I guess.

Homosexual- your life revolves around sex. Your orientation is the sum total of your personality and personhood, so you've got that going for you. The crusade to legalize same sex unions are more about proving a point than love for your 'partner' and to make those crazies on the right squirm. That's precisely why we see footage of two guys getting married and see them SWAK the marriage with a little tongue. You hate Eminem, are more likely to be a member of PETA and are a better dancer than me.

And the list could go on and on...

Ticked off yet? Labels suck, don't they?

Anyone besides me ready to stop using them to refer to people?

John Burke, in his book, No Perfect People Allowed, says that we must all live in the tension of the Scriptures...that there are things in the bible that don't add up in our minds. The only way to live 'in the tension' is to create an atmosphere of dialogue and be ready to admit your own struggles and shortcomings and that you may have to say 'I don't know' in a conversation about Jesus.

I am committing to try to eliminate the labels from my lexicon and enter into relationship and conversation with people...

...who's in with me...

Oh, yeah...Merry Christmas, friends...