Dont Let Nobody Turn You Around – Justin E Giboney

A Christian limited to the boundaries of the ideological Left and Right has a distorted and fragmented witness. The idea that we must be entirely progressive or conservative on every issue is a ploy to control our cultural and political opinions. If cultural influencers can get us to base our opinions on ideological identity rather than critical analysis and convictions, then they control our public witness.

Once we start proudly wearing the label, critical thinking is no longer necessary. They’ll do all the thinking for us and we’ll simply rubber stamp their conclusions. But the church must be convicted and thoughtful enough to have prophetic independence. Focusing on choosing the right position instead of choosing a side helps us avoid ideological capture.

It allows us to center Christian principles and find common cause with others without having to pledge full allegiance or overlook wrongdoing. We can participate in party politics while having the independence to challenge and correct behavior and policy in conflict with truth and compassion. When discussing works of the flesh, Paul mentions what the English Standard Version refers to as “rivalries” (Galatians 5:20).

These are quarrels caused by self-seeking. They divert our eyes from what’s good and true, shifting our focus toward spiting those who stand in the way of us gaining worldly advantage. Preoccupied with antagonism and winning the argument, we devalue doing what’s right. The fight becomes more important than the solution.

16 Tribal rivalries center on our contempt for one another and make our disputes more about spite than the merits of the argument. Tribalism is loyalty to a social group, “especially when combined with strong negative feelings for people outside the group.” 17 Writer Thomas Freidman referred to tribalism as a virus infesting our democracy by making it difficult for diverse groups to work together. 18 Tribalism can cause us to obsess over and antagonize opponents and uncritically support our side when they’re wrong.

Loyalty to our ideological tribe can cause us to place the tribe’s interests, narratives, and rivalries above Christian principles. It becomes the center of our engagement, replacing the love and truth of Christ. How have we allowed our rivalries to become the center of our public witness? The answer is we’ve become obsessed with proving our political opponents are completely evil, responsible for all societal wrongs, and must be humiliated. We’ve become opposition centered. Through cable news, talk radio, and social media, we’ve come to believe our opponents are virtually incapable of sincerity and good works.

Their every word and action are meant to either harm, deceive, or control us. They’re not just occasionally wrong—they’re always wrong, which means what’s right is found on the opposite side of their every belief and opinion.

my late grandfather and grandmother, Bishop Thomas L. Cooper and Willie Faye Cooper. The Coopers attribute the long tenure of their marriage to a firm belief in the laws of God. “Our belief in God brought us together and it has kept us together. The Lord watches over and protects all that is good.” 1 OceanofPDF.com CONTENTS Foreword by Esau McCaulley Introduction: You’ve Gotta Move: Reconstruction and the Emergence of the Black Church Social Action Tradition 1 It’s Time to Make a Change: The Civil Rights Generation and the Spirit of the Tradition 2 On the Battlefield: Black Christians and the White American Culture War 3 A Wretch like Me: How We View Others and Ourselves 4 Getting the Spirit:Engaging with the Fruit of the Spirit 5 Jesus, You’re the Center: Centering the Faith in Our Cultural and Political Engagement 6 We Are Sharing: Uplift Through Pluralism and Critique 7 Ain’t That Good News: The Flaws of Conservatism 8 You Will Surely Drift Away: The Flaws of Progressivism 9 I Know the Lord Will Make a Way: Moral Imagination 0 God Don’t Want No Coward Soldier Acknowledgments Notes Praise for Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around About the Author Like this book?

OceanofPDF.com FOREWORD ESAU MCCAULLEY BLACK CHRISTIANS AND MANY OTHER believers in the United States often face a conundrum. They look at the political options before them on the left and the right and wonder if these are the only two options. Do not misunderstand: the two parties that dominate American politics are not equally wrong about all things.

They are just profoundly mistaken about particular things, each broken in its own unique way. We look around and wonder, Does any else notice this dilemma? Am I alone in seeing the problem? Or, more pointedly, we ask ourselves: Am I crazy? Should I just pick up my rhetorical sword and do battle for my tribe like everyone else?

This issue extends beyond politics, reaching into the heart of Christian theology and praxis. Are holiness, right living, and a high view of Scripture at odds with the pursuit of justice? Do I need to choose between personal piety—that is, love for Jesus—and public witness?

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: ed53140ac1c21d41
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 3,463,091 bytes (3.303 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 216
• Language: English (en)

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