Once Upon a Time in the Christian West

Harmonica: [facing three men] And Frank?

Snaky: Frank sent us.

Harmonica: Did you bring a horse for me?

Snaky: Well... looks like we're...

[snickers]

Snaky: ...looks like we're shy one horse.

Harmonica: [shaking head] You brought two too many.

I watched Sergio's beautiful and haunting movie, "Once Upon a Time in the West" with Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. The music was captivating, the brutality of the old west was shocking, and the heroes who wore black and white were hard and fast at bringing down justice in the old style of western movies in the late 1960's.  These are the good old days romanticized by some of when men were men and courage, sweet, and blood built our great nation we call America. But if people were more honest in looking at the hardships, the prejudices, and the violence, many people would probably say they are glad to live in the modern world with its many comforts and material wealth than the hard days of the old west. There is much myth and mystery concerning the American cowboy but people love to imagine things like Jessie James was a misunderstood hero in some old western movies rather than a brutal killer.

Many today want to decry that America is losing its Christian's past and heritage. It is certainly true that there are many Christian ideals or laws that have changed over the course of time but America was built more on laws created by deists then by Christians. The story of the great Christian America west is more a story that should start with "Once upon a time . . . " because it simply is not true historically. Consumerism, nationalism, and materialism run rabid in our society today and many Christians, rather than lamenting the past need to chart a bold course for the future where God's love and mercy are visibly demonstrated and seen by all. Maybe this might be the test to see whether there is true courage or simply a failure of nerve and helplessness in not knowing what to do at all.

A Comic Eschatology

There is so much irony, comedy, paradox, and humor in the Bible but contemporary Christians are so far removed from the original audience and so serious in their faith that they miss the laughter of God in the Scriptures. Jesus is more of a Jokester than we realize and he is only following the prophetic tradition where often the joke was on God's people but the problem was they neither got the joke nor were they laughing after the prophets spoke. Here is the great paradox that runs likes a silver lining throughout the whole of scripture: When people make their plans trusting in human logic and power, God laughs. When God plans working through our human weaknesses and limitations, people laugh.

Psalm 2:2-4 says, "From His throne in heaven, the Lord laughs; He derides their feeble plans." We see this throughout the whole of scriptures from the feeble plans of the Israel to the feeble plans of the religious leaders to stop Jesus or his disciples from preaching the gospel.  Mary is presented as the new ark of God and she is filled with joy (and laughter).  John the Baptist was viewed by the religious leaders as a clown in the wilderness. They mocked him as observers from a far rather than repenting and coming down to the level of the ordinary people of the streets. Herod tried to make Jesus into a court jester and do some miracles or tricks for him but Jesus does not play the fool for the world's amusement.

The laughter of the resurrection, new creation and the redeemed are those followers of Jesus who are broken, humble and often found among the poor, despised, frightened and even depressed. God continually uses the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the wise and powerful. The world will wake up some day to a new world where the powerful are dethroned and the meek truly inherit the earth.

Scriptural reasons for Universalism

I have uploaded files where I discuss scriptural issues that are significant to me in regards to Universal Restoration.  Enjoy!  Reasons