Browse Items (4 total)

Part 6 of Jesus and the Disinherited on the topic of fear. Reads Clive Benson's "The Centurion" and from George Bernard Shaw's "On the Rocks," "the greatest of Rome is nothing but fear." Fear is an emotional response to danger. Even those in power show fear by devising so many creative ways to insure the status quo. Example of Pliny the Elder requesting and being denied the organization of a firefighting unit, because those in the unit might organize against the government. Story of French…

Part 5 of Jesus and the Disinherited. Again reads from Clive Benson, "Martha of Bethany," and "The Rich Young Ruler." Remember that Jesus was a poor Jew, and not just economically poor but a member of a marginal community which tends to give to the individual a low estimate of themselves. Story of the untouchable Indian boy who came to Thurman during his trip to India and asked, "Is there anything that you can say that would help a nobody?" When you are outside the mainstream of society, you are…

Part 4 of Jesus and the Disinherited. Reads 2 pieces by Clive Benson: "The Brothers" and "The Phoenician Woman." This talk is on "brotherhood" or inclusiveness. He argues that Jesus considered someone included by their relationship with God, whereas to Paul it was one's relationship to Christ. The church has followed the Paul model. He points out that Paul had a different viewpoint than Jesus. Both were Jews, but Paul had Roman citizenship and could claim that for protection whereas Jesus could…

Part 3 of Jesus and the Disinherited. He begins with a reading called "Joseph" by Clive Benson (not mentioned by name). The thrust of this piece is that God is primary, and can be trusted because God is kind. God is just and kind at the same time. There was only one real question Jesus was ever asking, "What is the will of God?" Not, "what do I want," or "how will this impact what's important to me?" He wants us to focus on this, and he tells the story of how he taught older women to ride bikes,…