A huge Step

My Family and myself have done a huge Step towards “our Babylon”. Well it is an interesting journey. I am pretty much absorbed these days and we will see what the next Steps are… I started to write this post on the 19th of May 2008 (hugh).

I am working on it again today, the 13th of September 2008. In the meantime, we have moved to Berlin, (Germany) and I started a new Job. It is a huge and deep step into creation. I love it. At the Moment I do not know how this blog will procede. What shape and content it will have. I need some time to sort it out. Is there anybody who is reading this stuff altogether? Just wondering…

Tear down the walls

Some random thoughts…

I major step for the Body of Christ would be to tear down the walls of the church which withheld them to live in creation and subsequent to come closer to babylon. Most of christian activity is inside the 4 walls and if not, than a project OF the CHURCH is launched to address society. This project comes out of the 4 walls and from above down to society as a final solution or answer.

The problem is, that the church and babylon do not understand each other. There is a communication problem that comes out of the subculture of the church. So church has to unlearn a lot in order to reconnect with society. Therefore: The walls must disappear so that HIS people can learn to live with the people in our communites. It is about sharing of life with them. To hear, not to speak, to listen with our heart and emotion to their stories. A Place where the wall is installed in our minds are the theological institutions. There is nothing wrong with theological education but what is the aim of it. It should have the aim to train theologians to translate theological aspiration and know how for the masses of people in our societies and not just for the few within the 4 walls. Theology should work on concrete social, political, spiritual questions of our societies. What is the concrete theological-based alternative to the common tools to approach unemployment? What do we have to say to the decline of our cities? Therefore theology has to become interdisciplinary. Who has to understand our message? So often the approach of the church to society was, to tell THEM how and where THEY have to change. But I think it is up to us to OFFER a true alternative.

Clarification on “Babylon”

How do I use the term ” Babylon”? I use it in at least these ways.

1. For me Babylon stands for our society. By “our society” I mean any society. So an interesting question would be whether “Babylon” and “Creation” is the same or not. Or is Babylon in Creation?
2. Babylon is my Context. So that means Meiningen, Germany and some other places I travel to. I could say, that I am looking for Babylon wherever I am. I try to be sensitive to the “exile places” of my surrounding.
3. And now, while I am writing and reflecting, I find another connotation of Babylon. Babylon and the church/people of God/ body of Chris or what ever you name it, is devided from Babylon. So Babylon is, in that case, everything outside of Gods Lordship.

I will find out, how long I can run with this description. But I already guess, that I have not arrived yet. Its a long way to Babylon.

What do you see?

I see my city suffering. It is longing and yearning for life and love. I see an economy that is on the ground, I see young people who leave because there is no reason to stay – there is not enough room for development and work. The Citycouncil announced that they will focus on the elderly, because that is where the future market will be. That is right, but what shall we do, if the goverment is giving up on the youth? Can we turn that arround? And yet through al of this I see the potential of my City. There is a lot of creativity, new cafes opend during the last 1-2 years and… yes and what else. This place develops so slowly that it is hard to see it some times.As Martin is writing, we need to develop a spirituality, a way of following christ, IN this situation of creation. We are no sphere for our own sake.

Go!

Here I am, writing my first post on this blog. I started to write some english posts on my other blog, but I came to the conclusion that it makes more sense to start an extra one for my english-speaking audience. First of all I ask for patience regarding my english. Sometimes I really struggle with the grammar. Nevertheless I would like to Introduce two posts to this blog, which are the reason for me to start this blog. These Post are the starting point of some of my reflections on some subjects.

•  I kissed church goodbye and
•  I kissed movement hello!

If you read those post, you are on track with this blog. 

Well what should I say? It is good to stay where we belong, in Babylon (Jer 29,5-8). We have to live were we belong, and we have to find ways to…

…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. 

 For that we need the guidance of Jesus and the friendship and fellowship of his followers. The church as it is, is not the answers to that task. Maybe it has not to be the answer. Maybe it is about a whole new understanding of creation. That is my journey, that is my way so far.