Benjamin Kwashi's Simple & Potent Reminder

Now on to Benjamin Kwashi's "Bearing Witness to the Love of Christ with People of Other Faiths."  What strikes me first is the simplicity of this brief paper. Kwashi writes practically nothing that I haven't heard and read about a hundred times. And yet, there is something about it. Something stirring.  Something challenging and encouraging.  For example, as one who has been flatly lied to "in the name of Jesus" this week, I rejoice at the statement, "Anyone who receives and believes the gospel must speak the truth at all times, to all people, and must do so in love."

But nothing hit me more powerfully that this simple, true, timeless, crucial . . .

"It takes a determined, cumulative effort to keep teaching the word of God until the truth of how to live and obey God's word is learned, accepted and obeyed.  We are to be channels through which the power of God can work, and such channels must not become blocked by laziness, selfishness, unfaithfulness or any other kind of sin."

I do however question Kwashi's inclusion of the term "etiquette" in a list of things that "must" be changed by the gospel. Everything else on the list makes sense to me--behavior, health, character, etc (etiquette also makes sense if it is understood in a very broad sense).  Since "etiquette" normally refers to cultural conventions, customs, how to fold your napkin, which hand one should eat with, whether or not shoes may be worn inside the house, and the like; I would suggest caution and careful explanation of exactly what is meant by how the gospel impacts this. It is far too easy to create a false gospel around issues of cultural conformity/non-conformity and reduce being a "true" follower of Jesus to a matter of whether or not you wear a hijab, adorn yourself with a bindi, change your name to Mary, eat beef, or preach standing up.

Okay, on to the next article.