From a friend:

….. Let’s avoid getting tied up in cute little knots as if words are the cause and the solution to every challenge we face. While we wrestle with our words, we can be too easily distracted from ministry opportunites that could lead to people coming into wholeness in Jesus. If this happens regularly, we can become self-indulgent.

A wider perspective about ‘stimulating debate’ was reinforced for me a couple of months back, when the Age weekend magazine gave a critique on the philosopher behind Al Qaeda. This man declared how Christianity had become hellenised by thinkers creating knowledge as information, rather than the whole of life approach espoused by Islam.

How much of our theology and our preaching lays the rubber on the road? The old testament description of knowledge always carried commensurate responsibility, as God endeavoured to relate with his people through the law, wisdom writings, the prophets and finally through Jesus personally. We have the awesome privilege and calling to present words of life, not merely intricate packages of information or theory.

As Jesus once watched a whole stack of “Cheap Seat” followers leave him, asked: “What about you, will you also leave?” Peter (again) broke through with insight: “Lord, where else can we go? You alone have the words of life!”

Let’s speak life and liberation above analysis paralysis.