Some of you have read my rantings about plagues on the houses of both theological liberals and conservatives.

Now hear this, from Richard Rohr (Jesus’ Plan for a New World, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1996, pp. 147 ff.)

“Jesus: ‘I have not come to abolish the Law’ (cool it, Liberals!); the Law will not disappear until its purpose is achieved (Matthew 5:17-20) (Beware, mindless legalists!).

Here we have the balance Jesus strikes between what we call conservative and liberal. On a continuum between exclusiveness and inclusiveness, Jesus strikes a delicate balance. Exclusivity at its extreme would have been the Law of Holiness (Leviticus 17-25): boundaries between insiders and outsiders become overemphasized. But it also gives a people a strong and often psychologically healthy sense of identity and boundaries.

But inclusivity at its extreme, where all the boundaries are thrown out and ‘everything is beautiful’ very often can mean standing for nothing, betrayal of central and essential truths…

Wisdom is knowing how to hold both inclusion and exclusion in ideal tension. Jesus is a master at that.”

True true true…

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Shalom! Rowland Croucher ()