Aaron Monts, pastor of Ikon Christian Community in San Francisco, stood before his flock on a recent Sunday, resplendent in his version of churchly garb: a tan hoodie, plaid shirt and sneakers.
Mr. Monts spoke about the Occupy Wall Street protests, making a comparison to the Gospel of Luke and Jesus’s devotion to the poor. “If we lived out what Jesus preached,” he said, “there would be a revolution.”
Oh Boy more heresy.
“Instead, Ikon focused on “caring about the earth — caring about each other,†Mr. Spray said, and added, “Maybe that doesn’t look the same as the Bible Belt.â€
Another member, Mabi Knittle, 34, put Ikon’s message more succinctly. “Love saves people,†he said. “Love rescues people.â€
No sir, it the Work of Christ,a name that is clearly missing in your statement.
Jesus’ message re the poor is more than a social project. It is a sign of all our impoverishments that only He and his cross is the true answer for. We should and will care for the poor, if we wish to be “ikons” of Christ in the world. But, the message for the “poor” is the same for the rich, Come unto Me all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
One tends to forget that Jesus had many, many friends among the rich as well. Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. Yes, Jesus did confront [b]ONE[/b] rich young man, telling him to sell all he had to follow Jesus, but that was not the norm: even Zacchaeus was not told to ‘sell all he had’, and in fact, the Gospel story says he only gave HALF of his wealth to the poor (and that at his own choosing, not because Jesus told him to do so).
So to emphasize Jesus’ ministry to the poor and ignore His friendship with the rich misses half the story.