Comments on: Crossroads – Personal Thoughts http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513 Where good thoughts come to die. Sun, 22 Aug 2010 05:35:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Kevin Shepard http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513&cpage=1#comment-291 Kevin Shepard Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:00:16 +0000 http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513#comment-291 Jonathan — I was glad to meet you at the tweetup in Irvine this past weekend! I've enjoyed reading your blog, and appreciate your openly sharing your thoughts here about the crossroads in your life. I feel like I'm at one myself. I moved out here to SoCal from the midwest in late summer, and have been attending Newsong Irvine for about 4 months now. During this time I've been confronted anew by the myriad needs in the world, particularly those classified as issues of social (in)justice. And I've been challenged to consider how, as a Christ follower, I am both required and privileged to live out my faith in the pursuit of justice and mercy for those who must live in conditions of grinding poverty, and who are exploited by the unspeakably evil schemes of their fellow human beings. I'm recognizing this to be a significant crossroads in my life of faith. Much like your third crossroads experience above, I realize that, knowing what I now know, I can never go back to a life of "blissful ignorance". And yet as I press ahead, I find myself struggling with deep questions of how the "God of love" that I follow can stand by and watch while children starve to death or are conscripted into wars, forced labor, or the sex trade; while young women are bought and sold into forced marriages like property, and then have their faces burned with acid or are stoned to death in the name of a family's "honor" when they refuse; while entire populations are forced to freeze to death and starve under the brutal repression of an evil leader like Kim Jong Il. This is hard to reconcile, and I find myself at times feeling angry at God, that He would allow so many millions of His precious children to endure entire lifetimes of such horrible suffering... and so often with eternal death to follow. I've discovered that the area of theology that I'm now wading into is called "theodicy", and that many over the centuries have gone ahead of me on this journey. I received a book on the subject today from Amazon called "The End of Christianity" by William A. Dembski. Do you know of it? Can you recommend any other good resources that deal with this? I'd like to engage with some people on this, rather than attempt the journey alone. Like many new friends at Newsong, you clearly have a heart for social justice and are perhaps further along this path, up ahead of me. I'd welcome any opportunities for us to connect and dialog, if you'd be interested... after your semester finals (and perhaps in the new year) of course! ;-) Jonathan — I was glad to meet you at the tweetup in Irvine this past weekend! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog, and appreciate your openly sharing your thoughts here about the crossroads in your life. I feel like I’m at one myself. I moved out here to SoCal from the midwest in late summer, and have been attending Newsong Irvine for about 4 months now. During this time I’ve been confronted anew by the myriad needs in the world, particularly those classified as issues of social (in)justice. And I’ve been challenged to consider how, as a Christ follower, I am both required and privileged to live out my faith in the pursuit of justice and mercy for those who must live in conditions of grinding poverty, and who are exploited by the unspeakably evil schemes of their fellow human beings.

I’m recognizing this to be a significant crossroads in my life of faith. Much like your third crossroads experience above, I realize that, knowing what I now know, I can never go back to a life of “blissful ignorance”. And yet as I press ahead, I find myself struggling with deep questions of how the “God of love” that I follow can stand by and watch while children starve to death or are conscripted into wars, forced labor, or the sex trade; while young women are bought and sold into forced marriages like property, and then have their faces burned with acid or are stoned to death in the name of a family’s “honor” when they refuse; while entire populations are forced to freeze to death and starve under the brutal repression of an evil leader like Kim Jong Il. This is hard to reconcile, and I find myself at times feeling angry at God, that He would allow so many millions of His precious children to endure entire lifetimes of such horrible suffering… and so often with eternal death to follow.

I’ve discovered that the area of theology that I’m now wading into is called “theodicy”, and that many over the centuries have gone ahead of me on this journey. I received a book on the subject today from Amazon called “The End of Christianity” by William A. Dembski. Do you know of it? Can you recommend any other good resources that deal with this?

I’d like to engage with some people on this, rather than attempt the journey alone. Like many new friends at Newsong, you clearly have a heart for social justice and are perhaps further along this path, up ahead of me. I’d welcome any opportunities for us to connect and dialog, if you’d be interested… after your semester finals (and perhaps in the new year) of course! ;-)

]]> By: Gabriel http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513&cpage=1#comment-278 Gabriel Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:02:26 +0000 http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513#comment-278 My beloved brother Jonathan great conversation, I believe what shapes the process and growth towards Spiritual formation in a person life is trials and suffering and our responses to that process; don’t get me wrong a solid foundation will bring balance discipline through that processes: but with out the testing of this formation we will never get a clear sense of what God has produce in our lives nether will we ever see what God see in us, and from a ministerial point of view we cant give away something that we don’t have . How can a lay down a foundation for a house with out a clear plan and purpose for that house it just wont make sense in the same way through trials and suffering we begin to see the work of God and his purpose for our lives But what do I know? I am not very educated man and all I know is that I was blind and now I see and I was once dead and now I am alive and I can’t help but to think of the words of Apostle Paul in the Book of Philippians Philippians 3:10 (King James Version) 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; My beloved brother Jonathan great conversation, I believe what shapes the process and growth towards Spiritual formation in a person life is trials and suffering and our responses to that process; don’t get me wrong a solid foundation will bring balance discipline through that processes: but with out the testing of this formation we will never get a clear sense of what God has produce in our lives nether will we ever see what God see in us, and from a ministerial point of view we cant give away something that we don’t have .
How can a lay down a foundation for a house with out a clear plan and purpose for that house it just wont make sense in the same way through trials and suffering we begin to see the work of God and his purpose for our lives

But what do I know? I am not very educated man and all I know is that I was blind and now I see and I was once dead and now I am alive and I can’t help but to think of the words of Apostle Paul in the Book of Philippians

Philippians 3:10 (King James Version)
10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

]]> By: Charles Lee http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513&cpage=1#comment-273 Charles Lee Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:59:38 +0000 http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513#comment-273 Love how God is forming you! It's amazing to see the transformation I've seen in you these past few years. I'm humbled to have been a small part of the process. Keep your heart open and experience God in fresh ways. More transformation coming... Love how God is forming you! It’s amazing to see the transformation I’ve seen in you these past few years. I’m humbled to have been a small part of the process.

Keep your heart open and experience God in fresh ways.

More transformation coming…

]]> By: Steven Chang http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513&cpage=1#comment-266 Steven Chang Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:58:38 +0000 http://www.jonathanhochan.com/?p=1513#comment-266 brokenness is beautiful! brokenness is beautiful!

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