Sorry for going AWOL these last few weeks...

The busiest two weeks at International Arts Movement are upon us. In sixteen days, we will embark upon Encounter 09 "Art in Action," IAM's annual conference. The program for this event is steller. We will hold workshops led by folks like Steve Garber of The Washington Institute, Roberta Ahmanson, Ena Heller of the Museum of Biblical Art, artist Wayne Adams, and IAM's Board President (and Conversant Life blogger) Mark Meehan, to name just a few.

We'll also hold masterclasses taught by Susan Isaacs, Rob Mathes (who was the musical director for the Inauguration concert on HBO), and Chris Griffin.

Richard Dahlstrom recently wrote a thoughtful and articulate piece here on Conversant that I enjoyed reading.  After reading Rick Warren's prayer, I had thought about writing about the same thing - his use of the Hebrews passage - and I'm partially glad I didn't yet because Richard's is so well written.

I say partially because I think he stopped short of the true power of that passage.  Richard ends his scripture quotation here: "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith."  The problem is that there isn't a period at that point in the passage...but it's that last part of the passage that makes all the difference!  If we stop there, isn't Jesus just a moral example (and not our Savior or author and perfecter of our faith), leaving us with a set of moral imperatives: do this, don't do this?  So, if I may, I offer an addendum of questions.

The passage has a comma and continues into the meat of that passage.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

If we're going to use Jesus as our example, shouldn't we go all the way to the cross?  More so, shouldn't we go all the way to the Jesus who is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God?

Richard mentioned breaking down of the dividing wall, the ending of slavery, the ushering in of reconciliation, the challenge to the abuse of power, and the call to justice; but do those make sense apart from the cross?

At the cross Jesus the broke down of the true dividing wall between man and God (Heb. 6:19,20)  
At the cross Jesus put an end to our true slavery (Heb. 2:15, Rom. 6:6-7).  
At the cross He brought us true reconciliation (Rom. 5:1,2).  
At the cross Jesus laid down His rights to power as the Son of God and instead became a curse for us (Gal. 3:13), became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21).  
And, at the cross is where we find the only true and righteous justice that is the foundation for any call to social justice.