What!, isn't it absurd?

"Again and again in the Pentateuch, the psalms, the prophets, and the subsequent writings ... the claim is made that the creator of the entire universe has chosen to live uniquely on a small ridge called Mount Zion, near the eastern edge of the ...Judean hill-country. The sheer absurdity of this claim, from the standpoint of any other worldview (not least that of Enlightenment philosophy), is staggering." --N T Wright

What! isn't it absurd?
Israel knew God doesn't dwell in a building made by human hand, but a temple was built (then rebuilt 2 times) to establish a sacraficial system, based on Mosaic law, emphasising an issue called sin, issue of cleansing, issue of reconcilliation.

The temple ground features in prophesy - it will be trampled under gentile feet after Herods temple is destroyed until messiah returns.

Sure God made the universe, but does this preclude a representative peg in the ground as ground zero for special (holy) place?

People love to write off Israel, but the hatred is beyond anything like 'normal', and the character & philosophy of those who lead the hate shout to me Israel is somehow hugely significant... grossly disobedient , yes; hard hearted yes, but God has deliberately made it so for the gentiles sake, and to repeat, God made them miss messiah for gentiles sake, HE has not written them off... so no stone throwing coming from here. ( insert book of Romans here!)

God planned, promised, made an oath the promises will stand, cannot lie so it is permanent, but covenants have changed, but a new one made in the body and blood of the Son of God has done what no other covenant could do, bring permanent, lasting reconcilliation between God and men through the blood of the eternal covenant.

Orthodoxy v Love

I loved Roger's comment in another thread about people stong on 'orthodoxy' often associated with lacking 'love'. I agree and would express it this way: being a christian (christ person) is a state of "Being" someone that BOTH understands Christ and does the works God has for us.
I see too many behaving like gnostics who delve into the secret knowledge of the wisdom of God, read and read and read but this neglects engaging with non believers, or simply those who need our help.
Others may fall the other way and do many mighty works without having a clue of the person and work of Christ but uphold him as their God.
Now we could debate whether the person who has 'saving' knowledge but neglects good work is any more obedient than the kind and generous to others who don't understand a dictionary full of religious terms!. I propose they both are missing a whole lot... I see understanding, and acting on that understanding, completes us in christ and what we are here to encourage each other to do.

Questions please

A loud skeptic on radio here declared some time ago a scene where he was brought up in preachers home, asked as a child, questions about God, then summarily being clipped over the ear by grandma who said the kid shouldn't ask such questions and he's had a huge chip on his shoulder ever since.

I love questions, they are what takes simple ho-hum statements we take for granted in the Bible into vital life giving, refreshing truths. I've taken on a saying: There is no quest without a question.
Having the right question has spurred me into all sorts of reading and reflective thought and MAJOR revelations!
Now there is such a thing a wrong question..but another day.

Carefully choose the rut your life will follow.

Carefully choose the rut in the beginning of your trip on the road of life.
Ruts will take you where ever they will, some are rough and weathered, some smooth, sometimes they are so deep you can't see that its taking you the wrong way, and if you can see, it is usually difficult to change ruts!!