New Heaven, New Earth: Anarchism and Christianity Beyond Empire
I am in hot pursuit of rediscovering an ancient spiritual practice born in first century Palestine simply referred to as The Way. The Master Teacher of The Way, a mystic of divine proportions who dared bare a common name like Jesus, spoke in such creative language that it takes on average a lifetime for hearers to embrace their meaning and then only if they are diligent to living and wrestling with the questions that the Rabbi’s teachings give birth to.
A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon (is there such a thing) a website called Jesus Radicals and just recently have made personal contact with those behind the website. These are people who also question and wrestle with what and how Jesus calls us to be in this world. I recognize a kindred spirit with those I’ve conversed with in this community and appreciate the beauty of finding others who are attempting to be faithful to The Way as well.
While I’ve promoted their conference over the past couple of years via my blog; this year (Lord-Willing) I will finally be able to attend their conference myself. The theme for this year’s conference is: New Heaven, New Earth: Anarchism and Christianity Beyond Empire. Here is a synopsis of the focus of this year’s conference:
The 2009 Jesus Radicals Anarchism and Christianity conference will look squarely at the various crises facing the globe—especially the financial and ecological crisis. An economic system based on unregulated, exponential, constant growth and that depends on wanton consumption is simply unsustainable. Similarly, destroying the irreplaceable gifts of creation as if our actions do not have consequences is surely a sign of madness. The question we face at this pivotal time of global turmoil is not if our human empires will fall apart, but when they will fall. And the question is how will we face it?
I share this in hopes that perhaps some others will be inspired to conspire with us at the conference this year as we bare witness that a new heaven and a new earth is being born all around us.
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