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JM Jargon

Written by Jordan Peacock : October 28, 2008

Words are often identity triggers, determining polarity and sorting one’s audience by which affiliations they do or do not share. Jesus Manifesto is terribly guilty of this; the nomenclature of empire, the issues of discussion - often economic and political - and almost as importantly, what is not discussed, or what is passed over.

Much of this has been reflexive. There’s no scarcity of Christ-centered publications that extol the family, express concern over ethical dilemmas involved with homosexuality or horror over the traumas of abortion. In an attempt to capture the imagination of an audience alienated by other eddies of our spiritual stream, many of the writers of Jesus Manifesto have focused on the fringes of culture and society, really as a way to push back against some of the assumptions about life, society and politics that have been foisted upon them, often by the conservative (socially, theologically, politically) majority.

With that majority possibly becoming a (still strong) minority within the United States (and Canada? I was surprised…) let’s make something clear. Because so many of us came from such myopic conservative roots, there is a strong impulse to distance ourselves from the trunk that once sustained us. But there are many, many similarities across all vistas of the Lord’s kingdom, and sometimes we find our perspectives closer to Focus On The Family than Sojourners. So be it.

But much of this is lost in the language. When a well-intentioned post, such as several of my own, drops terms such as empire, anarchy, radical, as well as a half dozen or so of other terms that require decryption (neo-monastic, emergent, communal, the poor), we often are closing the doors to those that don’t fit our little niche, simply by the language we choose. In a sense, this is why political speeches are so neutered; they are intended to be all things to all people. But letters, such as much of the christian bible, are to a specific individual or community and can afford luxuries that others cannot.

In addition, some of us use language as a shield, in an attempt to keep our lives from appraisal. If we just talk right, our day to day decisions need not mean anything, especially on an internet forum with an alias.

This is a danger, because it can quietly seal us off into a bubble of our own making, impervious to outside accountability or challenge. It also can keep us from building bridges to people that disagree with us or are difficult. The Christarchy groups can be a good start, and my wife and I have just joined some others in starting a church in our home…decentralized and non-hierarchal. But what else could be done here?

What would it take to do a series of discussions with the folks from Focus On The Family to look into how we can take an active role in the lives of the people who are looking into abortion and address some of the root causes? We should talk to Mark Driscoll, whom I respect immensely for delivering hardcore theology to new believers who have no Christian background whatsoever (and is doing a great job of it) about the rigours of studying the bible and the history of biblical commentators. Darlene Zschech’s choice to step down from the worship music scene to help support Mercy Ministries was a hard one, but her personal integrity and humility throughout floored me. There are thousands of churches and ministries out there that are our brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins. Many, many MANY of them do not agree with or are uncomfortable with the ideas presented on this site, but I think there is a place for them here as well. So toward that end, maybe that means mixing up the tone of the articles so that we don’t sound like a broken record, maybe it means tying more of this into church life. Maybe it means making a ‘read this first’ section, explaining some of the perspectives that people are less familiar with. Whatever it is, I hope to see more articles like Maria’s challenging the status quo even here, at JM.

I love this family, and I’m so thankful for all of you. Peace to you, and may God bless.

Author Bio:: Jordan & Jennifer Peacock live in Minnesota with their mischevious daughter, an are in the infant stages of learning all over again how to become the church in their small spiritual community.




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Comments

Viewing 11 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    I have always hoped for more far-reaching articles here on JM...but such articles require imagination, and these days everyone's political imaginations are being shaped by the election. As a result, most stuff written tends to focus on challenging the political system.

    I think there is a lot of room for reflections on church life, regular life, art, culture, etc. And, indeed, we've had that sort of stuff. It usually doesn't get the same amount of attention as the "radical" stuff. It would be good if not only more submissions in different areas were submitted, but also more attention was given to those areas that were submitted.

    At the same time, it is entirely ok for us to have a focus. We have an niche that is under-represented...so we shouldn't be afraid of not appealing to everyone. Not everyone needs to feel like they fit in at every website. We should always seek to be hospitable, but not at the expense of our unique perspectives, concerns, and contributions.
    • ^
    • v
    And I'm alright with niche's, as long one's vision does not degenerate to where what was once the focal point of discussion is now all you can see. :)

    Perhaps the answer is just more along the lines of helping bring another perspective to the broader ecosystem of online spiritual/religious magazines. The ties to Christarchy are important as well, I feel....allowing people face-to-face meetings to explore these and other concepts in everyday living and in a depth unattainable in online discussion.
    • ^
    • v
    I completely agree. I think I can overlook the need for that sometimes because I am immersed in a much broader pool than is readily apparent on JM. What I write on JM are my own personal reflections along a theme. I am less likely to write my thoughts about the practical workings of hospitality with folks in the margins than I am to try to work that out in community. Because of this, I am more likely to write abstract thoughts about Empire. But JM needs to point towards embodied, complex realities.
    • ^
    • v
    Well said, but definitely don't deviate from doing what you're doing. The things you've put up here have been really helpful in thinking over my own position on these issues. Keep on keeping on.
    • ^
    • v
    I agree about the "broken record," but that often happens at any place where there is a central theme around which the users center. I hope also to see more diverse articles in the future, but I also like what I am already reading. It provides an alternative to nicely offset the rest of what I read in Christian literature. We just have to remember not to be "radical for radicals sake" (like Maria said recently).
    • ^
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    Here's my two cents: write with the community of radicals in mind, but don't take their ideas or commitments for granted. They (we) may not be as plain as we (they) think.
    • ^
    • v
    Thanks,

    As someone who after serious wrestling and thought has come to consider himself broadly conservative, but who is often attracted to many of the perspectives expressed on this site, I really appreciate the tone and substance of this article.
    • ^
    • v
    Glad to have you Gordon. You're exactly the kind of audience we need to keep, and I'm thankful that you're sticking around and speaking up. :)

    All the best.
    • ^
    • v
    Without losing our usual approach, It would be really interesting to have discussions with conservative evangelicals, as well as other important groups. What could Dawkins et al say about christians like Shane Claiborne et al?
    • ^
    • v
    I've actually been trying to do this, it's a little harder to achieve in practice than it was in my head...but look forward to something of this ilk coming....
    • ^
    • v
    I wish you the best with this.

    Ps: Hey y'all: I'm going to the country on tuesday, for three weeks. See you in late November.
 

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