More from "The Ethical Significance of Jesus" in Stanley Hauerwas' book "The Peaceable Kingdom.
We re called to be like God: perfect as God is perfect. It is a perfection that comes by learning to follow and be like this man whom God has sent to be our forerunner in the kingdom. That is why Christian ethics is not first of all an ethics of principles, laws, or values, but an ethic that demands we attend to the life of a particular individual - Jesus of Nazareth. It is only from him that we can learn perfection - which is at the very least nothing less than forgiving our enemies.
We follow the one who is our "forerunner." I find this small section to be very important for us as we consider who we are as we follow Jesus. "We attend to the life of a particular individual." We translate everything into life from this life that we see in Jesus. When it comes right down to it, we can say you hold up certain values...we can even try to say we are 'value voters' in something like an election. But...what do we do...who are we.. how do we view and act with enemies. Is it at all like the vision we see put to life in Jesus. Sure there are issues we encounter today that were not apart of the world view of Jesus' time...but...there is the action in life that is so grounded in the vision of God's Reign and that is available to us.
Connection: Attend to the life...today.
When you pull us into your Reign, O God, you invite us to walk in the way of Jesus. Encourage us and strengthen us so that in this day we will persistently follow you. Amen.
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