Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Religion News
Border Blindness

Border Blindness

Last updated on: March 14, 2015 at 12:01 am by Jeff Hood

Border Blindness 2015-03-14T00:01:28-06:00 Jeff Hood

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I graduated from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2009. Though I have kept only a small portion of the theology, I still occasionally read material from people I knew there. Earlier today, I came across an article by my old ethics professor Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Dr. Russell D. Moore entitled, Left Behind in America: Following Christ after the Culture Wars. For a second, I resisted reading the article. Some old wounds take a long time to heal. After a minute or so, I stepped blindly across the border I erected and started reading. Though there are multiple problematic assertions and conclusions to be found in the article, I did agree with Dr. Moore that there is a stark difference between Christian values and the Gospel. Jesus calls us to be right and not just act right. Throughout my day, I have wondered what it would mean to leave Christian values behind and simply embody the Gospel.

This evening, I got a call from a buddy asking me to sign a petition for someone facing deportation. After revealing a few details of the case, he asked if I would still sign it. I didn’t hesitate. I don’t believe in borders. I feel like borders blind us to the humanity of the other. Our categories of undocumented or documented are absolutely ludicrous. In the eyes of God, we are humans. While I am able to espouse Christian values, I am still yearning to develop a broader case of border blindness. The Gospel of Jesus calls us past the false lines we have drawn in our lives to places of deeper engagement. We are not called to engage Christian values. We are called to give our lives. When we are completely given over to Jesus, no border formed against us will prosper.

Talk of traversing borders is not vogue in most Christian contexts. Everyone wants to talk about spaces that are in one way or another safe. Conservatives, evangelicals and fundamentalists have constructed borders around issues of doctrine and dogma. Liberals and progressives have built borders around being right on Christian values. What all of these groups of people don’t understand is that the most dangerous place to be is in the prison of our own borders. We cannot achieve Jesus’ call to the world or even the self unless we develop a border blindness that makes the prisons of our borders obsolete. I remember Billy Graham saying a time or two, “…give up everything that is holding you back and follow Jesus.” I think he was right. You simply can’t follow Jesus and hold on to your borders.

Amen.

Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

Left Behind in America: Following Christ after the Culture Wars

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Previous Post

March 12, 2015

Lenten Reflections from the Executed: #507 Jamie McCoskey / November 12, 2013

Next Post

March 14, 2015 Lenten Reflections from the Executed: #508 Jerry Martin / December 3, 2013

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Danny & Jeff fresh writings latest poetics north texas fellowship of reconciliation Sermon theology from death row Thoughts Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who visited baby Jesus in the manger?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Fishermen Shepherds Roman guards Scribes