In another thread...
DamianWarS said: ↑
I want him [my son] to be impacted not by my world view or by a church's world view but instead by Christ's world view.
In the sciptures the word "world" means different things in different contexts. "God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son;" "they are in the world, but they are not of the world" "I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." "Do not conform to the pattern of this world" "for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica" "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them."
And today the phrase "world view" has it's own meaning. In my experience of hearing it used it does not always refer to moral or even ethical values, but may include political viewpoints, and the national order within the global context. As a person who has worked in many different countries and cultures I find that my view of "the world" is very different from those of a person who has lived in one community their whole life, and never travelled or been particularly interested in what happens in Tadjikistan, Bhutan, Paraguay, East Timor or Rhode Island.
When I read DamianWarS' wish, I thought I understood what he meant by the term. But when I saw his wish compared Christ's world view to his own and to the church's I realised that there is more to this that we might think. If I am a believer I have confessed that I don't see things as Christ did, but I wish to be transformed into his way of thinking and seeing.
What very specifically do you think was "Christ's world view?" Why would the Church's world view be any different? Do we/you have any examples of people today who truly live in accordance with Christ's world view? Is it something you aspire to, as a believer, and if so what does it mean to you in practice? If you were in a discussion on world views with a wide assortment of people, how would you describe Christ's world view (specifically without mentioning Christ, i.e saying "following Christ" doesn't count - it means nothing specific in this context)?
As this is a forum for discipleship, I fully accept that as we grow in our relationship with the Lord, our understanding of this may change. So I am very interested to know if you have thought of your spiritual growth in these terms, and if so, how your understanding of Christ's world view has changed through time. Would focusing on "letting my candle shine in my small corner" be sufficient, or should I be disciplining myself to pay attention to what is happening in foreign countries, and understanding world events from a spiritual standpoint? How would I do that?
DamianWarS said: ↑
I want him [my son] to be impacted not by my world view or by a church's world view but instead by Christ's world view.
In the sciptures the word "world" means different things in different contexts. "God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son;" "they are in the world, but they are not of the world" "I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." "Do not conform to the pattern of this world" "for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica" "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them."
And today the phrase "world view" has it's own meaning. In my experience of hearing it used it does not always refer to moral or even ethical values, but may include political viewpoints, and the national order within the global context. As a person who has worked in many different countries and cultures I find that my view of "the world" is very different from those of a person who has lived in one community their whole life, and never travelled or been particularly interested in what happens in Tadjikistan, Bhutan, Paraguay, East Timor or Rhode Island.
When I read DamianWarS' wish, I thought I understood what he meant by the term. But when I saw his wish compared Christ's world view to his own and to the church's I realised that there is more to this that we might think. If I am a believer I have confessed that I don't see things as Christ did, but I wish to be transformed into his way of thinking and seeing.
What very specifically do you think was "Christ's world view?" Why would the Church's world view be any different? Do we/you have any examples of people today who truly live in accordance with Christ's world view? Is it something you aspire to, as a believer, and if so what does it mean to you in practice? If you were in a discussion on world views with a wide assortment of people, how would you describe Christ's world view (specifically without mentioning Christ, i.e saying "following Christ" doesn't count - it means nothing specific in this context)?
As this is a forum for discipleship, I fully accept that as we grow in our relationship with the Lord, our understanding of this may change. So I am very interested to know if you have thought of your spiritual growth in these terms, and if so, how your understanding of Christ's world view has changed through time. Would focusing on "letting my candle shine in my small corner" be sufficient, or should I be disciplining myself to pay attention to what is happening in foreign countries, and understanding world events from a spiritual standpoint? How would I do that?