I have been thinking about the idea that liberals and conservatives both claim to be following Christ, but yet have such differing ideas as to what that means (or even who he is!). I have come to suspect that discipleship to Christ is more a statement of words, and less a set of behaviors. So many confess one God, but emulate another. (Disclaimer: I probably do this, too. It's just that I want to emulate Bono.) The liberals seem to me the closet Gnostics, who have a special and better grasp of faith than the rest of us: "If you only got it like we get it, you would support our cause!" The liberals act like they understand Christ and his work in a truer sense than their opponents. But if the liberals are Gnostics, then the conservatives must be Deists. The right-wingers act as though God has put everything down in a rulebook--also known as the Bible--and that's the end of it. Much like the Eternal Watchmaker who made the watch and then set it off to run in his absence. (This is not far afield of, "The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it!") This idea is devoid, I think, of the relational and sacrificial aspects of ministry. This is painting with a broad brush, to be sure, but the liberals are Gnostics, the conservatives are Deists, and those who follow Christ are. . .well. . .where are they?!