Modern Souls

I agree with Tippens on many points in the first part of his book. I have seen many of the “modern souls” in this world that are disconnected from their families, churches, and society. In the technologically based world that we live in, this is so easy for many of us to do. We work on sending emails to family members that live far away and friends that we no longer see that we forget there happens to be a world around us that we have disconnected ourselves from. I do not think it is a bad thing to stay connected to people that were close to us, but we need to also reconnect with the world around us. I like the idea of traveling in community, because this is how Jesus traveled. The further Jesus traveled, the larger his community got. This is because he did not go at it alone, and Jesus calls us to a communal way of life.

Like Tippens, I grew up in a church where the body was looked at as separate from spirit, we focused more on the afterlife than the present. My pastor was a fire and brimstone pastor that never preached a sermon that would make a Christian feel good about himself. We were told every Sunday that because we did not look at our bodies as a mere temple, then we were flawed and sinful. Never once did the pastor preach how we could use our bodies to help others, or how valuable our bodies were. Perhaps this is one reason why I had left that church. It seemed no matter what I did, it was, in that church, a sin and it was wrong, even if I was trying to be a good Christian. I think I have, since, gained a great deal of clarity on Christianity, and I am still learning.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. ~ Acts 4:32-35

If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. ~ Leviticus 25:35-48

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20