Doormat Theology by Margaret Manning

Take about 5 minutes to read this snippets version of Friday's, 'A Slice of Infinity'. Follow up by reading TODAY'S SLICE and forward any comments on your faith journey.


“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. (Matthew 5:38-42)

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. (Philippians 2:3-6)


A Slice of Infinity Snippets:
Many in our Christian world today bristle at such a suggestion. Surely, this kind of theology leads to low self-esteem and reduced self-image, they argue. Yet, a doormat theology doesn’t lead to a diminished sense of self. On the contrary, it leads to our deepened identity in Christ. James Loder adds, “Christian self-understanding drives toward the goal of giving love sacrificially with integrity after the pattern of Christ. This means the willing breaking of one’s wholeness potential for the sake of another, a free choice that has nothing to do with oppression because it is an act of integrity and everything to do with Christ’s free choice to go to the cross as an act of love.”(2) Indeed, if Jesus found his mission and calling in laying down his own life so that we could take advantage of the grace offered on our behalf, how can we do otherwise? The laying down of our lives provides the opportunity for others to walk over us, across us, and through us to the one who first laid down his life for us.

Chad's Comments:

Faith quote: "By actively participating in programs that help the poor and sick, immigrants and young people, unborn children and their mothers, families and one another, we are resisting what the pope calls "the subtle influence of secularism" and its claim that faith is a private matter that should only be proclaimed in church on Sunday." by Tim Hickey (Columbia magazine)


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