God's idea of redemption is community-shaped.

The ultimate end of redemption is that we worship God with our whole being and in the whole company of the redeemed.

We need to shed our unearthly and nonsocial and idealistic and romantic and uber-spiritual visions of kingdom and get back to what Jesus meant. By kingdom, Jesus means: God's Dream Society on earth, spreading out from the land of Israel to encompass the whole world.

To walk into the Jefferson memorial is to be in a temple of the pure idolatry of reason

The idea that relationships are not a strategy is potent; and the sad commentary proceeds to say that often relationships are seen as a strategy, a means to accomplish great things - except love and relationship are not what is really wanted. We want to appear relational so people will like what we have to offer. It's the difference between wanting a good marriage and loving the person you married.

God's love entails a covenant commitment on the part of with us, and that covenant commitment means a promise to be with us and for us, and God's covenant is shaped toward our redemption.

One reason why so many Christians today don't know the Old Testament is because their 'gospel' doesn't even need it.