Estadio Azteca Graffiti Art

The walls around the perimeter of Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium) were recently painted by local graffiti artists depicting various scenes from the history of the stadium. There was a lottery held and the winners were each given a section of the wall to paint. Here are some shots of the ones that I found interesting:

Ronaldinho (Brazilian soccer phenom)

Pelé (1970 World Cup)

Pope John Paul II (1999)

Soccer is considered a religion to some

Diego Maradona (1986 World Cup)

Osvaldo Sanchez (Mexico's Goalkeeper)

Pelé (1970 World Cup)

Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Club America, now with the Chicago Fire)

Virgin of Guadalupe (Mexico's Patron Saint) & Bono (with U2 in 2005)

Bono

Good News and Good Works

A Review by M. Sean McClue

Good News and Good Works: A Theology for the Whole Gospel. By Ronald J. Sider. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1993, 253 pp., $17.99 paperback, ISBN: 978-0-8010-5845-5.

For most of the twentieth century, the Christian Church was torn between the tension of evangelism and social action. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, few writers have emerged bringing hope of unity on this subject. In his book, Good News and Good Works: A Theology for the Whole Gospel, Ron Sider prophetically ushered in the need to combine evangelism and social action in Christian ministry. Now in its seventh printing, Ron Sider challenges the one-sidedness of Walter Rauschenbusch’s classic “A Theology for the Social Gospel” and, in so doing, draws those who focus purely on spiritual transformation into the social action discussion. However, Sider sees a need for “a full-blown theology that affirms both personal and social sin, both personal conversion and structural change, both evangelism and social action, both personal and social salvation, both Jesus as moral example and Jesus as vicarious substitute, both orthodox theology and ethical obedience” (p. 10). Therefore, Sider’s aim is to develop “a biblical ‘theology for the whole gospel’” in order to help “the church in the twenty-first century be more balanced and wholistic” (p. 10). In Sider’s view, “a genuinely biblical perspective inseparably interrelates and intertwines evangelism and social responsibility without equating or confusing one with the other” (p. 17).

After mapping out four distinct models based on ten underlying questions, Sider suggests a fifth model to understand evangelism and social action, which he calls Incarnational Kingdom Christianity. However, before explaining this new model, Sider first develops the biblical concept of a dawning kingdom. Sider says that “the gospel of the kingdom helps provide a comprehensive, wholistic framework that transcends one-sided, partial perspectives” (p. 75). After Sider effectively lays out seven reasons why kingdom theology is so important to achieving balance, he tackles the one-sided definitions of salvation. He rightly notes that “our definition of salvation is crucial for our understanding of the relationship between evangelism and social action” (p. 85). Sider provides a significant amount of material on the biblical language of salvation, including an appendix, and the doctrine of the atonement, which he places in the context of kingdom theology. His conclusion is that “salvation is personal and communal, individual and corporate” (p. 100). Sider also challenges the common one-sided understanding of conversion, effectively pointing out that “when conversion is truly biblical, it is an explosive reality that transforms persons, families, and nations” (p. 117). Not wanting to leave a doubt in the reader’s mind, Sider dedicates a full chapter to the central biblical reasons for doing evangelism and a full chapter to the “biblical warrant” for doing social action.

Sider describes his Incarnational Kingdom Christianity model by making a clear distinction between evangelism and structural change. Sider says that “evangelism and social action are not identical. They are distinct, albeit closely related, activities” (p. 162). “The proper way to distinguish evangelism and social action,” says Sider, “is in terms of [primary] intention… In real life, of course, these two sets of activities are seldom if ever neatly and tightly separated” (p. 163). Sider not only makes a point to distinguish the two, but he also says that “evangelism has a logical priority for Christian social action. For more important, its outcome – eternal life – is so momentous that nothing in the world can compare with it” (p. 170). This argument is based on the willingness of early Christians to become martyrs and the obvious historical importance placed of the Christian confession. However, Sider pays significant attention to repentance of both personal and social sin which “forges a powerful link to social action” (p. 173). Ultimately, the major crux of book is most clearly understood when Sider says, “Incarnational kingdom Christianity offers a better solution. A central key is to teach new converts the full truth about God’s concern for the poor and oppressed. Then as new Christians become transformed persons freed from destructive habits and begin to enjoy growing material abundance, they will reach out in wholistic mission to their poor neighbors. Discipled to have an equal passion for evangelism and social change, they will model Christ’s incarnational identification with the poor. Rather than moving away from the poor in the slums or rural communities, they will remain there, modeling new possibilities, sharing economic resources, and inviting everyone to Christ” (p. 182).

As I read this book, many of themes resonated with my desire to include more significant forms of social concern in my life and ministry within an urban context. I found that Sider not only provides a strong biblical basis for both evangelism and social action, but also for intertwining the two. The overwhelming biblical support for such balance causes the reader to wonder why the tension has existed so strongly and for so long in the first place. The most powerful result of this book should be the balanced integrity of the ethical nature that is brought to Christian evangelism and eternal perspective that is needed in social action.

I was also challenged by the fact that “accepting Christ includes accepting his kingdom approach to everything” (p. 102-103). Jesus’ lordship includes the building of a new Christian community, the church. I resonated with Sider’s assertion that the church is part of the gospel and that “when the church genuinely breaks through the sinful barriers of racism, class prejudice, and oppression – its very existence has a powerful influence on the larger society” (p. 175). I resound with Sider’s plea that “our world desperately needs committed Christians who do both evangelism and social concern – who both think and strategize vigorously as well as pray increasingly for the renewal, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit – who both build the church and transform society. Our world desperately needs incarnational kingdom disciples committed to wholistic mission” (p. 189).

Overall, this is a useful introductory book to both understanding and combining the most important themes related to evangelism and social action. I found that the language Sider uses is clear and not overly academic. Moreover, he pays particular attention to defining terms. For these reasons, I would highly recommend this book to newcomers to the subject of wholistic mission. Don’t allow your one-sidedness to distort your understanding of the gospel of the kingdom of God!