The Truth and False Prophets (Matthew 7.15-20)

The philosopher Michel Foucault says that claims to know the truth are always grabs for power. You simply cannot separate truth and power. Behind any metanarrative there lurks a power play, knowledge claims are violent impositions by powerful institutions, universal truth claims are simply masks for ideology and the will to power. I think we know this to be true, and have seen this play out politically in nations and organisations.

Yet Christians believe they have been given a true story which, far from being a tool to legitimize power, ‘presents a vision of community life which resists claims to power by modelling itself on the self-giving and powerlessness of Christ.’[1] The truthfulness of this story does not make it violent. On the contrary this story is about the cross where the violent took our Lord and killed him so that those who were oppressed would be liberated.

This is part of the sermon I recently preached on Matthew 7:15-20. As you listen you will find out why I found this teaching of Jesus very confronting.

The Truth and False Prophets (Matthew 7.15-20)
MP3 | St Philips, York Street (6PM) | 4 July 2010

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[1] Graham Tomlin, The Power of the Cross: Theology and the Death of Christ in Paul, Luther and Pascal (Carlisle, Cumbria, U.K.: Paternoster, 1999), 99.

‘Coolness’ by Thierry Geoffroy

COOLNESS

Coolness is a state.

A smoothie.

A piece of luxury.

A feeling-proof jacket.

Une aureole.

Coolness is being not affected by anything.

Of a state of not being exposed to shakings.

Of a state of not sweating.

Or freezing.

But comfort.

To be in a constant state of self satisfaction.

Regardless of what ever happens.

Regardless of what ever appears.

Coolness is a state of indifference.

Coolness is a protection from suicide.

Coolness is an aggressive form of apathy.

Coolness is a form of scorn

against any form of passion.

Coolness is the opposition of any form of involvement.

Like a vibration without any radiation.

Like a shaking without any waves.

A distance.

Coolness sounds positive.

And looks good.

Feels quick and sharp.

Like a cliché.

Coolness is an invention of the power.

Coolness is the affirmation of power as an active state of apathy.

Une culture d’apathy.

Fertile.

Contagious.

Coolness is the opposite of being offended.

Coolness is the opposite of being affected.

Coolness is the opposite of being devastated.

Coolness is a suppression of the horror we all know about.

Coolness is the feeling of survival as self-maintainance.

Coolness is the maintainance of the power.

Of apathy.

For the price of compassion.

Coolness is in opposite of insomnia.

Coolness is a dreaming state.

Of feel-good.

For the price of sorrows.

Coolness is a luxury state.

Coolness is an attitude.

Coolness is almost a kind of yoga.

Coolness shields from torture and torment.

Coolness shields from horror and terror.

Coolness is so soft and flexible,

elastic, that

Coolness cannot be cracked.

Coolness is so self-confident.

So self-self

So auto-erotic

So alembic

So slippery

So flashy

That:

Coolness is the perfect form of an artistic attitude.

Coolness reproduces itself in itself

Because it is so cool.

Like a bubble bath.

Like shampoo.

Like soap.

Like buzz words.

Emergency Room is suspicious about coolness.

Emergency Room sees that it looks too good on photos.

Emergency Room suspects that coolness constitute the muzak of the

contemporary mind.

When your kids are sick

You suffer with them

You don’t use gloves to touch them.

From ‘The Emergency Room Dictionary’ written by French format artist Thierry Geoffroy.

http://www.emergencyrooms.org/dictionary/words/coolness.html