COMMENTS, CONCERNS, SMART REMARKS > Send your love and hate mail to feedback@RELEVANTmagazine.com. Please be gentle.
The Nov./Dec. cover story, “Trade in the Lies,” and the “Conscientious Gift Guide” were absolutely exciting to me. Shopping responsibly is one of the many simple ways that we can turn the tides of injustice. People in the United States spend money, and lots of it, around the holidays. If just a tenth of the population decided to buy all of their gifts from fair-trade sources, the dent in world-wide poverty could be staggering. —CHRISTINE THYE / Omaha, NE
This is what I love about RELEVANT. I open it up and the first thing I read is Cameron Strang [“First Word: What It Means to be Whole-Life”] causing me to think about what my faith really means and how I represent it. His close about standing up for whole-life couldn’t be more timely. —ESTHER DENG / Perth, Australia I have enjoyed RELEVANT more in the past year because of its increased focus on the whole of biblical values, not just those of conservative Republicans. There are many who believe the Bible and love Christ but who will see additional focus on social justice as de-emphasizing issues like abortion. They need voices like RELEVANT even if they write hate emails. —MEADE BAKER / Via email I just wanted to thank you for making RELEVANT bi-monthly. As crazy as that might sound, that’s about how long it takes me to read it cover to cover. —AUSTIN HARTLEY / Ozark, MO Austin, you might want to look into www.readfaster.com. They can help. The cover story, “Trade in the Lies” [Nov./Dec. 2008], brought light to a typically veiled, critical issue facing the world, and the community of believers today. Americans are so completely consumed with consuming that no one cares to look at the lives that are being destroyed due to it. But we as Christians must be concerned with this. After all we are not simply citizens of the United States of America; we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and are called to live to higher standards. Let us be the first in line to not buy that $60 t-shirt and work to reform
labor practices around the world. Let us be the first to not just peek under the veil of trade, but completely tear it off. Let us be a people who through their love of God show that we will not stand for anything less than the global good. —SHAUNA MARSHALL / Kirkland, WA I just got the latest issue. Where is The Scene? It’s one of the features I read first. —PAUL BIRDSONG / Via email The Scene is dead. So is ska. The new issue is great. I love the new designs, the Table of Contents layout, everything. Lots of music reviews, and some really challenging and inspiring articles. I am thoroughly satisfied. —KYLE NEMEZ / Winnipeg, Manitoba Our staff’s sole objective each and every issue? The satisfaction of Kyle Nemez.
Universalism is increasing in popularity, so we as Christians need to be prepared to answer it when we encounter it. It’s hard to say the exclusive claims of Jesus to others, knowing that you have found the only truth, yet we must declare Jesus as the only way. —MATT EARLEY / Via email I work for Adult Swim and used the recent article on Moral Orel [Nov./Dec. 2008] to open up conversations about my faith and stance on key issues. I brought some issues in and talked with my crew about people who are Christians in today’s world and that they are not the hypocrites that people assume them to be (represented on the show). I now speak openly about my faith at work. Thank you for the shoe-horn to get my foot in the door. —JOE MULLINS / Atlanta, GA If you really want to thank us, any and all leftover Adult Swim swag can be sent to the address on page 4. We’re fans. Seriously.
“The Rising Tide of Universalism” [Nov./Dec. 2008] was both misleading and uninformed. Universalism is certainly not to be limited to Unitarianism. There are many well-respected theologians, biblical scholars and evangelicals who maintain a belief in God’s ability and desire to reconcile all things to Himself. This belief is rooted less in the proof-texting and surrendering to politically correct idealism implied by your article and more in the Greek and Hebrew texts of Scripture. Evangelical universalism does not believe that salvation is available through all faiths and religions; rather, evangelical universalism teaches that the work of Christ is so significant and cosmic, that it transforms and renews all things. —GREG KLIMOVITZ / West Chester, PA
Are you aware that the new and “improved” RELEVANT.TV HD spends most of its time buffering, usually after playing for only 5 seconds of the video? —CATHERINE BLACK / Springfield, IL
Thanks for publishing an article that stands firm on Scripture’s view of salvation. Props to Jonathan Merritt for speaking truth in a world where truth is not popular. I want more of this. —COLT MELROSE / Merrillville, IN
Because it’s a live stream (not progressive download) playing big, crisp HD music videos, the new RELEVANT.TV HD requires a broadband Internet connection to view. We suggest jacking a friend’s wireless.
I’m really enjoying the [Nov./Dec. 2008] issue. I am glad you featured the article on mentoring [“Revolution”]. I have friends that have been impacted by fatherlessness. Far too often issues like this are overshadowed by injustices that are happening overseas—it’s like people would rather look at things that are thousands of miles away, rather than in their own back yards. —TIFFANY FORRESTER / Via email
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