Over the weekend beloved Fuller professor Dr. Glen Stassen passed away. I took Dr. Stassen's Ethics course while at Fuller and have been profoundly impacted by his teachings. Dr. Stassen's ability to research complex passages and explain then in a digestible manner allowed me to experience the Word in new way. I highlighted, marked and underlined so many sentences in his book, Kingdom Ethics, that it is almost unreadable now. Dr. Stassen is best known for his work with Just Peacemaking (http://justpeacemaking.org/the-practices/) and his scholarly work on the Sermon on the Mount.
The principles I learned in his class will remain with me forever. My biggest take away from Dr. Stassen's teachings is the Kingdom principle of reconciliation. His heart is for people to be brought back into right relationship with Himself, each other, and the world around them. J. reached out to people who were rejected by society. He stayed at Zacchaeus' house as a sign that even the most hated person in town is worthy of love and a relationship with the Creator. The Kingdom is about restoring relationships, bringing those outside back into the love found in right relationships.
Kingdom Ethics helped me better understand love. One of my favorite lines from the books: "Love sees with compassion and enters into the situation of those in bondage (or enmity)." I am so thankful for his wisdom that helped me prepare for a life of working overseas with amazing organizations that reach out to those on the margins of society.
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