What to write about?

I've had a sort of writer's block for the past few days. Mostly because I've been thinking too much. I have so much I want to talk about and I don't know how to say it. I'm afraid that I come across as thinking that I have all the answers, because that's how you write a position paper. But I don't think I have all the answers, I don't even think I have all the questions. So whenever I argue something, please take it with a grain of salt, because, on most things, I'm willing to think I was wrong.

That being said, let me present an argument. Something that bothers me in Christian circles is the low self-esteem (for lack of a better term) they place in humanity. Often times, man is presented as unable to do anything worthwhile on their own. Thus, Calvinists talk about people being radically corrupt (or corrupt to their root) and unable to respond to anything that God commands. The taint of Original Sin has become so overwhelming that, even from birth, God considers us guilty of sin, so when a child dies they go to Hell, unless they have been baptised and redeemed.

Let me put it bluntly: I don't believe in Original Sin as anyone has tried to explain it. (Let me qualify it: I may change my mind tomorrow.) I fail to believe that God would require of you something that you could not possibly accomplish on your own, withhold His help and then punish you for not doing what you couldn't do in the first place. Just because some guy in a garden screwed up a long time ago.

The story of Adam and Eve is an illustration of humanity's rebellion against God (man choosing his own way over God's way). But the break between God and man is not complete. God still continues his relationship with man, even face to face at times. Without going too deep into all the meanings and implications of the story (I'll do that later, I'm sure), I will say that too much is made out of Adam's sin. Adam's sin is not genetic, and his decendents are not so depraved that they cannot obey God.

The Bible teaches that when God says to feed the poor, He meant it, and we can do it.
The Bible teaches that when God says to love our neighbor, He meant it, and we can do it.
The Bible teaches that when God says to love the Lord with all your heart with all your soul and with all your might, He meant it, and we can do it. There are no caveats to these commands. We make things far too complicated, and when we do, it is so often the simple commands that fall to the wayside.

All of this comes about because I've been reading Emerging Churches and noticed this low self-esteem. (I really wish I had a better term for this.) Everything else, I have loved in this book, and I can barely contain myself from talking about it! This one tidbit though really bugs me. Something that is said a lot in there is that they're not building the kingdom or taking God to the people, but they're finding where God is already working in people and becoming His partner. I understand what they're saying, but the great commission didn't say, "Go out and find where I'm at and make those people disciples." It did say "Go out and make disciples..." You do it. You are the body. You are Christ in this world. It's up to you. (Whether we own up to it or not.)

God has chosen to work through humanity. We are his ambassadors, made in His image. If Christ is God incarnate, then we, as Christians, are Christ incarnate. Things don't get done without us. If the world is a horrible place, it's our fault. The doctrine of Original Sin agrees with this. But I say, if the world is a horrible place, it's our fault, and it's our responsibility to repair it.

There's a story (I don't have a text to back this up) that a cynical reporter once stuck it to Mother Teresa and asked the dreaded "Where was God" question. "Where was God when that child died alone in the gutter?" And she replied, "Where were you?"