The excitement in the air is heavy! In within one hour Brazil will be playing against North Korea, a country without tradition in soccer. It's our first game in 2010 World Cup. There is no reason to believe that we will loose. Even still the excitement and the anxiety is so great. People are driving home fast. Buses are crowded. Fireworks in everyplace. Many are wearing shirts with our national colors (yellow and blue). Patriotism is so high like no other time! Soon everything will stop and everyone will be in front of a TV set. Early this morning it struck me the thought--when Jesus returns, will our excitement will be so great and will we be festive? OR, will it be a day as if Brazil lost to North Korea?   Noooo!


http://fotografia.folha.com.br/galerias/13-torcedores-brasileiros#foto-290

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It's not quite correct to compare different virtues. Either/Or is a typical and dangerous fallacy. But let's try it still. What is more important for Christians, knowledge or relationship? Church exists to foster health relationships. Jesus died to reestablish relationship between the Father and the world. The Bible explains how connection was lost in this relationship. The Spirit dwells in us to guarantee this relationship.  


Nevertheless, I get the impression that knowledge is more important than relationships in our midst. We value knowledgeable people, well read people. Here's not an apology to ignorance, which is a sour expensive price we pay sometimes. "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."   Let's insist again: what would be more important, be an old scholar with all the right answers but lonely, or a guy who only graduated from high school but has a large family, a beloved spouse, and a long list of dear friends? Right knowledge is better than comforting friendship? I'm glad we don't have to choose one in spite of the other. 
We can have both.


I guess God is about relationship. Knowledge is just a data in the way.


"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."


"knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."


"Love never ends. [...] as for knowledge, it will pass away."


- Bio Nascimento