The Divine Conspiracy Continued (Excerpt)

The Divine
Conspiracy
Continued
Fullling Gods Kingdom on Earth
Dallas Willard and Gary Black Jr.
Divine Conspirancy_6pp.indd 1 4/5/14 8:39 AM

Copyright
Unless otherwise noted, all biblical quotations are taken from the New Revised
Standard Version, copyright 1989, National Council of Churches of Christ in
the U.S.A.
the divine conspiracy continued: Fullling Gods Kingdom on Earth.
Copyright 2014 by Dallas Willard and Gary Black Jr. All rights reserved.
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Contents
Foreword: Remembering Dallas, by Gary Black Jr. vii
one Gods Call to Leaders 1
two Following the Good Shepherd 13
three Leaders Who Follow the Shepherd 25
Discussion Questions 36
four Servant Leadership 39
ve Moral Leadership 57
six Moral Knowledge 87
seven The Common Goods 101
eight Illuminating the Good Life 113
nine Knowledge and Education 131
ten Economics and Politics 161
eleven Business 201
twelve Professionals 225
thirteen Physicians, Lawyers, and Pastors or Priests 251
fourteen The Kingdom of Our God 289
Acknowledgments 313
Notes 315
Scripture Index 327
v
Fo r e wo r d
Remembering Dallas
D
allas Willard succumbed to the effects of pancreatic
cancer prior to the publication of this work. His death has
proven to be one of the most signicant losses I have experienced,
a fact I accept with equal measures of foreboding and gratefulness.
I was wholly unprepared for losing Dallas as a mentor, guide, and
friend. I was also unaware of how his loss would cause me to dis-
cover how deeply our relationship and his teachings affected me.
Although Dallas was candid with me about his illness and
I was aware of the difcult challenges of pancreatic cancer, we
remained optimistic about his ability to nish this project until
only shortly before his death. Therefore, from the beginning of
our work together we were both under the impression, and there
were reasonable signs of hope, that his condition would improve
enough that he would be able to at least nish the manuscript
together. Perhaps I didnt allow myself to seriously consider the
alternatives. Nevertheless, even up to the nal few days of his
life, we were progressing toward that goal. However, as events
transpired, I found myself needing to do what I hoped would be
not be necessary, which is to describe some of the overarching
vision that motivated Dallas to create this work and how I came
to be involved as a coauthor.
I will begin near the end. On May 5, 2013, I received a phone
vi Foreword
call from Jane Willard, Dallass wife, at about nine thirty in the
morning. She told me how Dallass health was deteriorating and
asked if I would be able to stay a few days to help him get around
the house. He needed assistance moving from place to place safely.
She and I had talked a few weeks earlier about the possibility of
my staying in the guesthouse and working on the book projects
we had in process. I had previously mentioned that I was with my
grandmother as she succumbed to pancreatic cancer, and I offered
to help in any way I could. Jane asked if there was any wisdom or
experience that I could relay about the issues they might face toward
the end of Dallass life. I told her all I knew. Like my grandmother,
Dallas was experiencing the highs and lows, times of strength and
clarity followed by moments of signicant weakness. When Jane
called that Sunday morning, she was characteristically deferential
in her request, making me promise nothing would inconvenience
my family. I told her we were all happy to help.
As I packed an overnight bag, my wife gathered our two teenage
daughters to pray with me before I left. It was difcult for me to
tell my children about Dallass prognosis, and I struggled with my
emotions as I discussed what might lie ahead. My elder daughter
asked me, Dad, what is it about Dallas that has had such a strong
impact on you? As I looked into my daughters eyes, my mind raced
back some twenty- ve years to my rst encounter with Dallas. For
a person who often cant recall exactly what he had for breakfast
the day before, for some reason I have been able to maintain a vivid
memory of that rst introduction. Even now, whenever the weight
of that distant memory hits my heart, tears are not far behind. For
me and countless others, God saw t to use Dallas and his teachings
to spark a foundational shift in our lives, our understanding of the
gospel of Jesus Christ, and our awareness of the grand purposes God
has for humanity in and through his kingdom. Though unknown to
me at the time, my daughters question can serve us well as a means
to both explain my participation in this work and start our journey
into the objectives and hopes we have for this book.
Foreword vii
I was rst introduced to Dallass work in 1991. I had been out
of college for two years and had two years of marriage under my
belt. My wife and I were living in the San Francisco Bay Area, and
I was attempting to establish a business career in the real world.
As my new bride and I were settling into our cramped little apart-
ment and the challenges of adulthood, we also began to attend a
local Covenant Church. There I met a fresh- faced associate pastor
named Keith Matthews, who soon invited me to an early morning
breakfast. After pleasantries and personal histories were exchanged,
he suggested we consider a regular one- on- one breakfast session
during which we would discuss a chosen book. Keith was then, as
he is now, encouraging, energetic, and intentional about disciple-
ship to Jesus, and I was beginning to miss all the deep, late- night
conversations about God and the meaning and purposes of life that
I so enjoyed during my university days. So I agreed.
The next week Keith handed me Dallass rst book, In Search of
Guidance: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God (avail-
able today as Hearing God). I remember immediately balking at the
title.
Developing a conversational relationship with God? I asked
incredulously.
Keith only smiled. He told me Willard was a philosophy pro-
fessor at the University of Southern California and also a South-
ern Baptist minister. Keith was toying with me now. He knew of
my deep Southern Baptist roots, and we had previously discussed
some of my growing discomfort with the eccentricities of modern
evangelicalism. Having studied postmodernism briey in college,
I was familiar with some of the emerging ideas in epistemology
that conicted with the traditional modern conceptions of knowl-
edge used to underpin many Chris tian doctrines. I assumed Keith
had to be mistaken.
You dont mean the USC, as in the Trojans USC? I asked.
He assured me I had understood him accurately.
My head was spinning. An ordained Southern Baptist minister
vi i i Foreword
who taught philosophy at one of the most prestigious secular uni-
versities in the country? I was more than a little intrigued at the
iconoclastic possibilities. That little rsum, along with the title of the
book, caused a surge of hope and excitement to stir within my heart.
Could someone possibly have found a way to break out of the Chris-
tian bubble I felt closing in around me? I agreed to read the book.
As it turned out, In Search of Guidance, which was followed by
The Spirit of the Disciplines, began to reveal a spiritual life that was
signicantly foreign to my previous Chris tian experience. Little
did I know at the time, but those two seminal works allowed me
to take the rst steps on a journey that I had been yearning to
take, even though I was not fully aware of my longing. I am not
alone. Increasing numbers of Chris tians are looking for a real-
ity that is as big as the beliefs we profess. I knew, I just knew,
there had to be more to my faith than mental assent to a set of
doctrines and practices. I knew that reality was not limited to all
that I saw around me. I hoped against hope that there was more
to this life and to life in the kingdom of God than hanging on
by my ngernails until I died and entered eternity. I knew there
had to be a greater purpose for both my life and all of creation
than was currently being realized. I was a closet, hopeless, C. S.
Lewisesque romantic who deeply longed to nd a Narnia. And
just when I was about to let go of that lingering sense of what the
world could be, to begin rationalizing away my dreams and long-
ings as nothing more than misplaced exuberance and youthful
naivet, God used Dallass insights and wisdom to stoke those
fading embers of hope in my heart and mind.
Still, this transformation wasnt easy or quick. Keith was a
willing and able guide, and together we waded purposefully and
sometimes painfully through the pages of Willards work often
staying stuck on one idea for weeks on end. Keith was patient and
committed, despite my stubborn resistance to the revolutionary
ideas I was encountering. What was most compelling to me, then
as now, was the level of courageous critique I discovered in Wil-
Foreword ix
lards writing combined with an encouragement to seek a deep
level of personal authenticity. This blend of critical analysis and a
vision for change was missing in most other Chris tian authors of
the time and more accurately reected the style, rigor, and insight
of Dietrich Bonhoeffers works. Still, my traditional evangelical
roots kept me mildly skeptical of Willards description and use of
the spiritual disciplines. It all sounded a little too Catholic or
works- centered for my Protestant grace- rst tradition.
A short time after nishing The Spirit of the Disciplines, Keith
invited Dallas to come to our church to speak at a weekend retreat
and then preach the following Sunday morning. I eagerly antici-
pated meeting Dallas. To say the retreat was inuential would be
the height of understatement. I would learn later that Dallas was
lecturing from notes that would eventually become The Divine
Conspiracy. I was captivated by his lectures. Dallas solved the grace-
versus- works dilemma in the rst half hour. His words seemed to
tax every inch of my being. My mind hurt from the challenge of
wrestling his elusive ideas to the ground. My heart ached from both
the level and degree of inspiration. My body was fatigued because
I was not used to this level of exercise of the spiritual muscles of
contemplation, meditation, focus, and study.
Yet the most compelling and memorable aspect of that weekend
was the effect that the authority and power of his teachings on the
nature of the kingdom of God had on my vision and understanding
of the purposes God had for my life. Dallas was the rst teacher or
minister I had met who inspired me to pursue the idea that I could
know Jesusreally know him, and be convinced of that factin
an experiential and relational way.
When Dallas spoke, I sensed that I had encountered a man
who knew Jesus just as completely as the original disciples John,
Peter, or even James, Jesuss brother. There was an undeniable
authenticity in his teaching that emanated from a unique com-
bination of the way he spoke and what he described; he almost
seemed to reminisce about Jesus as if he had just moments before
x Foreword
been on the Sea of Galilee with the other disciples, rowing along
in Peters shing boat, telling stories, hearing new teachings, and
witnessing miracles. The nature of the testimony Dallas gave of
his experience of the kingdom of God was so fresh, it was as if I
could still smell the aroma of sh on his clothes and hands. Of
course it wasnt sh; it was, instead, the savory essence of authen-
tic relationship. It was then, for the rst time in my life, that I
believed Jesus was actually knowable in much the same way I
knew any other person. Not as a myth, an elusive mirage, or a
historical relic, but as a living, talking, engaging, personal reality.
Dallas helped me to discover something more grand, far beyond
just religion or profession of belief. Dallas introduced me to the
possibility and benets of knowing and loving Jesus as he actually
is, in the minute- by- minute experience of my existence.
Dallass objective for that retreat, and the many other retreats
and conferences that I attended over the years, was to open the
doors of the kingdom of God and invite everyone in. I remem-
ber remarking to my wife after that rst evening of lectures that
Dallas reminded me of Willie Wonka in Roald Dahls Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory. Not that Dallas was silly or fanciful. In
fact, he appeared quite the opposite. But the Wonka analogy came
from the similar way that Willard stood at the threshold of the
kingdom of God and, with glee and the kind of excitement that
comes only from encouraging the hopeful anticipation of children,
invited us into the most wonderfully delicious experiences that life
could ever offer. And I, like Charlie, was awestruck not by Wil-
lard, but by the tales he told of his experience inside Gods amaz-
ing castle of wonders. Willard invited us in, all of us, telling us
and showing us we have nothing to fear and everything to gain.
In the many years since, Ive listened to numerous stories simi-
lar to mine. People from all walks of life, often deeply steeped in
a particular faith tradition, tell of sensing that Dallas was reveal-
ing the gospel for the rst time as good news and not simply
the opposite of bad news. Congregants, students, doctoral can-
Foreword xi
didates, pastors, philosophers, and psychologists alike were rou-
tinely stunned to see how Dallas was able to use well- known and
familiar scriptures and weave an altogether different theological
conclusion from them. I routinely watched Dallas, like no one
I had encountered before or since, wipe clean peoples vision of
who God was, what his Son did and why, and what the Holy
Spirit wishes to do in and through his church and then replace
it with an all- consuming, hope- lled, grace- empowered, joy-
seeking, love- giving gospel of Gods boundless goodness and
power. All the while he never manipulated emotions, overcame
peoples will, or used fear as a motivator.
I cant remember the number of occasions Ive been asked
when I was saved. Since meeting Dallas I have several ways I
can answer that question. One answer is that Jesus saves me from
myself nearly every day. Another is to tell of the day when, as an
eight- year- old boy, I realized and confessed my need for a savior.
In that manner I can consider myself saved very early in life. But
that is certainly not the only time God has saved me. I have been
saved so many more times in my life than that original decision
would suggest. One of those miraculous saving events occurred
during that retreat. God corrected my view of him. He opened a
window into the eternal reality of life, life as I had hoped it could
be or thought at times it should be. Dallas conrmed that those
deep instincts were even more grand than I could expect or imag-
ine. And the God who created and called me into that life stood
with open, loving arms and the offer, Whosoever will may come.
In the decade that followed I gradually lost sight of that early
vision of God and his kingdom. Like the weeds that grew up and
choked off the seed, my desires for my professional career began
to take precedence in my heart and pull me away from the easy
yoke of Christ. Mercifully, it was during this period that, while
in the waiting room at my doctors ofce, I came across a Chris-
tian ity Today article discussing The Divine Conspiracy. I raced to
the bookstore, bought it, and read it cover to cover that week-
xi i Foreword
end. And the hope and grace that had become a eeting memory
started to gradually ood into my heart once again. All those
distant longings for wonder and excitement began to percolate
toward the surface. I read it over and over during the next several
months. In many ways The Divine Conspiracy introduced me to a
Jesus that was so much more than my religious stereotyping had
allowed. Dallas knew a Jesus far grander than I had assumed him
to be and as a result my love and respect for Christ grew expo-
nentially. The weeding had started.
But habits are hard to break, and transformation can be slow,
especially for a stiff- necked person like me. It wasnt until nearly
another decade had passed that I fully relinquished myself to
Gods call on my life. I retired from my career in the nancial
ser vices industry and entered seminary. It was also around that
time I was able to reconnect with both Keith and Dallas. What
amazing grace those two reunions represent in my life.
My seminary experience helped me to place Dallass theology in
context and recognize his insights were more than just another com-
mentary on Chris tian doctrine, a program of discipleship, or plan for
spiritual formation. I realized Dallas was articulating and advocat-
ing an understanding of the gospel that was often signicantly at
odds with the theology taught in the institutions and traditions of
mainstream evangelical religion in America. As a result only a few
pastors, and even fewer theologians, were critically engaging Dallass
work. Once again with Keiths guidance and Dallass encourage-
ment, I began to recognize the need and opportunity to introduce
Dallass theology and understanding of pastoral leadership more
deeply into theological education. After completing my seminary
degree, I entered a Ph.D. program in the United Kingdom, where
I completed my dissertation on Willardian theology, hoping to
offer some insight into and remedy for this situation.
1
During those years Dallas offered tremendous assistance. He
spent countless hours with me, patiently enduring my endless
inquiries, sharing materials, e- mails, phone calls, encouragement,
Foreword xiii
wisdom, and prayer. He faithfully read through each chapter of
my dissertation and my revisions, as I endeavored to accurately
portray his theology and its effects. I completed my degree in
April 2012, and accepted a position in the Graduate School of
Theology at Azusa Pacic University.
A wonderful benet of moving to southern California was the
opportunity to be closer to Dallas. We took advantage of that
proximity during the last year of his life. One of my most trea-
sured moments was presenting Dallas and Jane with a bound
edition of my dissertation and news of a publishing contract to
adapt the dissertation for a wider audience. We shared a wonder-
ful afternoon together reminiscing about all God had done for us
in the twenty years since we rst met. Those were good times.
It was in June 2011, when, in passing, I rst suggested to Dal-
las that he should consider writing a follow- up to The Divine
Conspiracy. As I was combing through his writings, interviews,
and lectures for my dissertation, it seemed to me there was a col-
lection of insights, explanations, and applications he had devel-
oped related to the kingdom of God that had not been given
ample treatment in his other published works. I thought readers
could benet from the way he had expounded on several issues
and realities of contemporary life in the years since The Divine
Conspiracy was published. We kicked around some ideas and
potential chapter topics over the next several months. Eventu-
ally he agreed about the potential benet of such a book. It was
only when his medical condition was not improving as rapidly as
he hoped that he suggested the idea of coauthoring the book. By
January 2013, we had formatted the basic structure of what even-
tually became the nal product.
In March 2013, his health continued to weaken. By then we
had formal outlines of each chapter, discussed particular examples,
and made a myriad of choices about what to include and what to
omit. Before his death, we had several chapters complete and a
clear understanding of what was left to nish. We tried diligently
xiv Foreword
to nish the manuscript before he passed. We were very close. As it
turns out we were only six weeks short. It was just a few days after
we had arrived at our completed outline for the nal chapter that I
received that fateful call from Jane and kissed my family good- bye
to join Dallas as he began his nal journey into eternity. What I
would have given for just six more weeks. We tried.
As I drove to the Willard home, I had a feeling this was the
beginning of the end of his life. In some ways that drive allowed me
to prepare. I didnt know what exactly the next days or weeks held,
but I did have a sense that difculty and sorrow were ahead. Yet
I also sensed that there would be a signicant blessing as a result.
I spent the next four days with Jane and the family watching
over Dallass nal hours. It was a very sacred time, one I will
treasure for the rest of my life. We talked about many things and
were able to conclude some of our conversations we had engaged
in off and on for months, if not years. Some of these discussions
were very intimate and private, and will remain so. Yet, as Dallas
was coming to grips with his own physical death, and our talks
tended to naturally turn toward the subject of our life and hope
after death, heaven, and eternity, we also began to discuss how
our character developed here on earth continues into eternity and
all the implications that fact might carry for our life both now
and then. As our conversations developed, Dallas and I began to
realize others might benet from the fruit of these interactions.
Therefore, before his death he encouraged me to continue think-
ing and writing on these topics. I promised him I would. It was
his nal request of me. I am hopeful that work should become
available in the near future.
In terms of worldly fame, Dallas was not what most would
consider a famous man. Although he maintained a very faith-
ful following, there are still many devoted Chris tians who have
never heard of Dallas or his ideas a surprising fact I routinely
encountered as I was researching his theology. Undoubtedly he
had earned respect and acclaim in certain arenas such as aca-
Foreword xv
demic philosophy and the eld of spiritual formation. But his
notoriety did not reach as far as those who love Dallas and are
familiar with his works often presume. Much of his work and a
good majority of his ideas remain relatively unknown to a wide
spectrum of Chris tian readers. Therefore, it is likely this work
will nd itself in the hands of those previously unaware of Dallas
and his unique, life- giving perspectives on the gospel.
The book before you is an attempt to extend a set of propos-
als and perspectives on the kingdom of God and the gospel of
Jesus rst published in The Divine Conspiracy (1998). The Divine
Conspiracy was originally conceived as a set of teachings Dallas
started developing during his time at the University of Wiscon-
sin while completing his doctoral work. In summary, The Divine
Conspiracy is an articulation of the intent and effect of the gospel
of the kingdom of God, which Jesus revealed most pointedly in
the Sermon on the Mount. In laying out Jesuss plan for attaining
life to the full, Dallas not only deconstructed some signicant
alterations to Jesuss original message contained in both liberal
and conservative forms of contemporary Chris tian ity; he also
simultaneously reconstructed a positive and hopeful vision of the
kind of existence human beings were created to experience under
the loving and grace- lled reign of God.
The widespread acceptance and appreciation of The Divine
Conspiracy hit a signicant chord with many readers seeking a
more robust and authentic vision of Chris tian faith. It became
Dallass most recognized and celebrated work, achieving Chris-
tian ity Todays award for Book of the Year. Scot McKnight, a
New Testament scholar and professor who has tracked the move-
ments of contemporary evangelical Chris tian ity for decades now,
suggests that when historians look back at the key inuencers of
the twenty- rst century, Dallas will arguably be among the few
names mentioned as offering signicant inuence on the Chris-
tian faith.
2
Long before becoming the director of the Dallas Wil-
lard Institute at Westmont College, Gary Moon argued Dallass
xvi Foreword
thoughts and insights should be considered as revolutionary and
catalytic as those of Martin Luther. John Ortberg, a leading
preacher, psychologist, and writer, has stated that, in his consid-
ered opinion, no one has been able to articulate the power and
depth of the gospel better than Dallas.
In large measure, the success of The Divine Conspiracy stems
from Dallass unique, life- giving, and commonsense description
of the intents and purposes of God for human life, both individu-
ally and collectively. Questions such as, Why are we here? What
are Gods purposes for human life? What is the purpose of the
church? are the kinds of philosophical and theological questions
that Dallas brought the full force of his mind to bear upon. He
knew God had called him to preach the gospel, the good news,
or, as he sometimes called it, the benevolent knowledge of the
way things really are to answer these crucial, essential human
questions. The Divine Conspiracy and his later work Knowing
Christ Today focus on helping human beings grasp the nature and
reality of God and his kingdom ways.
Although The Divine Conspiracy was a revolutionary work of
inestimable value in its own right, one need not have read The Divine
Conspiracy in order to understand the perspectives presented in
this sequel. Those familiar with Dallass previous publications and
ministry will recognize this work as a consistent application and
continuation of his vision, ideas, and concepts. What is new here are
the situations and circumstances of contemporary society we chose
to engage and overlay that original vision upon.
Our desire for this work was to cast and articulate a broader
vision for the way the gospel must move rst in and then through
the church. The church is the means God uses to bring his king-
dom to fruition. Such a transformation from the kingdoms of our
world into the kingdom of Christ can best occur when discipled
leaders of all types and in all contexts are poised to inuence and
direct the institutions and systems of government, education,
economics, commerce, law, medicine, and religion. When this
Foreword xvii
occurs, Dallas believed, the kingdom of goodness and blessing
would begin to permeate every arena of life, every family, every
street corner, every neighborhood, every city, and every citizen
throughout the world. This was Dallass understanding of pur-
poses behind the Great Commission.
Dallas believed Gods kingdom is rmly established and grown
when followers of Jesus incarnate the virtues, faith, wisdom, power,
and godly character enough to infect the world with an insatiable
virus of goodwill. This is the primary thesis of this book.
The chapters that follow coalesce around three areas of interest
that Dallas spent nearly forty years developing and honing. The
rst area conjoins his thoughts on moral knowledge and leadership.
These are topics Dallas has already engaged in his more academic
writings, but here we broadened his more philosophical and theo-
retical approach to include the way the nature of moral knowledge
demonstrated in the gospel must move into the arenas of Chris tian
leadership, discipleship, and spiritual transformation if there is to
be a positive effect for the kingdom in both our communities and
the broader culture at large. Dallas was devoted to helping Chris-
tiansfrom every walk of life, in every workplace, and in every
social organization, business, or institutionto realize their full
potential as leaders and ambassadors of light for the kingdom of
God. Therefore, he attempted to cast an encouraging vision that
bridges the gap separating Chris tian leaders ministering in the local
church from Chris tian leaders in the broader secular workforce who
minister in the institutions of government, education, business,
ser vice industries, commerce, and other professions. Closing the
sacred- secular divide was the primary way he believed the local
church could become the essential beachhead of the kingdom of
God within contemporary society. Only then could the kingdoms
of our world begin to experience the benets and blessings of the
kingdom of our God and of his Christ.
The second area centers on how the revealed knowledge of
God, applied through moral leaders with integrity and courage,
xvi i i Foreword
would positively impact the individual vocations that are central
to the establishment and maintenance of ourishing societies.
This includes, but is not exclusive to, the key institutions of gov-
ernment, business, commerce, education, and ministry. The nal
area dovetails with the rst two. Dallas was devoted to the work
of the church and its leaders. He never stopped seeking new and
better ways of equipping and training disciples of Jesus to inhabit
each of these key positions of societal governance and bear their
responsibility for administering the manifestations of light, life,
and hope to the world as a gift of a good and loving God. In one
of our nal conversations, Dallas made it clear that his great hope
was to help Chris tians better understand what it is that Jesus is
doing today. He said:
Gary, we must help the church understand that Jesus is leading a
subversion of all human governance. And that [subversion] will
happen by the transformation of individuals, through the power
of the gospel. And the community that emerges as a result is the
divine conspiracy. They will not be overcome by evil but will
overcome evil with good. Thats the whole deal. And of course
Chris tian leaders in every area of society are at the very heart of
that mission.
Much of the material covered here grew from lectures and
notes Dallas compiled for the very popular course he taught at
USC on professional leadership and ethics. Many of our initial
conversations also surrounded an article he had written and spo-
ken about at Trinity International University in 2008.
3
A third
resource we often discussed and expounded on was a two- day
lecture series given at a Kern Family Foundation conference in
January 2013. Dallass thinking, writing, and research compiled
from the class and those two proceedings were our springboard
to dive deeper into what he believed were the essential core issues
for Chris tian leaders and professionals to reconsider. His over-
arching desire was to provide persons of inuence in every arena
Foreword xix
of society with a vision for what our collective lives might accom-
plish if given over to the ethics, power, wisdom, and grace found
under the shepherding care of Gods kingdom. What you now
hold is the culmination of those ideas.
Dallas was devoted to the idea that our societies need well- placed,
well- informed, thoughtful, gifted, effective, and supremely devoted
persons of moral integrity to lead us through the opportunities and
trials of contemporary life. He worked long and hard at helping
the future leaders of our world, represented by his USC undergrad
students, to develop the vision and means through which their lead-
ership could actively pursue and attain common ourishing, pros-
perity, and general welfare. Likewise, the primary motive and intent
of this work is to catalyze conversation, imagination, cooperation,
and reconsideration of the ways and means we as Chris tian leaders
participate in the coming of Gods kingdom to the realms touched
by our own spheres of inuence.
Dallass greatest hopes, and mine, would be for men and women
from every walk of life and every profession and vocation that serves
our societiesteachers, attorneys, physicians, pastors, accountants,
trades people, and business people aliketo read and discuss this
book together. The book and the discussion questions are designed
to instigate and facilitate these conversations, in coffeehouses, living
rooms, elder board meetings, conferences, and retreatswherever
leaders gather to discuss their vision and hopes for Gods mission
to our world. The church, though not only the church, should be a
perfect place for such a transformative discussion.
Yet this is not explicitly a how- to book. We would not presume
to tell professionals how to apply these ideas to elds and endeav-
ors outside our areas of expertise. Instead, as outside observers we
engage a few professional disciplines as case studies in order to bet-
ter highlight situations where Christlike leadership is essential and
offer a few suggestions, viewpoints, and insights that we hope will
prove protable in assisting Chris tian leaders as they reconsider or
reengage the crucial issues that affect our lives.
xx Foreword
Chris tian leaders must engage in deep reection and then robust
dialog before we can begin to transform our world. God has invited
us to help him revolutionize the world so that his good will is
accomplished throughout all of creation, just as it is in heaven. For
this reason disciples of Jesus need to be knowledgeable of good so
they can be effective in achieving it. In the end, we are attempting
to assist leaders who are already seeking to faithfully discern the
good way, the right path, and the benecial news of the kingdom
in the worka day world right where they are. We believe these ideas
will not only assist discussion, but that they will also encourage a
growing sense of unity, a broadening vision, and the development
of mutual respect, encouragement, and support that must remain
the trademark characteristics of those who live and lead as followers
of Jesus in our world.
I praise God for what he accomplished in and through Dallass
life and ministry. I am thankful for the gift of that rst meeting.
Finishing this project alone has forced me to face the stark reality
of Dallass absence. His smile, his loving laughter, his personal
guidance, and his active engagement in our lives are gone. His
soul will never die, but his body is no longer living. What remains
for us to engage is his extensive body of work, his wisdom, his
words, his ideas, his faith, and our use of these invaluable gifts.
This book is part of the attempt to carry on that heritage. For
his family and countless others, perhaps millions, just like me,
we can choose to dwell on what is only in our memories, or we
can expand and expound upon his impact for the greater glory of
God and the advancement of his kingdom. At Dallass funeral a
prayer was offered that we would all be allowed to dream once
again of a new vision that continues and builds upon the legacy of
our friend, mentor, and guide. My prayer is that this work is one
step in that very direction.
Gary Black Jr.
July 2013
1
Ch a p t e r 1
Gods Call to Leaders
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of
Gods grace which was given me by the working of his power.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace
was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery
hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the
church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known
to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was
according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ
Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and condence of ac-
cess through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over
what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom
every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to
the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with
might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may
dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the
saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and
to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you
may be lled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by
the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly
2 The Divine Conspiracy Continued
than all that we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and
in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3: 721
L
et us start by clarifying the major point of this work as
straightforwardly as possible. Gods divine conspiracy is
to overcome the human kingdoms of this world with love, justice,
and truth. This includes the whole world and all of human soci-
ety at the individual, corporate, and governmental levels. The
kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and
of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15).
This is what Handel proclaims again and again in his famous
Hallelujah Chorus. This is reality. We could even say an eter-
nal reality. The kingdom of God has indeed come; it has a past,
it is with us now, and it has an unending future. The scriptures
describe this future as the day of the Lord, when God will have
his turn at bat. The primary question this book pursues is this:
How can we best participate in this reality?
In these pages we will suggest to followers of Jesus who are
leaders, spokespersons, and professionals that they must respon-
sibly and explicitly address the public issues, proposals, and
processes of society within their spheres of inuence through
teaching, proclaiming, modeling, and manifesting the reality of
the benevolent rule of God, which includes working together as
the body of Christ by Gods empowering grace. This inuence
encompasses every sphere of human action, not just those we
think of as religious in nature. Such ambassadorial representation
need not be overt or delivered in Chris tianese in order to be
effective. No ag-waving and banner carrying are required. Such
is the nature of a conspiracy, even a divine one. This is a tactic
Jesus employed on many occasions with great aplomb.
Spokespersons for Christ are under the overarching impera-
tive to love God and to love their neighbors as themselves. Their
Gods Call to Leaders 3
responsibility for what honors God and what is good for the
public as well as for their closer neighbors dictates that they
deal with economic, political, professional, and social issues that
seriously impact life and well- being. It is not a religious con-
spiracy we are to pursue, but Gods conspiracy, founded, led, and
empowered by Jesus the Christ.
It is the task of Christ- following spokespersons, leaders, and
professionals to keep before their own minds as well as those of
the public they engagethrough whatever vocation they main-
tainan understanding of what is good and what is not and
what conditions are required for human beings to experience
well- being. No one person need have exclusive responsibility
in this regard, nor does there need to be some sort of continual
media event to make a signicant fuss about every issue or deci-
sion. At times some leaders and spokespersons may be required
to take on a special, higher- prole responsibility because of their
position in society or because of the sources of knowledge and
power that come with a certain activity or expertise. Even in
such cases, we are seeking things that benet the common good
and the ourishing of all peoples. We are not advocating for a
special- interest group or that people use public positions or noto-
riety as a platform to promote a certain ideology or theology. We
are not necessarily endeavoring to stack political power on one
issue against that of another or to privilege one candidacy over
another. Instead, we seek to present the wisdom of divine love in
order to be a light shining in the darkness that cannot be missed,
whatever the issue.
THE KINGDOM HERE AND NOW
A signicant part of our Western Chris tian heritage over the past
few hundred years and much of the explicit practical teaching
that we hear from our pulpits, which becomes routinely modeled
in our Chris tian communities, argue that the kingdom of God
is something that is not readily available or accessible in the here
and now. Thankfully, this view has shown signs of changing, in
ts and starts, and to very good effect. But overall there remains a
sense, sometimes overt, sometimes more covert, that one ne day,
far in the future, all the earthly kingdoms of our current world
will eventually come under the reign, or rule, of Jesus Christ. But
until then we are left to hold on by our ngernails, if we can, to
our piety and faith, doing our utmost to ride out the many storms
of life that threaten our sense of well- being. This has remained
a very familiar strain of thought and practice for many of our
Chris tian preachers, teachers, and spokespersons today, as it has
been over the past several centuries. Such ideas and images are
difcult to reform and thus tend to leave Chris tians with only the
fading hope that in the great by and by Jesus will return to n-
ish his largely failed previous attempt to jump- start his reign as
king over both heaven and earth.
What is less well known, let alone appreciated, is that such a
perspective is not how the early church traditionally understood
the rule or reign of Jesus. Nor is it what Jesus taught. Jesuss king-
dom has not been deferred until his return or until after he is able
to clean house at the nal judgment. He will return, and there
will be a settling of accounts, we can be sure of this. But until
then, he is not biding his time, having been limited to changing a
few minds here and there, saving individual souls at various reli-
gious ser vices, and making a few mystical appearances now and
again, until some unknown period in the future when he can get
his original intentions back on track. In contrast to such a passive
theology, the teachings of the church through much of its his-
tory demonstrate a consistent testimony, even if ignored at times,
that Jesuss rule began when he said it began, at the proclamation
of his Great Commission, which, as you recall, occurred just
before his ascension after his death and resurrection, but just
before he went to be with his Father in heaven, where he now
is actively positioned in the seat of authority at the right hand
of the Father. As noted biblical scholars N. T. Wright and Scot
McKnight, among many others, have clearly argued, Jesus was
crowned king, is now ruling, and currently maintains all author-
ity or dominion in heaven and on earth. Theologian Amos
Yong has also helped us better understand how the Spirit of God,
as the chief empowerer, is now poured out upon all esh (Joel
2:28; Acts 2:17) and directs, leads, encourages, supports, and
advocates for the reign of Jesus in and through the wills, minds,
bodies, and even human institutions that serve his overarching
purposes of holistic redemption.
What is important to understand here is that there is no then
or when to the kingdom of God. This reign is a current, pro-
gressing, maturing reality, which means Jesus rules today. Jesus
is the one who sits on the throne of the cosmos, and all author-
ity, over all things, has been given to him (Matt. 25:31; 28:18).
God is the God of all humanity (Jer. 32:27). God rules today
through his Son, Jesus, the king, and he rules over everyone and
everything not just Chris tians or religious organizations. He is
the King of Kings, the ruler of rulers (Rev. 1:5), and the domin-
ion of his Spirit extends to every corner and crevice of the universe
at this very moment a fact even the demons appear to under-
stand perfectly well (Mark 1:24; 5:7; James 2:19). The kingdom
has come, and there is more to come. Thanks be to God.
Lets take a moment and contemplate the implications of what
all this means. A loving and omnipotent God is now ruling.
Therefore, he has a holistic vision for human life that necessarily
includes all the political, economic, and social realms not just
religious realmsalong with the innumerable personal king-
doms that compose all human activity.
As previously stated, this is not a new vision, but one present
throughout the Hebrew scriptures, revealed through the proph-
ets, partially demonstrated in the people of Israel, made abun-
dantly clear in the teachings of Jesus, carried forward in the rst
century by the apostles, and propelled through the ages until
landing on the doorstep of the contemporary church. Through
Christ all things, everything, everyone, is in the process of com-
ing under the sovereign benevolence (Latin: bene, good; volens,
willing) of Gods agape ethic and ethos (1 Cor. 15:28). Through
Christ all things are being, and will be, made new (Rev. 21:5; 2
Cor. 5:17). Eventually, every knee will bow and every tongue will
acknowledge this current reality (Phil. 2:1011). Both believers
and nonbelievers alike will be confessing an appropriate degree of
both wonder and ignorance regarding the magnitude of Christs
lordship and glorious representation of God, his Father.
BECOMING KINGDOM BUILDERS
It may be difcult to conceive of the effects that recognizing the
full scope of Christs lordship today could have on both the world
collectively and each person individually. In the rough and tumble
realities of our contemporary world, the glorious rule and reign
of God can, and often does, become far too distant and foggy for
us to even imagine, much less manifest within our personal and
social situations and circumstances. Yet that is exactly what Jesus
wants us and has empowered us to do. We can see, hear, expe-
rience, and realize, with condent assurance, that God is most
denitely with us in our work as we seek to do his good will. And
if God is for us, with us, guiding and empowering our efforts,
we can be appropriately condent that good will result. But los-
ing our vision for this reality has largely cost us the hope that it
could ever occur. Therefore, in this increasingly foggy mire of
futile doubt about the grandeur and glory of Gods intentions for
us and his creation, it is increasingly important that we endeavor
to describe, as clearly as we can, what such a reality can mean for
everyday life.
We face a signicant problem today in our lack of awareness,
interest, and critical thinking and teaching within our Chris tian
congregations and institutions of higher learning regarding how
God, through his Spirit, is to guide us personally, communally,
socially, politically, and economically into direct conformity with
the blessing that is within his kingdom. We simply have not
thought very long or hard about how the kingdom of God could,
would, or does manifest itself within ideas and images that drive
the current contexts of our church, work, school, play, family,
business, health, and economic activities.
This is our primary task here: to reinvigorate the conversa-
tion about the ways and means of the kingdom of God, which
will cascade over the walls of our Chris tian institutions to inform
both Chris tians and non- Chris tians alike as to the benecial
effects and wonder- working power of Gods love and goodness in
every area of human existence. Yes, the kingdom of God is to be
formed within you, but it should never be understood as limited
to or conned by the human heart. The kingdom of God is as
big as the range of Gods omnipotent will. Nothing can stop it.
Nothing will. Not even the very gates of hell itself.
What we must begin to reconsider, given our immediate cir-
cumstances, is how to best focus our efforts and think deeply
about this present and coming reality that Christ has made read-
ily available to us. Gods reign or rule is literally within arms
reach, at hand, near, close, right before us, in the midst of us,
right where we live (e.g., Matt. 3:2; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:21).
And this is exactly what people from all walks of life our politi-
cal leaders, educators, business professionals, and stay- at- home
parents are called to apply right where they live and work. We
must reach out and grab this kingdom of heaven (Matthews
term for the kingdom of God) by the throat, with gusto and
vigor, and be willing to violate the established norms in order to
accomplish with God his divine conspiracy to overcome evil with
good (Matt. 11:12).
We so often nd these kinds of violations of norms in the
most unlikely of places. A few years ago the entire world was
shocked by the love and forgiveness offered by a small group of
disciples living in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, to a lone, trou-
bled man who shot ten young children, killing ve, before turn-
ing the gun on himself. There was no media circus, no political
debate about constitutional rights versus public safety. These
citizens of the kingdom didnt follow that well- worn path.
Instead, trusting and modeling their condence in their Saviors
ways, they chose to forgive. While still mourning and comfort-
ing each other, they offered their love, grace, and even nancial
support to the killers widow and parents. As a result the world
looked on in awe as a shining ray of pure goodness illuminated
a very dark hour. Such goodness cannot be hidden. People have
to stop and look, in wonder. Forgiving those who persecute us
and loving our enemies are ideas that still deeply violate our
established norms.
Another simple example of such violation of norms and exten-
sion of grace is now routinely demonstrated in the innovative
arena of micronance. These are nancial ser vices for poor and
low- income clients, including loans to unsalaried borrowers who
have little or no collateral. The brainchild of Nobel Peace Prize
winner Muhammad Yunus, micronance development has been
utilized for over three decades by dozens of organizations, such
as Opportunity International and World Vision. It has become
so popular that both religious and secular organizations now
offer small loans (the average loan is less than $400) to the
worlds poorest populations. When lenders focus on both nur-
turing the protability of borrowers businesses and, in turn,
their clients overarching economic and social well- being, the
practice is so effective, it has now become the darling of poverty-
ghting relief agencies all across the globe. In an age when
institutional lenders seem to expect borrowers to demonstrate
their lack of nancial need before a loan is even considered, the
concept of lending money to those with little to no resources
but with an abundance of character has shown the potential for
increasing not only income but also health care, housing, nutri-
tion, and education. Client- centered micronance is yet another
idea that rattles the economic norms of our societies.
1
We need to learn some very important lessons from our broth-
ers and sisters in Nickel Mines and those creative innovators in
micronance. The people of God are to be ambassadors of good
in our world, demonstrating, personally and through its systems
and institutions, the ways of God for the benet of all people. Just
as John, writing Revelation, saw a vision of reality that needed to
be revealed and understood by the struggling early churches scat-
tered around the ancient world, we also must endeavor to recap-
ture Gods vision of our current world under the rule of King
Jesus.
Part of our difculty comes from a view that the world is on
a countdown timer, which we sense is coming close to ringing.
For so many believers, such an impending sense of doom creates
a slow- burning fear that drains energy, optimism, and expecta-
tions of Gods blessings in our lives and the lives of others. We
can be assured God is worried about neither the present nor the
future, and thus we need not worry about, or be distracted by,
any doomsday scenarios that tend to cycle through our religious
institutions. Yet just saying we shouldnt worry is very different
from actually not worrying. Much of our preaching and teach-
ing today that centers on fear of an imminent apocalypse and the
unstoppable moral decay of our societies actually leads people to
surmise that in fact Jesus is not in control at all. Johns message
was just the opposite. The risen Christ is very much in control,
despite what we read and see on the evening news. All is well in
his church.
TRUE BLESSINGS
A second difculty is found in the rise of what has been termed
the prosperity gospel, which has created a sense that God is
ready, willing, and able to provide for every consumerist desire
or creature comfort vaguely connected to the American dream.
Some have even argued that such God- ordained prosperity has
become some sort of right or privilege we are entitled to, and
believers are therefore righ teously justied in demanding Gods
favor. Again, this appears to be a historically recurring twisting
of the teachings of scripture. The Sadducees maintained a similar
theology, to ill effect.
2
Today the same tendency is seen in the
fact that our fascination with and condence in materialism are
working their way back into our interpretations of scripture.
Still, as is often the case, such twisting comes from a core
truth of the gospel. The castle built on the rock is an undeniable
blessing; it is strong, well developed, and withstands the storm.
All kinds of people living in a state of condent assurance of
Gods love and care are blessed not because of their condition,
but despite any condition. The conditions we face are temporary.
The blessings remain eternal. The people of Nickel Mines were
richly blessed despite their situation by their willingness to let go
of the bitter feelings of hatred and revenge. Those living in the
most marginalized and impoverished cultures in our world who
are learning to sustain their families with an incredibly small
investment in a new business are also blessed through the inten-
tional ser vice and sharing of those with the gifts of education,
planning, wisdom, leadership, and discipline. As he did with the
boys small lunch of sh and bread, Jesus is able to multiply our
seemingly insignicant efforts in phenomenal ways. Such is the
nature of the kingdom of God.
These applications of both the spiritual and material gifts of
grace, ser vice, and stewardship are just a few living testimonies
that demonstrate that nothing can separate anyone from the love
of God (Rom. 8:39) and that Jesus is with us, ruling in all things,
even through our worst fears and largest problems, through the
end of this age (Matt. 28:20). This king suffers violators, and the
violators are forging dramatic new paths into the world. With
this king, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).
The chapters that follow sketch out some new paths to con-
sider as we follow Gods calling to reect his kingdom light in
our world. We will explore a variety of social structures God
wants us to change. We do not presume to offer a complete plan.
Such a grand unfolding of Gods intentions will require engage-
ment with and contribution from the entire body of Christ. Here
we simply seek to add to and further what is already occurring.
This requires very explicit thinking in order to cast a vision or
paint a portrait as grand as we can imagine in order to merely
highlight some of the qualities and features of abundant living
that mark the essence and beauty of the kingdom of God.
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