Defining the Third Mile

My inspiration for the title of this blog and in many ways what will be blogged about comes from Peter Rollins fantastic book “How (Not) to Speak of God” and specifically from Chapter 5 in the book titled “The Third Mile.”  I read Rollins book last year and recently reread Chapter 5 of the book. I’m also reading “Fear and Trembling” right now and I think that Kierkegaard has had a great influence on Rollins writing, particularly his desire to write parables.  So with Kierkegaard’s and Rollins’ inspiration I decided to blog (again).  I am nowhere in the realm of intellect or creativity as those two men (yet), but I feel inspired to write and so I’m going to write. (May McLuhan, Postman, and Hipps forgive me for using a blog.)

I want to summarize what Rollins talks about in that chapter, but the man is brillant and I fear of damaging the impact of that book and chapter in my effort to summarize how I understand the idea of “the third mile.”  I highly recommend that you read that chapter or the book, but I will try to explain for those who won’t be reading the book.

Matthew 5.41 says “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” These are Jesus’ words and are spoken in regards to a Roman law that requires a person to carry a Roman soldier’s pack for them one mile.

So the first mile is the law.

The second mile is the challenge of Jesus that religious leaders have turned into a rule of the faith or requirement for being a “good” Christian.

The third mile is what is done out of love.

To quote Rollins from page 65 in “How (Not) to Speak of God”:

“For ethical systems allow us to follow rules whether we love or not. While ethics says, ‘What must I do in order to fulfill my responsibility?’ love says, ‘I will do more than is required.’ …Love is never satisfied by what is required but must always do more.”

So the third mile in essence is really always one mile further, it is an excess of love done not because one has to but becomes one loves to.

This blog will seek to explore the third mile through parables, ponderings, and discoveries.

I hope for all the parables to be original, as in written by me.

I will attempt to make the ponderings posts that contain only questions.

And I will seek to share all interesting things that I read about in the posts called discoveries.

Enjoy. (I hope.)

Tags: definitions, discoveries, Jesus, parables, peter rollins, ponderings, Soren Kierkegaard, the third mile