Tim Keller - The Theology of the Cross and Walking with a Limp
Summary
TLDRIn this discourse, the speaker explores the theology of work through the lens of four theological streams: Evangelical, Mainline Christian, Reformed Christian, and Lutheran. The Lutheran perspective, emphasized by Martin Luther's 'Theology of the Cross,' suggests that God reveals Himself through suffering and the cross, challenging conventional notions of power and wisdom. The speaker illustrates how this perspective can transform our understanding of work, suggesting that all work, regardless of one's faith, is divine when done well. The narrative of Jacob's struggle with God in Genesis 32 is used to highlight the transformative power of wrestling with challenges and the pursuit of divine blessing, advocating for a 'theology of the cross' that embraces struggle and imperfection as pathways to growth and true fulfillment.
Takeaways
- ๐ The speaker discusses the 'theology of the cross' and its application to work, emphasizing the importance of integrating faith with one's professional life.
- ๐ The script identifies four theological streams that influence perspectives on faith and work: Evangelical, Mainline Christian, Reformed Christian, and Lutheran.
- ๐ก The Evangelical stream focuses on the heart and the role of Jesus in providing emotional and spiritual support in the workplace.
- ๐ The Mainline Christian stream emphasizes justice, critiques of capitalism, and the pursuit of the common good through work.
- ๐ The Reformed Christian stream highlights the importance of a Christian worldview in shaping one's work and understanding of human nature and ethics.
- โ๏ธ The Lutheran stream, influenced by Martin Luther, views the cross as a revelation of God's nature and a model for understanding power, wisdom, and success through suffering.
- ๐ค The speaker challenges the idea that only Christians or those with a specific worldview can do good work, suggesting that everyone's work is part of God's work.
- ๐ช The concept of wrestling with God, as illustrated by Jacob's story in Genesis 32, is presented as a metaphor for personal struggle, growth, and the pursuit of God's blessing.
- ๐ The script suggests that suffering and wrestling are not just part of the Christian faith but are also pathways to understanding God's will and receiving divine blessings.
- ๐ฆ The speaker encourages embracing a 'theology of the cross' in work, which involves recognizing the value in weakness, suffering, and the transformative power of God's grace in everyday life.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the book 'Every Good Endeavor' by Timothy Keller?
-The main theme of 'Every Good Endeavor' is the integration of faith with work, exploring how one's work can be connected to God's work.
How many theological streams are identified by Timothy Keller in relation to faith and work?
-Timothy Keller identifies four theological streams in relation to faith and work: Evangelical, Mainline Christian, Reformed Christian, and Lutheran.
What is the focus of the Evangelical stream in the context of faith and work?
-The Evangelical stream focuses on the heart, emphasizing the role of Jesus in providing comfort, strength, and guidance in dealing with the challenges of work.
How does the Mainline Christian stream view work in relation to faith?
-The Mainline Christian stream emphasizes justice and critiques of capitalism, advocating for a holistic approach to work and a focus on the common good.
What is the core belief of the Reformed Christian stream as described by Keller?
-The Reformed Christian stream, rooted in Calvinism, asserts that there is no neutrality in work and that every action is influenced by a certain set of beliefs, emphasizing the transformation of work through a Christian worldview.
What does the Lutheran stream, as mentioned by Keller, contribute to the understanding of faith and work?
-The Lutheran stream, influenced by Martin Luther, contributes the concept of the 'theology of the cross,' which suggests that God reveals Himself through suffering and the cross, and that this perspective should inform our understanding of work.
What does Luther mean when he says a theologian of the cross 'calls the thing what it actually is'?
-Luther implies that a theologian of the cross recognizes and names things as they truly are, not as they appear or as one might wish them to be, especially in the context of suffering and the cross.
How does Timothy Keller interpret the concept of power in the context of the cross?
-Keller interprets power in the context of the cross as the ability to achieve God's purposes, often through weakness and suffering, rather than through worldly definitions of strength and success.
What is the significance of Jacob's wrestling match in the Genesis narrative as it relates to the theology of work?
-Jacob's wrestling match symbolizes the struggle with God and the recognition of divine blessing, suggesting that true strength and purpose in work come from wrestling with and ultimately receiving God's blessing, even through struggle and weakness.
How does the concept of 'limping' relate to the theology of the cross in the context of work?
-The concept of 'limping' represents the recognition of one's limitations and the need for divine grace in work. It suggests that acknowledging and embracing our weaknesses can lead to a deeper reliance on God and a more authentic integration of faith into our work.
What is the implication of the statement 'a theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil'?
-This statement implies that a theologian of glory misinterprets the nature of things, failing to see the true moral and spiritual dimensions as revealed through the cross. It cautions against a distorted view that might prioritize worldly success over divine truth.
Outlines
๐ Exploring Theology of Work
The speaker introduces the concept of integrating faith with work, highlighting the existence of four theological streams: Evangelical, Mainline Christian, Reformed Christian, and Lutheran. Each stream offers a unique perspective on faith and work. The Evangelical stream focuses on the heart and the role of Jesus in providing comfort and guidance. The Mainline Christian stream emphasizes justice and critiques of capitalism. The Reformed Christian stream centers on worldview and the transformation of work through Christian beliefs. Lastly, the Lutheran stream, inspired by Martin Luther, views the cross as a revelation of God's true nature and a means to understand the true meaning of power and wisdom in the context of work.
๐ The Cross as God's Power and Wisdom
The speaker delves into the Lutheran perspective, using the cross as a symbol of God's power and wisdom. The cross represents God's triumph over sin and death through weakness and suffering, challenging conventional worldly wisdom. The speaker contrasts the biblical view of wisdom and power with worldly definitions, emphasizing that true wisdom is seen in selfless love and sacrifice, as demonstrated by Jesus on the cross. The speaker also discusses the potential pitfalls of a 'theologian of glory' mindset, which assumes that only Christians with a Christian worldview can do good work, versus the Lutheran view that all people, regardless of their faith, can do God's work through their daily tasks.
๐คผโโ๏ธ Wrestling with God: The Biblical Perspective on Suffering
The speaker explores the idea that the cross is not only a symbol of atonement but also a revelation of how God deals with those He loves. It suggests that suffering and wrestling with God are part of the divine plan to shape and bless individuals. The speaker uses the example of Jacob's struggle, highlighting how God uses challenges to bring people closer to Him and to reveal His blessings. The narrative of Jacob's life, from his struggles with family to his wrestling match with an unnamed man (interpreted as God), illustrates the transformative power of wrestling with God and the recognition of God's presence in one's life.
๐ The Dawning of Divine Blessing
This paragraph continues the story of Jacob's wrestling match, emphasizing the moment when Jacob realizes his opponent is God. Despite the pain and the dawn's approach, which traditionally signals the presence of God to be fatal to humans, Jacob clings to God, seeking a blessing. The speaker reflects on the significance of this encounter, suggesting that true self-awareness and character development come through struggle and suffering. The blessing Jacob receives is not described, leaving room for interpretation, but it marks a profound transformation in Jacob's life, symbolizing the transition from seeking worldly validation to seeking divine blessing.
๐ The Necessity of Wrestling with God
The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of wrestling with God through prayer and life's challenges as a means to grow in character and wisdom. The speaker suggests that true joy and fulfillment come from recognizing and embracing one's weaknesses and imperfections. The narrative of Jacob's life serves as a metaphor for the Christian journey, where wrestling with God leads to a deeper understanding of oneself and a more profound connection with the divine. The speaker encourages embracing the 'limp' as a sign of growth and a reminder of God's transformative work in the lives of believers.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กTheology of the Cross
๐กFaith and Work
๐กEvangelical Stream
๐กMainline Christian Stream
๐กReformed Christian Stream
๐กLutheran Stream
๐กTheologian of the Cross
๐กWrestling with God
๐กStruggling and Wrestling
๐กWalking with a Limp
Highlights
The speaker introduces the concept of 'theology of the cross' and its significance in understanding work through a theological lens.
Four theological streams are identified in the discourse on faith and work: Evangelical, Mainline Christian, Reformed Christian, and Lutheran.
The Evangelical stream focuses on the heart and the role of Jesus in providing comfort and strength in work-related challenges.
Mainline Christian stream emphasizes justice, critiques of capitalism, and the common good in the context of work.
Reformed Christian stream underscores the importance of a Christian worldview in transforming work and recognizing the non-neutrality of all actions.
Lutheran stream, as introduced by Martin Luther, views the cross as the ultimate revelation of God's nature and work, especially through suffering.
Luther's Heidelberg disputation is discussed, highlighting the distinction between a theologian of glory and a theologian of the cross.
The speaker argues that God's power and wisdom are supremely seen in the cross, challenging common worldly interpretations.
A call to view work through the lens of the cross, recognizing that all work, regardless of one's faith, can be God's work.
The importance of understanding that God uses suffering for good, as evidenced in Romans 8:28, is emphasized.
The narrative of Jacob's wrestling match with God in Genesis 32 is used to illustrate the concept of wrestling with God for blessings.
Jacob's life-long struggle for blessings and his realization of God's presence in his struggles are discussed.
The idea that true transformation and growth come through wrestling with difficulties and not avoiding them is presented.
The speaker concludes by encouraging a 'theology of the cross' approach to work, which includes embracing struggles and weaknesses.
The concept of 'limping' as a symbol of growth through struggle is introduced, suggesting that all Christians who have true joy also have their struggles.
Transcripts
my talk is on I'm going to call it the
theology of the cross and walking with a
limp when a Catherine I have worked on
this book that's coming out this month
every good endeavor connecting your work
to God's work and it was for me in
particular it was a great deep dive into
the theology of work and what this meant
to me was I came to realize that that
though there's a great deal of interest
in this in the subject of integrating
faith with work there are at least four
different theological streams and almost
all movements or organizations or
agencies or events that have to do with
faith and work tend to reside in just
one of the four the four streams are
these that I can identify one I'll call
the evangelical stream which is it tends
to have more to do with the heart and
the idea is that when it comes to faith
and work we really need is Jesus in our
hearts and comfort us to strengthen us
to help us deal with our problems to
deal with with to hold us down from
getting too big ahead in success to lift
us up from being too deflated by failure
it has much more to do with the
emotional the psychological the
spiritual and Jesus helped to deal with
all the troubles and trials of being in
work the second stream would be I call
the mainline Christian stream and there
the emphasis is on justice and on how to
make sure your work deals with justice
and very often in that stream there's
good critiques of capitalism for example
and an effort to to think more
holistically about how work is done and
a lot of emphasis on the common good a
third stream is what I'll call the
reformed Christian stream which with all
the emphasis on worldview this comes out
of Calvinism and John Calvin actually
the idea that there is no neutrality
everything is done from a point
view every there is no view from nowhere
everything that we do has to represent a
certain set of beliefs about things
about human nature about God right and
wrong and so forth and what's important
is that we transform our work by working
out of a Christian worldview the forth
stream is the stream that you might call
the Lutheran Stream Martin Luther and I
want to talk to you about that right now
I actually believe that all the streams
have great have biblical roots and
warrant and I would certainly hope that
the center faith the work continues to
be what it is and that is not
necessarily completely abiding in any
one of those streams would be more fully
biblical than that but I think sometimes
the Lutheran understanding of things
isn't often seen and that's actually the
theme of this of this conference because
of the idea of struggling and wrestling
here's what Luther said in his
Heidelberg disputation in the very
beginning of his career as a Protestant
when the the the church authorities were
asking what are you really teaching and
he created what was called the
Heidelberg disputation and in those days
what that meant was a series of theses
and theses 19 20 and 21 I'm going to
read you listen careful that person does
not deserve to be called a theologian
who looks upon the invisible things of
God as though they were clearly
perceptible in those things which have
actually happened number that's 1920 he
deserves to be called a theologian
however who comprehends the visible and
manifest things of God seen through
suffering and the cross number 21 a
theologian of glory calls evil good and
good evil a theologian of the Cross
calls the thing what it actually is
now here's what he's saying and I'm
going to try to apply it a little bit
and then go to a famous biblical text on
wrestling with God in Genesis 32 the
first
while Luther is saying is we must not
make got Christ over it God over in our
own image we must listen to him when he
tells us who he really is and he
essentially supremely reveals himself to
be himself through the cross it's
through suffering and through the cross
so for example when you hear the word
power what do you think that means
right away power means getting things
done and Luther says if you take the
normal human understanding of power and
when you hear the word power of God you
just go with that you will sort of
remake God into your own image but if
you want to understand what God's power
looks like look at the cross you know
sin and death have one God created a
world that was perfect he created a
world in which there was no sin and
there was no death and there was no
decays perfect but sin and death have
one how is God going to defeat that and
he did defeat that and it were he's in
the process of the the triumph is not
complete yet but he has to where did he
defeat it where was the power of God
strong enough you might say to defeat
sin and death the cross weakness
suffering or when you hear the word
wisdom what do you think right away what
most people mean by wisdom by the way is
knowing how to get things done how do
you really have it results you're wise
you know how to get things done you know
how to figure it out you know wisdom
where does the Bible say God's wisdom is
supremely seen on the cross on the cross
now wait a minute though you see what
you see Jesus doing on the cross is
loving the unlovely dying for people who
are
not lovely yet or not worthy of it who
don't merit it and then substituting
himself for them going to people who are
unlovely but don't deserve to be loved
in any way and then putting himself
where they should be according to the
wisdom of the world that's nuts you go
with the mover so you move with the
movers you go for the people who can
open doors for you you don't go to the
unlovely you don't go to the weak and
then you climb up you don't climb down
that's not how you're successful you
don't hang out with the weak in the
marginal and you don't climb down and
that's what Jesus did and yet by the way
if you're too busy climbing up the
ladder to ever spend time getting down
the floor and playing with your kids
thirty years from now you're going to
wish you had done that thirty-one years
from now you're going to wish you would
climb down and spend time with the week
instead of spending all those times in
the boardroom because your life will be
empty if you don't have your family
anymore oh well maybe the logic of the
cross isn't so stupid no you know see
the way that's the reason why what you
know Paul says he says to the Greeks you
know the cross is foolish and to the
Jews the cross is weak but those are
being saved both Greek and Jew the cross
is the true wisdom of God and the true
power of God let me go a little step
further let's think of work for a minute
if you don't take this Lutheran which is
really a biblical perspective that you
have to look at things through the cross
and through suffering in the cross and
weakness of the cross this is the this
is the way God reveals himself if you
don't do that then you go into the world
of work and there's a great danger you
can become a theologian of glory and a
theologian of glory tends to say well
only we Christians who understand the
Bible and understand Christian worldview
we're the only ones that can do good
work we're the only ones that can do
work the way it ought to be
but say Luther says wait a minute God
says he feeds every living thing he
makes us he creates as and he feeds and
believethey how does he feed every
living thing he says he says why the
simplest farm girl who's milking cows
out there and who then sells it to the
the you know the rough truck driver who
takes it to the dairy and who takes it
to God is actually feeding you and
giving you things to eat and drink
through them and therefore just by doing
their job they are the masks of God they
are the hands and fingers of God just to
do your work whether you're Christian or
not just to do your work well you're
doing God's work the idea that only US
ministers were preaching the gospel are
only as Christians who are applying in a
worldview that's a theologian
the theology that cross says that
everyone's doing God's work even the
simplest even the humblest even the
ditch digger he's doing God's work I
don't need a worldview God is using them
to to to meet our needs but lastly and
this is lastly on this part this first
part it's a nice long introduction and
we'll get to the text how do you think
about suffering and wrestling and
failure in general some years ago well
what is more than once I've tried to
explain to people that the cross is not
just the way God atone for your sin put
it this way the cross is not just an
atonement but a revelation of how God
deals with the people he loves what if
the cross wasn't just a way that through
Jesus Christ God saved you but what if
the cross and there's plenty of biblical
evidence for this is the way that God
works through everybody he loves not
just Jesus this gets a lot of people
upset because a lot of people say wait a
minute I don't mind Jesus suffering to
save me but now hey you know if God
loves me and I'm his child and he's my
father he needs to take care of me can't
let bad things happen to me and this is
what
it can when bad things do happen you say
wait a minute women I thought that God
loved me I shouldn't be wrestling I
shouldn't be struggling I shouldn't feel
weak what Luther would say and I think
this is again it's the this is a
biblical right thing to say what Luther
would say is don't you see that the
ultimate triumph of good over evil is
that now when evil happens God uses it
for good not that it's gone you see the
ultimate triumph is that evil can only
in the end Romans 8:28 God's working all
things out what Romans 8:28 all things
work together not all things are good
but all things work together for good to
those who love God that's what the cross
was a horrible thing suffering for Jesus
bad things happen and yet God worked
through it for something incredibly good
now there's many crosses everywhere and
everything that happens in your life if
you give it to God if you look to God if
you rest and trust in God even the
wrestling's even the struggling is our
way in which God is changing you growing
you blessing you you know
remember Harold Kushner wrote when bad
things happen to good people and he
basically say why does God let bad
things happen to good people and
Luthor's say God lets bad things happen
to good people because he's trying to
bless them now let's put us all together
let me read you a text and just briefly
show you its meaning and apply it to
rest you know faith and work this is
from Genesis 32 Jacob was left alone and
a man wrestled with him till dawn and
when the man saw that he could not
overpower Jacob he touched the socket of
Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched
as he wrestled with the man then the man
said let me go for it is daybreak but
Jacob replied I will not let you go
unless you bless me the man asked him
what is your name Jacob he answered then
the man said your name will no longer be
Jacob but Israel because you have
struggled with God and with humans
have overcome Jacob said please tell me
your name
but he replied why do you ask my name
then he blessed him there so Jacob
called the place Peniel and said it is
because I saw God face to face and yet
my life was spared the Sun rose above
him as he passed by Nile and he was
limping because of his hip therefore to
this day the Israelites do not eat the
tendon attached to the socket of a hip
because the socket of Jacob's hip was
touched near the tendon 0.1 what Jacob
had been doing all of his life was
wrestling with people here's the
background to this thing this is the
climax of Jacob's life basically and the
background is this Jacob was a twin he
was the younger he came out second even
though he's a twenty came out second so
the older one was Esau and those days
the older kid got everything
primogeniture and yet a prophecy had
been given to Isaac that God was going
to use Jacob to bring about the blessing
that Jacob should actually leave the
family Isaac just ignored it and he
loved he saw and he doted on Esau any
favorite Esau and you know how damaging
that can be to the kid is not favored
Jacob and he grew up needy
you know troubled damaged and at a
certain point if you know the story
Isaac decided to give Esau officially
the head of the family estate which
meant the blessing of the firstborn and
it was a kind of ceremony in which Esau
was going to make Isaac some food then
Isaac was going to eat it and he was
going to bless him O Lord I mean oh son
you know O Lord bless my son and let him
be prosperous and so on it's a formality
because the idea of legally mean Isaac
was going to give Esau the legal
headship of the family but the blessing
ceremony was a fun was a formality
Jacob dressed up as Esau because Isaac
was essentially blind and came in and
fixed him some food and got Isaac to
pronounce the blessing on Jacob
but of course Esau found out about it
and Isaac found out about it and Esau
was ready to kill Jacob so he had to
leave home and everybody sits around
saying what is what's going on there why
did Jacob knowing that basically he
couldn't get away with it knowing that
Isaac would find out that this was
actually Jacob and if Isaac wanted to
give me the legal headship of the family
to Esau he would so why did Jacob do
that and here's the answer the only good
answer I know Jacob must have been so
Jacob was willing to do anything so even
under false pretenses he wanted to hear
his father say I love you you mean more
to me than everything he wanted a
blessing we all would need that we all
need someone from outside to come and
say you're great you're wonderful you're
terrific we desperately need that it's
not enough for us to tell ourselves were
great nobody else thinks we are doesn't
work we need people from outside we need
some outside to come and bless us and
all of his life and I don't have the
time to go to the rest of it basically
Jacob was wrestling with Esau Jake was
wrestling with Isaac then later on he
goes running off to his uncle Laban to
save himself from being killed by Esau
and he works for Laban and he tries to
get Levens blessing and Laban keeps
tricking him he says I'll work for you
and I want to I want to marry Rachel
your daughter Rachel and Laban says sure
and then gives him Leah instead and then
he has to work for Rachel and some of
you know how that story is and finally
he leaves
Laban he runs away from Laban and he's
on his way back and he hears that Esau
is coming out with 400 men to meet him
and he's scared to death he feels like
Tamar is that is the my problem I'm
going to die and so he sends his his he
sends the rest of his family on ahead
and he spends some time alone and
suddenly some mysterious person jumps on
him and starts wrestling with him who is
this person here's what we know
even though he's wrestling with this man
all night it says when daybreak was
about to come the man saw he could not
overpower men he touched the socket of
Jacob's hip so his hip was wrenched and
the word touch simply means
he lightly touched Jacobs hip and
immediately it was destroyed shattered
never never walked right again who is a
person who is this person that is so
powerful you see he's been wrestling
with Jacob kind of like holding Jacob
it's almost like they're even but
suddenly as daybreak comes he shows that
he's been holding it back and he just
reached out and touches and shatters his
leg and then the second thing we were
told is he says I got a leave Jacob
because it's almost daybreak nobody can
see my face and when Jacob says what is
your name he says you don't need to know
my name who is this it's God and see all
and as soon here's the crazy thing as
soon as Jacob realizes it's God and
realizes the Sun is coming up what
should he have done if he was rational
at least from what we could sell he
should be running away he says couple
the sun's coming up seeing God you die
when you see God coming up no instead he
holds on to him and he says I will not
let you go to light till you bless me
which is an amazing statement here's
what he was saying when he did that
basically was saying this what an idiot
I've been here is what I've been looking
for all my life here's the approval I
was looking for in my father's face here
is the beauty I was looking for in
Rachel's face all my life when I was
dealing and dealing and wrestling with
other people I realized I didn't realize
that this is what I needed I need you to
bless me here it's my blessing here is
what I've been looking for all my life I
will not let you go to you bless me and
you are a permanent presence in my life
nothing else matters I don't care about
the pain I don't care that you just
ruined my leg I don't care that the Sun
comes up I would rather die than lose
your blessing you see with having he
suddenly realized in his work he'd been
wrestling for blessing in his sexual
life he was wrestling for blessing and
his family life was wrestling for
blessing and the reason why he's always
been needy and always been a mess is
because I real
God's blessing this is the one that I
need to bless me and guess what we're
told and I always get shivers when I see
it the text says Jacob said please tell
me your name but he replied why do you
ask my name and then he blessed him
there the text does not tell us what he
said and blessings were always verbal
God must have said something to Jacob
must have said something to Jacob I
don't know what it was but here's the
point Jacob would never ever have
realized what his problems are unless
he'd been spending all this time
wrestling what if God had showed up 10
years before and said you know Jacob
you're trying to get your approval out
of your family it wouldn't have worked
what if he'd shown up with Joseph if you
know the story of Joseph who was sold
into slavery and went into prison and
Joseph was an absolutely stuck-up kid
absolutely spoiled ruined you know proud
evil cynical what if God had just showed
up and said you know you're a spoiled
brat and would Joseph have said Oh help
me know spoiled brats don't do that
nobody ever learns who they are by being
told they have to be shown
nobody's ever learned who you really are
you never learn who you are just by
being told you have to be shown you have
to wrestle you have to experience
weakness and then finally you see where
the blessing really should be coming
from that's what happened here's my
points and you will never come to see
who you are
you'll never get any real knowledge
you'll never get any real strength you
never really got any character any
humility any self perspective any wisdom
any depth unless you you've got trouble
unless you suffer unless you wrestle
unless you experience weakness
see God deals with he doesn't just atone
for us our sins with the cross
it's the way he helps us number two one
of our main problems is we fight God and
then even after we realize we've been
fighting God like Jacob we still have to
wrestle with God in prayer we still have
to get him into the center of our lives
that takes wrestling that takes prayer
very often you feel like your hearts
dead but that does
I'm going to go back I'm going to read
the Bible going to pray I'm going to
repent I'm going to rejoice I'm going to
do it until I start to sense God's
presence in my life I will not let you
go till you bless me so prayer is a form
of wrestling and life is a form of
wrestling and you'll have a limp and
you'll rejoice David Martyn lloyd-jones
is a wonderful he was a doctor who
became a pastor and a preacher and
Martyn lloyd-jones has a wonderful talk
on this in which he says all Christians
who have true joy also limp you dance
but you limp you're broken before you
can be made whole and honestly unless
you go through this you will be
theologians of glory when it comes to
your work you'll be trying to get your
blessing through your work bad you'll be
actually afraid of moving toward
difficulties in work you'll avoid them
you'll avoid weak people you won't you
won't care about the simple person
you'll hang out with the you know the
powerful you'll be remade in the image
of the world don't do that a theology of
the cross and walking with a limp
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