The DNA of Theology

 

“It’s not the school that’s the problem, it’s the Principal of the thing”

When things just don’t seem right, when it feels like the inmates are running the asylum, our first reaction is to start blaming people.  The leaders, the followers, anyone, it doesn’t really matter.  What is hard for us is to imagine that perhaps we are reading the instructions wrong and the ensuing chaos is just a result of misdirection.

Our instinct is so powerful about not allowing ourselves to consider the explanation of the playbook being wrong, it can only stem from one vitally important trait, our ego.  Our egos often cause myopic vision, with our explanation being the only right, or at the bare minimum, plausible way.

Theology is such a concept.  There are three things I can tell you I believe hold to all theological ideas and I hope we can grow together to use these three as a starting point for rich and meaningful dialogue.

First and foremost, theology is a human enterprise.  We would like to condense all theological tenets under the guise of “God-inspired” or “total truth”, but there are conditions today in our Christian faith that make these claims impossible.

I have heard there are as many as 26,000 Christian denominations operating in the United States today.  I don’t know if that is correct, so for sake of time, let’s narrow the field to 1,000.  That means there are 1,000 differing views on the same theology.  1,000 different views on Scripture.  1,000 different views on many deeply held beliefs about Jesus.  That is a lot of difference.  That vast difference makes it very difficult to press the idea of theology being all about God’s truth. Theology is a human enterprise.

That shouldn’t be a bad thing.  It really relates to the idea that we are all struggling with the ideas and concepts of Scripture and how we should accurately teach and deploy them in our everyday lives.  Further, the way we express and teach these ideas will change as our lives, cultures and environments change.  For example, how many of us are preaching against the sin of slavery?  We need to embrace the fact that while Biblical Truths never change, Biblical Methods do.  

Because theological ideas and tenets function this way, we must also realize that theology is a human enterprise with a local influence.  Theology in the poorest of countries varies in its applications and meanings than say theology in the Land of Plenty.  Our theology on a personal level can charge with the advent of a tragic event, such as the death of a daughter.  These are experiences I have readily seen and heard of myself.

My overarching concern isn’t that our theology differs. I actually see it as a beautiful thing.  The concern is that we argue, debate and vilify people with differing theological views to the point we are actively destroying the faith.  I don’t think this is an intentional act as much as a painful side-effect.

Secondly, theology is an ongoing conversation.  Think about it like this; all those commentaries didn’t get written until someone talked about writing them.  Good theology is not built out of response to a heresy or in a vacuum.  Good theology is conversational, involving diverse parties for the purpose of understanding how we arrived to be different, and also concluding on all the things we are the same about.

The biblical proverb “iron sharpens iron” explains exactly how theological ideas get honed in community.  “Anyone, anytime, anyplace” needs to be our commitment to go anywhere to converse and learn from even our staunchest critics, to listen for the places they are wrong or misguided, and to respond to the charges and concerns they have against us.  The posture during these conversations is meant to be open and earnest, not defensive.

When I read the works of theologians of the past, well-known and well-read alike, my sense is not a pervading arrogance as if they we setting the tone for Christian theology time immortal.  They, as we do, were wrestling with their theology in a constantly changing religious and cultural environment.  I don’t see Spurgeon or Moody (maybe Moody) coming back and saying to us, “What a mess you let this get.  We gave you all the directions you needed”.

Thirdly, and the hardest to perhaps swallow, is that theology is temporary.

As we have discussed, our theology (religious persuasions and opinions) are held by us locally, contained in our current dialogue and practiced today in our churches, we must hold them humbly.  What we do here in our spiritual confines and denominations at times will not work in other spiritual arenas.  

We must learn to carry our theologies with open hand.  To assume that our convictions about God are timeless and others are simply wrong, is the deepest arrogance possible.  It establishes an imperialistic attitude that has a chilling effect on honest conversation that is needed for Christianity to regroup if we have any intent of restoring the world as Jesus commanded.

Using terms such as “pin it down”, “sum it up” or “in a nutshell” to describe any belief about God or God’s Kingdom needs to be rejected harshly.  God is God, which means He is expansive, explosive and most of all, not subject to abide by our theologies about Him.  We will never be able to hermetically seal God’s ever-expanding Kingdom or our experiences of and articulations of that Kingdom.

To move forward, we need to be willing to admit in the past we have had it wrong.  Not allowing non-whites to drink from the same water fountain as whites-we had it wrong.  Not allowing women to vote-we had it wrong.  Making those that see it differently than us our enemies-we still have it wrong.

I don’t know what side of the coin I would have been on a century ago on these matters.  But I can say I have learned enough to know I might be wrong today.  Because of that, I approach each matter of theology with Biblical humility and not relativistic apathy.

David Fournier

Restoring Grace

 

 

How'd That Work Out For You?

2020-The Year of COVID19 and Elections… the Year of Hatred-Racism-Name Calling.. a really good year.  For most people, they found the excuse they have been seeking to spew hate, false information, participate in name calling… like I said, a really good year.

It would be less a shock to me if the people that I am talking about were the kind that normally act that way.  However, they are for the most part, people I admire, trust and love.  People who have demonstrated a love for God and His Kingdom.  But alas, that love is lost.  A unique poison has entered their bloodstream and it is slowly sucking the life out of them. Slowly, but surely, as Bono says in the song “Peace on Earth” when he laments “They become the monster, so the monster will not break them”.

Yes, you stood your ground. Yes, you told your truth. Yes, you blasted your opposition on Facebook. Yes and yes…. My question is this: How’d That Work Out For You?

But let us pretend for a moment that its not just about you.  I want to ask you this question.. How many people were encouraged, uplifted, strengthened and guided by your words during this year?  How many people would look at your Facebook page and say, yes, I have a place at that table?  How many people would say clearly, without reservation,  the example set forth by His Followers this year have pointed me to the truth that Jesus is the answer? Its been quite the opposite.

Tony Campolo was asked once when looking back on his life, what is it like to have turned so many people towards Jesus.  Tony answered (as only Tony could), “I do not think of that at all. What keeps me up at night is thinking about anyone I may have turned off about Jesus”.  Wow Tony.. just wow..

Your candidate won or lost.. COVID19 is real to you or it is not…and you blasted anyone and everyone that crossed your path with any conflicting or opposing views. Meanwhile, racism rages on, poverty is climbing, families have lost everything, suicide rates are climbing and the good news.. we all know where you stand on issues that in the end…. Did not change the world into a better place at all. Yes, that would be a hard no…

People are struggling, suffering, facing overwhelming situations-and when they look outside themselves-for prayer-or maybe someone to simply say-we will make it… What do they find? What do they read? Words of love, encouragement and hope? How the love of Jesus can guide us through all the challenges? Nope, they hear the hate-filled rhetoric of an angry mob of false prophets and social media pundits claiming that if their side does not win, the world as we know it, ends.  We are not experiencing a crisis of America-we are facing a crisis of faith.

Oh, David, what about the children? Don’t you care about the future we are leaving for our children? Can we PLEASE for the love of all that matters, stop pretending we care about the children? Do you care about the children when you promote hate speech, anger and arguments? Do you care about the children as they watch the adults, you know, the people that are supposed to be preparing the way for their future, fight each other at every turn? Do you care so so so much for the children that all you have is blame and shame for the “others”? What they saw from us this year, us “adults” was a strong helping of “good luck” and “shove off”… In the last ten years, the young person  (10-24 year old) suicide rate and climbed a shocking 57.4% and this year… it climbed again.. but hey, you really care about the children.  How’d That Work Out For You? It is working out great for them.

By the way… if you care so so so much for the children-do you stop and say hello to them when you pass them on the street? Do you give them a smile-when they are walking by you in the grocery store? I have seen what this does for them.. and that is care… that is love.. that is Jesus…

Is the situation repairable? I am a hopeless believer in we can do better.  When things are a mess, when people are a mess, we need to get back to fundamentals-things that we can do now and right away.  We can start by being kind-by listening and not talking-by just opening up our hearts and homes to the belief-we all need forgiveness.  

Kindness and Love- Can Rule!  When we decide that the actions and words of the angry and misguided people would no longer control our happiness or our world (So, basically Facebook).  When we chose it invest in love and not hate.  That kindness and love can grow and become a contagious type of kindness and love that spread to others around me. Love, again as Bono sings, is bigger than anything in its way.

Consider Micah 6:8 (NASB) “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

That word “good” used here in the Hebrew is the same “good’ used in the Creation Story when the Creator looks at the work He has done and says, “it is good”.  That is the target-the goal-the standard-for our lives and interactions with each other. 

We do not get to pick one line out of the verse and live on that. This verse-creates the balance-we all need to return to and do it very fast. When we walk humbly, we stop the name calling-we become considerate of others views and opinions-we think of the possibility that we could learn  from each other. When we love kindness-it attaches to everything we say and do-causing the intent of our hearts to be pure-and we spread love like the Parable of the Sower as told by Jesus-spread it everywhere without reserve or caution. And lastly, when we seek to do justice-it can only be achieved when all of humanity-regardless of race, creed, color, gender or any life choice-when we seek to make the world better for all-we will achieve making it better for the one.

Biblical Repentance was never a cry to the world in large. It was not aimed at “sinners and degenerates”. Biblical Repentance was a call to those that claim the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their God.  It is and remains a call to a humble heart and hands that seek to build and not destroy.  It call me to tears-to recognize my shortcomings-my faults-and do the work necessary to love, guide and lead as God gives me strength.

It is calling you to. When you are ready to get this message to your church, contact me. I will be right there.

David William Fournier (Rev. Dr.)

Centre For Hebraic Insights