Okay. So this is a brief synopsis of what I have been thinking through a lot.
Some of it might rub some people the wrong way; for others, it may enlighten. In short, this is my story – the story I find myself in…
Creation
Genesis. God works in the beginning, setting creation in motion, imbuing it with purpose and dignity. The universe, in order to have unique being (being something other than an idea in the mind of God), is created outside of God’s self. Although God fills it and works in it, the universe is distinct from God, as He has given it Being. God authors the story of the universe, and participates, but does not control it mechanistically, once again imbuing it with being and freedom, imbuing it with Being.
I used to fight a lot over the issue of Creationism verses Evolution. But now, I have come to understand that it doesn’t really matter. Unfortunately, in saying this, I might set off both the staunch Creationists and Evolutionists, but what I will say to them is this: why? Why does it matter? Where does purpose reside? For some that latter question is: is there purpose? Not just some arbitrary socially or communally defined one, but a transcendent purpose. For myself, I see it as God giving purpose, in a very Aristotelian form-and-matter way, where Matter is there (developed in any way) but Form writes itself onto it, giving it purpose, a telos (side note: this has become important for my ideology of ethics that I will deal with later.). So, with a final note – let’s just get over it. Life is too short to argue about how it begun, whether thousands, millions or billions of years ago. Let it go. You find a lot of freedom.
Crisis
Our world is messed up. If you don’t believe me, look outside. We, as humanity and as individuals, have gone beyond our limits, destroying our world ecologically and socially, causing political divisions and wars, famine, racism, genocide, the oppression of the poor, mass slums, an AIDS pandemic, and economical disparities that would make any Creator and good human being pause and cringe. How did this happen?
In the ancient Jewish Scriptures, an account of evil entering the world is recorded. God walks along aside humanity, talking and forming a community with them. But then we, wanting to become gods ourselves, break from him, claim power and knowledge for ourselves, setting up a suicidal machine that continues to this day. But God was not content to let His creation, which He loved and cared for to die so quickly, so easily. No, He had plans to win it back to Himself.
Calling
God began this rescue plan by calling individuals to enter into a relationship with Him again. Blessing them, He charged them to be a blessing. People, who enter into the story with God, are not called to apocalyptic, removed from the world, with some sort of religious death-wish, but time and time again, God calls those people to enter into the world, redeeming (literally, buying back) it and attempting to restore it to its former self. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were early members of this revolutionary group of individuals who believe not only that there was a God (most of ancient Mesopotamia believed there were gods, but more like natural forces, removed and uncaring), and that He cared (completely opposite from the ‘natural forces’ as gods) about them and invested in their lives, and they could commune with Him. Calling these individuals to His side, the side that wanted to rescue the world, show it love, subvert the system of violence and revenge and hate, with one of love, forgiveness, peace and hope, God started a journey with humanity down which many have followed; I am trying to follow this invitation, working with God for a revolution of His kingdom of mercy, grace, peace, love, and forgiveness and reconciliation, instead of working against it (defined by most Christians as ‘sinning’).
Conversation
But not everyone understood God and His call to them. Though He selected a nation, the Jewish one, to bless, so that they could bless, sometimes they wandered away from His call of being agents against the suicidal system. Priests, poets, prophets and philosophers all commented and re-commented and re-commented on God’s law and their purpose in the world.
This part of the story is not necessarily over. The conversation continues today, evolving, emerging, growing and encompassing more and more topics and issues. And fortunately, the publicized American conversation in recent years has moved beyond the small, vocal minority of the conservative, evangelical community in Christianity (Evangelicism), to actually become a conversation, a dialogue between many different voices, who, above all else, desire truth and how that is lived out in the world.
But getting back to Ancient Palestine, these priests, poets, prophets and philosophers sometimes got things right, and the people followed God’s will, and sometimes they got things wrong and ended up working against God’s plan for rescue from the suicidal machine of self, national, and world destruction. But they kept moving forward, hoping, praying and waiting for the Rescuer.
Christ
This was in preparation for the coming of Jesus the Christ. Mere conversation was not enough, as humanity needed grace and an example of how to live. We need a new framing story, a new purpose, or better stated, a renewed purpose. And so God sent Jesus Christ, not merely as atonement (reconciling the broken, fragmented relationship between God and humanity), but also as an example of how to LIVE.
In his good news, his story of the coming of the Kingdom (Revolution might be a word for us today) of God, he proclaimed hope, restoration and grace. Reconciliation, between God and humanity, humanity with humanity, and humanity with the world, is possible. It’s not about Heaven and Hell – it’s about here and now. “The Kingdom of God is (where?) at hand. Repent (turn around, change your story) and believe (not merely trusting in it, but acting on it)!” said Jesus of Nazareth, not merely a good moral teacher, not merely a Savior, not merely a revolutionary – he was all of these and more. Let’s not commit the great fallacy of reduction, but attempt to understand the character of Christ, arguably the most influential person in history, though he never wrote a book, never had a program, and never traveled more than 200 miles from home. The Christ who has come to rescue humanity from their own destructive story and give them hope.
Church
After Christ ascended, he left a few things behind for future generations. In fact he said, “It is better for you if I go away, because then I will send the Spirit.” And so he left, but his followers continued to build and to attempt to live up to his example. Sometimes, like in Conversation, they failed, and sometimes they succeeded. History cannot be glossed over; crimes have been committed in the name of Christ, wars launched and ‘heretics’ killed. Why? There is no reason except the misuse of power.
Christ said that he came to serve, to love, and that we should love one another (John 13). He scolded his follower for trying to defend him when they were taking him away to die (Luke 22). He declared that his Kingdom was not of this world and shouldn’t use the suicidal system of violence and revenge (Matthew 5-7, John 18). But the Church has. Nothing is perfect; everything is in progress; there is a great stamp of UNFINISHED, burned across the hearts of humanity and the Church.
But what is the Church’s responsibility today? God does not just ‘elect’ certain people (though many would disagree with this) for some party in Heaven, so that they can have a “screw-the-earth” attitude. No – as far back as Genesis, He says, “I will bless you so that you can be a BLESSING.” The Church is the same way. The Church’s responsibility is to expand the Kingdom of God, the one of peace, reconciliation, hope, joy and love, but not through violent means, or through tactics of fear, but through the very thing their leader, Jesus, talked about – LOVE.
Consummation
It all ends in embrace. Okay. This will mostly be considered the most heretical of all these little ramblings. How does eternity work? Is there a Hell? A Heaven? Well, my short answer to that would be – I don’t know. Well, I don’t know about Hell. Heaven? I would think so, yeah.
There are many things I could say. I could talk about Annihilationism, Universalism, Conditionalism, Absolutism, Predestination, Election and Free Will. But I won’t. You may not even know what those terms mean (I didn’t know myself until I started researching them; and many I still don’t understand!), but that does not matter. What I can say with some certainty is this: we have it wrong. I don’t know if there is a Hell or what it looks like, but I think we (Christians, and mostly, Evangelicals) have abused the idea, using it as a scare tactic, turning redemption into ‘Fire-Insurance.’ This is ridiculous.
Many then might ask, “Why Jesus?” Why would people choose Jesus if there is no Hell to escape from and I could do whatever I want? Well, if you had that attitude, I might consider you extremely selfish, but I would still love you and befriend you. Why Jesus? I can only tell you why I choose him (or for those Calvinists, why he choose me). Because of all the narratives in the world, all the stories concerning life and my place in it, Jesus not only articulated the best way, but also lived it! He was the way, the truth and the life. The way of Jesus – that is what Christianity is supposed to be. We have gotten some things right. We have gotten some things wrong. And the conversation will continue.
Thoughts?
Credits
I have to give credit where credit is due. These ideas have been developed in community with my friends, Nick, Ben and Caleb, among many others. I also need to thank Brian McLaren for the terminology and my professors for the seeds of thought. May these seeds continue to grow and be challenged and change. Many will disagree with what I have just written about, but that’s okay. Let’s discuss this, talk about it, dream together. I’m only a nineteen-year-old undergraduate, so I probably don’t have a lot right, but I am making the effort, the search, the journey. What else can I do? This is the story I find myself in.
Some of it might rub some people the wrong way; for others, it may enlighten. In short, this is my story – the story I find myself in…
Creation
Genesis. God works in the beginning, setting creation in motion, imbuing it with purpose and dignity. The universe, in order to have unique being (being something other than an idea in the mind of God), is created outside of God’s self. Although God fills it and works in it, the universe is distinct from God, as He has given it Being. God authors the story of the universe, and participates, but does not control it mechanistically, once again imbuing it with being and freedom, imbuing it with Being.
I used to fight a lot over the issue of Creationism verses Evolution. But now, I have come to understand that it doesn’t really matter. Unfortunately, in saying this, I might set off both the staunch Creationists and Evolutionists, but what I will say to them is this: why? Why does it matter? Where does purpose reside? For some that latter question is: is there purpose? Not just some arbitrary socially or communally defined one, but a transcendent purpose. For myself, I see it as God giving purpose, in a very Aristotelian form-and-matter way, where Matter is there (developed in any way) but Form writes itself onto it, giving it purpose, a telos (side note: this has become important for my ideology of ethics that I will deal with later.). So, with a final note – let’s just get over it. Life is too short to argue about how it begun, whether thousands, millions or billions of years ago. Let it go. You find a lot of freedom.
Crisis
Our world is messed up. If you don’t believe me, look outside. We, as humanity and as individuals, have gone beyond our limits, destroying our world ecologically and socially, causing political divisions and wars, famine, racism, genocide, the oppression of the poor, mass slums, an AIDS pandemic, and economical disparities that would make any Creator and good human being pause and cringe. How did this happen?
In the ancient Jewish Scriptures, an account of evil entering the world is recorded. God walks along aside humanity, talking and forming a community with them. But then we, wanting to become gods ourselves, break from him, claim power and knowledge for ourselves, setting up a suicidal machine that continues to this day. But God was not content to let His creation, which He loved and cared for to die so quickly, so easily. No, He had plans to win it back to Himself.
Calling
God began this rescue plan by calling individuals to enter into a relationship with Him again. Blessing them, He charged them to be a blessing. People, who enter into the story with God, are not called to apocalyptic, removed from the world, with some sort of religious death-wish, but time and time again, God calls those people to enter into the world, redeeming (literally, buying back) it and attempting to restore it to its former self. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were early members of this revolutionary group of individuals who believe not only that there was a God (most of ancient Mesopotamia believed there were gods, but more like natural forces, removed and uncaring), and that He cared (completely opposite from the ‘natural forces’ as gods) about them and invested in their lives, and they could commune with Him. Calling these individuals to His side, the side that wanted to rescue the world, show it love, subvert the system of violence and revenge and hate, with one of love, forgiveness, peace and hope, God started a journey with humanity down which many have followed; I am trying to follow this invitation, working with God for a revolution of His kingdom of mercy, grace, peace, love, and forgiveness and reconciliation, instead of working against it (defined by most Christians as ‘sinning’).
Conversation
But not everyone understood God and His call to them. Though He selected a nation, the Jewish one, to bless, so that they could bless, sometimes they wandered away from His call of being agents against the suicidal system. Priests, poets, prophets and philosophers all commented and re-commented and re-commented on God’s law and their purpose in the world.
This part of the story is not necessarily over. The conversation continues today, evolving, emerging, growing and encompassing more and more topics and issues. And fortunately, the publicized American conversation in recent years has moved beyond the small, vocal minority of the conservative, evangelical community in Christianity (Evangelicism), to actually become a conversation, a dialogue between many different voices, who, above all else, desire truth and how that is lived out in the world.
But getting back to Ancient Palestine, these priests, poets, prophets and philosophers sometimes got things right, and the people followed God’s will, and sometimes they got things wrong and ended up working against God’s plan for rescue from the suicidal machine of self, national, and world destruction. But they kept moving forward, hoping, praying and waiting for the Rescuer.
Christ
This was in preparation for the coming of Jesus the Christ. Mere conversation was not enough, as humanity needed grace and an example of how to live. We need a new framing story, a new purpose, or better stated, a renewed purpose. And so God sent Jesus Christ, not merely as atonement (reconciling the broken, fragmented relationship between God and humanity), but also as an example of how to LIVE.
In his good news, his story of the coming of the Kingdom (Revolution might be a word for us today) of God, he proclaimed hope, restoration and grace. Reconciliation, between God and humanity, humanity with humanity, and humanity with the world, is possible. It’s not about Heaven and Hell – it’s about here and now. “The Kingdom of God is (where?) at hand. Repent (turn around, change your story) and believe (not merely trusting in it, but acting on it)!” said Jesus of Nazareth, not merely a good moral teacher, not merely a Savior, not merely a revolutionary – he was all of these and more. Let’s not commit the great fallacy of reduction, but attempt to understand the character of Christ, arguably the most influential person in history, though he never wrote a book, never had a program, and never traveled more than 200 miles from home. The Christ who has come to rescue humanity from their own destructive story and give them hope.
Church
After Christ ascended, he left a few things behind for future generations. In fact he said, “It is better for you if I go away, because then I will send the Spirit.” And so he left, but his followers continued to build and to attempt to live up to his example. Sometimes, like in Conversation, they failed, and sometimes they succeeded. History cannot be glossed over; crimes have been committed in the name of Christ, wars launched and ‘heretics’ killed. Why? There is no reason except the misuse of power.
Christ said that he came to serve, to love, and that we should love one another (John 13). He scolded his follower for trying to defend him when they were taking him away to die (Luke 22). He declared that his Kingdom was not of this world and shouldn’t use the suicidal system of violence and revenge (Matthew 5-7, John 18). But the Church has. Nothing is perfect; everything is in progress; there is a great stamp of UNFINISHED, burned across the hearts of humanity and the Church.
But what is the Church’s responsibility today? God does not just ‘elect’ certain people (though many would disagree with this) for some party in Heaven, so that they can have a “screw-the-earth” attitude. No – as far back as Genesis, He says, “I will bless you so that you can be a BLESSING.” The Church is the same way. The Church’s responsibility is to expand the Kingdom of God, the one of peace, reconciliation, hope, joy and love, but not through violent means, or through tactics of fear, but through the very thing their leader, Jesus, talked about – LOVE.
Consummation
It all ends in embrace. Okay. This will mostly be considered the most heretical of all these little ramblings. How does eternity work? Is there a Hell? A Heaven? Well, my short answer to that would be – I don’t know. Well, I don’t know about Hell. Heaven? I would think so, yeah.
There are many things I could say. I could talk about Annihilationism, Universalism, Conditionalism, Absolutism, Predestination, Election and Free Will. But I won’t. You may not even know what those terms mean (I didn’t know myself until I started researching them; and many I still don’t understand!), but that does not matter. What I can say with some certainty is this: we have it wrong. I don’t know if there is a Hell or what it looks like, but I think we (Christians, and mostly, Evangelicals) have abused the idea, using it as a scare tactic, turning redemption into ‘Fire-Insurance.’ This is ridiculous.
Many then might ask, “Why Jesus?” Why would people choose Jesus if there is no Hell to escape from and I could do whatever I want? Well, if you had that attitude, I might consider you extremely selfish, but I would still love you and befriend you. Why Jesus? I can only tell you why I choose him (or for those Calvinists, why he choose me). Because of all the narratives in the world, all the stories concerning life and my place in it, Jesus not only articulated the best way, but also lived it! He was the way, the truth and the life. The way of Jesus – that is what Christianity is supposed to be. We have gotten some things right. We have gotten some things wrong. And the conversation will continue.
Thoughts?
Credits
I have to give credit where credit is due. These ideas have been developed in community with my friends, Nick, Ben and Caleb, among many others. I also need to thank Brian McLaren for the terminology and my professors for the seeds of thought. May these seeds continue to grow and be challenged and change. Many will disagree with what I have just written about, but that’s okay. Let’s discuss this, talk about it, dream together. I’m only a nineteen-year-old undergraduate, so I probably don’t have a lot right, but I am making the effort, the search, the journey. What else can I do? This is the story I find myself in.
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