Dynamic Yet Consistent

The following is a brief interview with an academic mentor of mine about the God of the Bible and the call for the church today.  Brueggemann says a few things that will be unsettling to some, but I think his points are thought provoking and important.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl0hK3ZTVyc

Walter Brueggemann on the Bible

Here are some of the key quotes in the interview:

• I believe the God of the Bible is implicated in the inherent violence of the Bible.
• I believe the God of the Bible is a recovering agent of violence… it (violence) is always latently there.
• Violence is intrinsic to our inheritance… the question is whether or not we can resist this inheritance.
• The big revelatory moments are characteristically departures from what has been taken for granted.
• There is no final reading to the text — we are always going to be led somewhere else.

Without doubt most Christians are uncomfortable with calling God a recovering practitioner of violence, but without some serious theological gymnastics, it is hard to dispute — The God of the Old Testament used violence to bring about his will.  Let us not get caught up in this non-traditional description of God, but instead grasp the more important points Brueggemann is trying to make:

• The narrative of redemptive history is pointing us in the direction of love where violence is no more.
• Each generation is called to further the restoration of the world.
• We must often fight with the status quo in order to bring about a better world.
• While the next step is not always certain, the direction of the movement is.  We must move away from violence and oppression and towards a world where all things are set right.
• We must be open to God’s will in these matters and be bold in our willingness to act.

This is more of a personal post than anything I have written yet, but I value this community as a forum and wanted to post my thoughts.

So I met with a mentor of mine the other day to discuss a variety of issues. As we were discussing my understanding of faith and the struggles I have worked through, I made the comment that during the one of the lowest times of my spiritual life, I came to a point where I either had to walk away from the faith, or come up with a new understanding of it. It was painful experience and for me, the theology of the emerging church and post-modernity offered the new lens that I needed. Rather than “finding faith” I found my beliefs shifted so that I could “keep my faith.”

Her response was, “Sometimes it is better to walk away.”

I understand her perspective – those leading the church should be firmly rooted and it is better to have a false teacher leave the church than to have one lead people away.

The problem comes when that person is you.

That is why I value these friendships so much. Emergent-BG has offered me a place to work through my own doubts and issues (and believe me there are many) without condemnation. At the same time, I hope it has served as an environment where others can explore faith paths even if they don’t prescribe to one.

All that is to say, thank you all for being a community where we each can work journey spiritually together.