One thing that I lament as one searching for Truth is an article such as this one published in the Toronto Star on July 20, 2008. It is by Rev. Dorinda Vollmer and my problem with the article is that it views Christian faith and narrative through the same eyes that Mel Gibson created The Passion of the Christ - that the Church exists to suit ME and ME alone - this is, of course, the way we would articulate a deep trouble in the way that the world might understand what we're getting at.
Western liberal democracy is built upon ideas that can, in some way, be traced back to the work of Titus Livius, whose History of Rome from Its Foundation, is a telling of plebeians who are found in the midst of a struggle for freedom from the burdensome patricians. It is this ideal for which the Western world has striven - that ideal of personal sovereignty within the midst of a self-governing political structure. I don't know about you, but I just find that whole ideal to be unnerving since I can see the United States of America as the product - or, perhaps, the epitome - of such aggrandizement.
This is the very same nation whose coinal creed is "In God we Trust" and yet I can't figure out which God they mean? Surely they cannot be referring to the same God that Christians know because that God was known to say through the Prophet Isaiah and later in Jesus (in fact Jesus' first sermon)
- The Spirit of ADONAI is upon me; therefore he has anointed me to announce Good News to the poor; he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the imprisoned and renewed sight for the blind, to release those who have been crushed,to proclaim a year of the favor of ADONAI. (Luke 4:18-19)
The United States of America we know has an absolute poverty rate of like 21% and when we introduce race and immigrants to the mix we realize that the nation isn't only divided by a massive chasm between the impoverished and the wealthy, but also by its status as a slave nation and genocidal nation. This western liberal democracy builds its wealth on the backs of the poor, after slavery "officially ended" forgot about it and, to this day, cannot get enough blood. It loves violent video games, it loves killing Iraqis and Afghan citizens, and all those who don't fit Dick Cheney's mold of American patriotism. I rather think that this nation's God isn't just one God, but about 307 million gods shopping (aligning or consuming) for any idea that reflects their wants - be it the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Green Party or perhaps a social activist gospel, or a prosperity gospel, or a worship service that is either traditional or contemporary.
I really enjoyed The Passion of the Christ because I just absolutely love bloody and gory movies. That isn't what the problem with the movie is. The problem with the movie is that narcissistic theology that seems to intrude in churches of every denominational (or non-denominational) affiliation that builds the worship of God around ME and the way I want to understand and come into relationship with the very God whom the Bible says created me. I mean, I think that there's a deep tension in that place in which we're reminded, by people like Michael Coren that the Church is the Church and "the world" is "the world." I just think that "the world" has no narration to live by and that Christians only have life in a certain narrative - one that has us making usually simple decisions, but also deeply uncomfortable decisions (uncomfortable by the world's standards of course).
I just think, when I converse with you about your story in the Church I hear how the Church tries to respond to you in the same way "the world" does. What it means to the Church is that we seek to do pastoral care (or shalom) without giving a damn about pastors or shalom. It means that we're more interested in death than resurrection. It means that we're not that intrigued by the apocalyptic glimpse of what's on the other side of the fence - because with Jesus it's usually a reminder that, you know, somehow despite the world going to hell in a handbasket all around us we've still got a lot more future than past - you know, maybe we need to just lean into the wind and let the Divine Breath blow us into apocalypse (meaning - "we've got more future than past" - or "unveiling"). But what does that mean in terms of your world? I think Michael Coren got it right - we somehow think that buying into short-lived fads will start bringing people back into the Church seeking Jesus when, after reading the column I began realizing that it was the Spirit who took Jesus into the desert to face off with Satan - it wasn't Satan who took Jesus out to the desert. It was the Spirit's desire for Jesus to be tested and tempted. For us, the Church, we go out into the desert because it's what everybody's doing - not because the Holy Spirit, the Divine Breath has blown us out to be there. Does this say that the way we do discipline in the Church is more a popularity contest than an actual understanding of how organic health works? I mean Christian Scripture sees the Church as an organism - the body is the summation of all the parts and the Holy Spirit's presence brings the corpse to life. I just wonder what that means in terms of your situation.
These are just a bunch of random thoughts that came to my mind as I read your latest post.
Peace,
Adam
Adam
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