“Made for spirituality, we wallow in introspection. Made for joy, we settle for pleasure. Made for justice, we clamor for vengeance. Made for relationship, we insist on our own way. Made for beauty, we are satisfied with sentiment. But new creation has already begun. The sun has begun to rise.
Christians are called to leave behind, in the tomb of Jesus Christ, all that belongs to the brokenness and incompleteness of the present world … That, quite simply, is what it means to be Christian: to follow Jesus Christ into the new world, God’s new world, which he has thrown open before us.”
― N.T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend about who God is. We both have attended liberal seminaries where professors have abandoned classic theologies (based on plain readings of Scripture) in favor of contemporary critiques claiming to be theologies (feminist, liberation, process). As one of my professors put it, “The question of contemporary theology is not who God is, but what it means to be human.”
Much of what claims to be theology these days – both from liberal and conservative camps – is little more than pop psychology, amateur sociology, even strategic business writing. The writers attempt to sell consumers what they can get out of God, not who God is and how we are to therefore respond. Forget about the God of Scripture who is the great “I Am” or, better yet, “I will be who I will be.” Now, it’s primarily about how I can get God to enhance my life.
N.T. Wright, on the other hand, seems to be an exception to this rule. While he does not restrict himself to orthodox conclusions about classic doctrines, he takes Scripture seriously (and he puts God first). The quote (above) is a good example. To illustrate his point, visit a local library or bookstore (if you can find one). Or, just go on-line. Notice –
How many books in the “spirituality” section are actually about personal self-help?
How many books labeled “joy” or “happiness” have more to do with sensual pleasures, like sex?
How many books calling for “justice for the poor” are written by angry academicians whose income is high by worldly standards?
How many books on “relationships” talk about making changes for personal benefit?
How many blogs are filled with poems that convey sentimental clichés rather than glimpses of beauty in the real world?
We live in a deeply wounded world. But those of us who call themselves Christians (and anyone who would like to be more like Jesus) are called to live a different reality – one that is based not on brokenness to be critiqued, but beauty to be embraced.
(photo of N.T. Wright from Eric Carter in BA Theologians)
A Way With Words 