I read this twice.
At first I didn’t understand why. I have friends that have made it pretty clear they don’t want to talk about God. Their reasons are as unique as they are, and this is a rare piece I would suggest they read, without feeling self-shame or embarrassment for them.
I think the clarity and simplicity of the language meant more than if Len had used strings of pearly theological words. Everyday language sometimes seems so elusive to people who have worked very hard for their academic credentials and who have to crawl out from a lot of debt.
I’m so tired of some of the theological debate on god-blogs. Intentionally or not, I find myself thinking about wolves in sheeps clothing. If we cannot show grace what good is a debate on paeo-baptism?
I wonder what some god-bloggers are trying to prove. It’s as if they think working out their salvation with fear (awe) and trembling requires mastering the language of the ivory tower, or for some, a bell tower. There is such a need to be right.
There is no distinction between reasonable correction and personal devotion - the vulnerable cry to our Creator on anothers blogs. In his post,’ I hate theology’, the Internet Monk gives five reasons why. And people (budding, credentialed or self-styled theologians piled into his comment section to correct him) seemed so blind to this:
Recently, a young friend posted a message on her web page about a book she was reading. The gist of the post was, “I want to love God and hate sin, and this book is helpful to me in that goal.” Given what I know about the Bible and Jesus’ message of repentance and holiness, there was nothing to complain about in the post. It wasn’t a post about the true nature of justification. It was a heartfelt, human aspiration to be more Christ-saturated and Spirit-transformed. With that sort of simple desire to love God on the table, you know there’s going to be trouble.
Some bloggers - whether Calvinist, Reform or Armenian (in real life how many people identify themselves this way?) write as if their salvation and mine depended on the how educated the post or discussion is. How fierce the debate. How many scriptures are expounded. Win the discussion at all cost.
And if I may personally bottom line it, a lot of theological posting is about ego.
There.
I said it.
It’s like some god-bloggers are desperately going for an invisible A+.
Or they have something to prove to alpha males they respect.
Or perhaps there is deep insecurity. I don’t know.
I hear the love of God, but I don’t hear the love of God.
All the big words, theological constructs and passioned obtuseness are used to bury the reader, not enlighten.
There is a false insecurity in the western church seen in language based on ‘culture war’.
Some need to prove we aren’t hicks, that we can be, (are) as smart and sound as smart as the ‘others.’ The ‘them’ It’s a fallacy and a lie to believe that. It chokes out the still small voice in us and others instead of edifying. It fosters arrogrance and defensiveness.
I think the images at this Soapbox post moved me. I think they struck right at my Canuck heart.
They made the words visual. They matched, they breathed together.
That is not a small feat.
To write simply is to use the power of words wisely - and to put appropriate pictures with the words respectful to the reader.
That is good internet.
Len’s piece touched a longing inside I don’t have words for;
the quiet prayer, the solitude before God that doesn’t need words.
An awareness He is God, He is love, and He is first. Not me, not a program, not a structure, not our power or smarts.
There is nothing fancy about our brokeness and need.
Sometimes excellence isn’t just achievement and professionalism, it’s abandonment and subsequent simplicity.
There are so many good god-blogs, people working out their faith with grace and humbleness, calling us to look up, look out, to pontificate less, pray more and just go do.
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Your words touched me. Thanks. And I do agree. I have a mind that can function in that doctrinal, theological space. And I believe there is a place for that but there is also great need for grace and humility.
My blog is not going to set the world aright. There are approximately 6.75 billion people who will never see it. So blogging–in fact all communication–needs to be done with much humility.
May God touch you and strengthen and encourage you.
Fabulous post …
aye - bang on! the trembling words of a few real people - leaks more life than the spirit of many of our commenting—-
where i am - I’m thinking more and more - that the raw ’sound’ of a person is even more important than what they say… or blog! jesus walking through galilee in the heat and cool of the day must have been music to people’s ears…
from a limping blogger surrounded by a tartan people soaked to the bone in the noise, rattle and hum of a changing scotland - looking for him!
Amen and amen. Makes me wonder why some of these esoteric types are doing this — there is a big difference between the internet and the real world.
I’m not ready to chuck all theological debate. There is a time and a place.
I’m with you overall though. A lot of what passes for theological debate seems to be about something a lot less healthy.
Great post - keep challenging us!
Hello again, Bene.
This post speaks the language of grace to me.
I think a big part of the problem , forgive the weighty language, is the western cultural construct. Too much attention is given to the rational and the deductive and not enough to the mystical. This seems particularly skewed in the context of a so-called Christian relationship. In the end, our relationship with Jesus is an act of faith, not reason. We cannot know with certainty, we can only believe.
I think we can help”right the ship” by re introducing the spiritual customs of miracle and mystery into our worship of the Lord.
Overdependence on word and analysis does not afford us the “fullness” of a life in Christ.
Thanks again. And though I must give credit to hearing this somewhere else……uh…..blog on!
Bene,
I agree with you in part, but for example when a Calvinist writes that the Holocaust was part of God’s will, I don’t know how to respond except with fierce resistance.
Using blogger, I clicked on the ‘next blog’ option and ran into this blog: http://www.faithloss.blogspot.com/
Looks like this person is also dealing with similar issues of the role of women in the Catholic church.
I believe some are called into the debate.
Take Joel. He’ll go in - get verbally boot kicked, flamed and shot down, ridiculed, ignored and he bounces back without losing his temper.
Most of us couldn’t do that.
I’m not ragging on theology per say, but I am ragging on the theory that the fancier you yell at people the closer you are to the Kingdom.
I’ve posted on this before, and for some reason keep coming back. I’ll listen and learn the theology when I hear what can’t be spoken.
B~
I think part of the problem is that many of the more theologically minded bloggers around aren’t writing to be read by non-theologically minded individuals - and especially not by unbelievers. They are niche marketing their blogs toward the like-interested (if not toward the like-minded).
I think this is okay, though perhaps not one’s cup of tea. I feel the same about political bloggers. It’s nice that they have an outlet to speak their peace on a variety of matters that mean little to me. And I am happy in my liberty to avoid reading them - I can’t remember the last time I actually reading anything on a political blog.
If these people believe they are actually trying to reach those who do not believe or those who aren’t interested in the paedo/credo-baptist debate, then they are operating in ignorance and should be righted by some kind and gentle soul.
As far as referring to oneself with the jargon, you ask who actually does this. I suspect that the vast majority of us tend to label ourselves using metajargon. Perhaps not as Calvinists or Arminians (my Armenian friend who jump all over you for the mistaken ‘e’ *grin*), but as Republicans or Democrats, or as conservatives or liberals, or as socialists or capitalists, or as Protestants or Catholics or Orthodox. The labels, while far to general to be of any standing use, do give us the ability to come up with comfortable presuppositions about anothers ideologies - which in turn can affect how much attention we pay to the others thoughts and opinions. For instance, being a conservative Presbyterian, I will pay much more heed to a conservative Presbyterian minister who advocates the State making civil same-sex unions legal than I will when a United Methodist minister claims the same thing. Since I already know how divergent the UM minister is from my own ideologies, this seems sensible.
But here is what tires me: those who spit and froth and scratch and claw not to hear the other side. Those who in the midst of honest discussion, tear down the other person. I hate the feeling that someone is bursting blood vessels in the midst of their fiery indignation that someone would believe something else. And I think you were getting at that in your post too.
Amen. I like when someone shares their joy in the Lord, simply and with the truth. Then I pray that someone will hear the knock on the door and open it to Christ.
Theology is the “queen of sciences” in Catholic historical thought. What could be more important in terms of study and research than the knowledge (logos) of God (Theos)? However - there is a difference between teaching (attempting to share a truth that one has learned with another who might be interested) and argumentation. The best example I can think of for the argumentation is that Monty Python bit. Contradiction doesn’t teach anyone anything.
It is important to be exact in language, but there comes in a risk of becoming pedantic and pompous. I am momentarily reminded of the comment (can anyone remember who said it?) that between North America and Britain we have two great peoples separated by a common language.
I know that as a Roman rite Catholic I speak a different theological language than do my Eastern rite friends (while we are yet united in our faith and practices) and that the gulf in even greater between me and my Evangelical friends. Prayer and worship are seemingly easily understood phrases - yet to a Catholic prayer is primarily communication that can be addressed not only to God but to anyone who is in Heaven - whereas worship is only addressed to God and usually involves a sacrificial aspect. My Evangelical friends use these two terms as if they were two words for the same concept. So we can get into some rip-roaring arguments not realizing that we aren’t even talking about the same stuff!
I am distressed that so many bloggers seem to think that their personal value as a witness to Christian orthodoxy relies on the use of vituperative language against others. I try to remember that in thought or action, I may be the only Bible that others might ever ‘read’, and that I am called to evangelize constantly but only to use words when absolutely needed. I think it is a better Christian witness to speak the truth with love than with fire and anger.
Good post. With the most important message. It’s all about love. That’s the real and only position when it comes to the gospel.