:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

I’ve been asking myself a few questions lately that I’d like to play with here, spurred on in part by Harvey Cox’s book The Future of Faith (which I don’t necessarily agree with as a whole, but I find a great read):

What did Jesus leave us?

Why did he leave those things and not others?

How far dare his followers expand and innovate upon them in order to remain faithful?

The list could be longer, but in a sense he left three key things: a group of followers, a meal for them to celebrate, and the Holy Spirit. While he certainly taught a great deal, he never wrote down his sermons, trusting his followers to pass them along under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He didn’t leave us with a creedal statement, but rather a ritual meal along the lines of a reimagined Passover celebration.

So that leaves me wondering what we should infer based on these things.

If I may dare to speculate, I wonder if Jesus was telling us that it’s far more important to focus on him, on one another, and on the Spirit rather than any kind of written account or a creed, even if those things have a place. In fact, Jesus may have been passing along a way of living more than a set of beliefs. How can we make Jesus’ priorities our own without descending into a holy mess?

Let’s remember that God knows how to give commands, to write lists, and to dictate scripture. However, Jesus focused on creating a community that was shaped by a meal centering on him and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I wonder if Jesus knew we’d turn scripture into an idol if he wrote anything down directly? I wonder if he knew we’d become so enamored with truth and scripture that we would miss the more important parts of his message: imitating his way of life, focusing on his death and resurrection, and living in accord with his Spirit.

It doesn’t seem to have been a mistake that Christianity was first called “The Way” or that Christian literally means “little Christ.” Jesus left us with a way to live, not a set of creeds that define us as believers.

On one occasion John the Baptist asked Jesus if he truly was the Messiah. In reply, Jesus listed his actions, not his beliefs. He defined himself and his beliefs according to how he acted.

However, us Christians today have swung heavily toward defining ourselves by what we believe. Churches list their beliefs on their web sites and candidates for ministry write doctrinal statements because that’s how we establish our credentials. 

Imagine if we added action statements to our doctrinal statements: we heal the sick, we feed the hungry, we visit the prisoners, we cloth those in need, we gather to worship Jesus, we celebrate his death and resurrection, we follow the lead of his Spirit. That sounds curiously similar to Matthew 25. Underneath these actions there are beliefs, and in fact I would argue that these beliefs are even more valuable and relevant because they prompt us into action.

In fact, it may be that our beliefs are irrelevant unless they are overshadowed by their actions. Maybe the only way to save, preserve, and truly honor our beliefs is by spending a significant amount of time on action, putting them into practice. The people who love truth are the ones who act on it.

That kind of speculation makes my head spin.

I love scripture, and I believe in truth, but I wonder if Jesus would really care about the many things we argue over in relation to the truth. Keep in mind that I devoted a significant amount of time to writing a theology book, so I’m pretty sure I’m not flirting with relativism here. I’m seeking balance here, but in order to arrive there I need to critique the side of certainty that can stumble into conceptual idolatry, while hoping to avoid falling to the other extreme of listless relativism.