Continuing with my reflections from the emergent theological conversation...
The basic format of the conversation was kind of a “theatre in the round,” with Tony Jones and two practitioners (pastors) of the faith asking Dr. Volf about some of the themes/assurtions/implications that are made in Exclusion and Embrace (Tuesday) and Free of Charge (Wednesday). For me one of the most interesting things that occurred at the conversation happened during the first full day session (Tuesday).
[NOTE] For those that have not read Exclusion and Embrace, it is important to know that the main theme of the book is that as followers of Christ we are commanded to make room in our lives for (love unconditionally) the “other” (think enemy). The example that Dr. Volf uses in his book is a very personal one for him and that is his quest to learn how to love the Serbians that killed so many of his people (Croats) during their recent war. If you would like more detailed “cliff notes” on the book check out this blog.
As the questions were being asked the conversation was going along swimmingly until the issue of “homosexuality and the church’s response” came up. It was interesting to me how the tension in the room immediately rose, from proponents on both sides of the “issue.” It also underscored how divisive this issue is becoming in some areas of the church. During that moment the question that kept coming up in my mind was, “Why does it have to be this way?” Or to quote the great American Theologian of the 80’s Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”
One of the assertions that Dr. Volf makes in Exclusion and Embrace is that the reason we must learn to “embrace the other” is because the command comes not only out of our position to God, but out of God’s position to us. In other words it is not just the things (beliefs, doctrine, scripture, tradition) that we hold onto, but more importantly what (who) is holding on to us (God).
It is too easy for people to use misunderstanding/fear/hate/ignorance as a position to make decisions about who they will/will not “embrace.” As Dr. Volf so wonderfully points out, if we are followers of Christ we can no longer do/live in that way. We can no longer live out of fear because although we are rebellious enemies of God, He has embraced us and reconciled Himself to us.
This is the basis of the command that Christ gave us to “love our enemies.” We must love our enemies, because God loves us (His enemies) and personified the deepest levels of that love in the life/work of Christ.
This is the foundation that I want to live/love from. I am praying that in my daily praxes I no longer live out of a foundation of fear. I believe that if this happens, embracing the “other” will be the first instinct rather than obedience to a command. I also believe that if the church lives out of this foundation, these squabbles about “who is in” and “who is out” will suddenly become less and less important.
If these dividing lines were erased, that would be an answer to prayer. Not just my prayer, but an answer to a far more important person’s prayer: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in Me. May they all be one, just as, Father, You are in Me and I am in you, so that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe it was You who sent Me. I have given them the glory that you gave to Me, that they may be one as We are one.” (John 17:20-22)
i wish i was there, mDiz. the whole in-grouping/out-grouping discussion affects soteriology of course as well, and it ties well into your next post. focusing on Christ, the "well at the center", rather than the moment of salvation, the "fence that divides" —
this from Kim Thoday:
"Some years ago a person who had never been to Australia before was taken on a trip through the Australian outback. He travelled across some of the huge pastoral leases. At one point he came into contact with a farmer.
"Excuse me," he said to the farmer, "I have seen thousands of sheep around here, but there are no fences to keep them in. In my country we have fences everywhere so that the sheep will not stray or get lost and die."
The farmer considered this for a moment and said: "Well ... out here we don't need fences. In this climate we only need to sink wells ... and then these here sheep ... they don't go too far."
All too often the Church has been about erecting fences ... sometimes deliberately, other times unconsciously. "
Posted by: paul soupiset | February 27, 2006 at 01:50 AM