The cross talk continues...

Appropriate for Holy Week, I find myself more deeply engaged in theology of the cross than I have been recently. I took a little vacation from my deep theological questioning to attend a Navy conference on "Advisement". It was really interesting stuff and the week was a wonderful experience - full of salutes and my efforts at military bearing - but it lacked theological depth. It was about being a Professional Navy Chaplain and was a nice change of pace. I think I might regret that change of pace now that I'm back to my classwork and the last minute preparations for the Three Days.

Now that I'm back into my readings, I encountered this in C.S. Song's work, "Jesus, Crucified People":

But the problem is that some Christians, particularly some evangelists and theologians, speak as if they have read God's autobiography, know God's will inside out, and can speak on God's behalf with absolute certainty. This often results in religious authoritarianism, dictating the life and faith of believers with creeds, doctrines, and laws. But God is neither the sum total of Christian teachings nor the magnum opus of erudite theologians. [emphasis his](p.102)

Once again I am in debt to someone for providing the words (although I looked up erudite to be sure I understood what he was saying - ironically it means "book smart") for what I have running through my head but often fail to adequately communicate. Song's claims about how we see God are foundational and, in an odd way, life-giving to me. I feel I am always in a war against religious arrogance, the belief that we can work hard enough and long enough to come to the final answer - to reduce the revelation God gives us in scripture to clearly defined bullet points to answer all of life's seemingly unanswerable questions. In fact, many of those questions will quite possibly remain unanswered. I don't think I want to know, right now, the answer to why a four year old dies in a tragic accident. I don't want to know clearly and finally how God is at work in the stories I've heard of combat. If I had all the clear answers from God, I fear I would end up too far down the road of absolute certainty to function. I think I'd rather live in the ambiguity. I'd rather continue to "see in a mirror, dimly." (1 Cor 13.12) because it leaves the opportunity for God to continue speaking.

Song writes of what God is. He claims God is a God who speaks -past, present, and future. That is a God I'd like to worship and serve. God is the one who speaks and I'll continue to search the "biography" we have to try to understand what God is saying. But, I will always remember it is a biography - seen through the lens of those who lived on earth and it's not always a clear lens.

Thank you Mr. Song for your words.