Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Postmodernism and a Nose Bleed

It seems fashionable these days to tell stories, especially those that have a character named Neo. In most, Neo represents the postmodern man who thinks and acts in keeping with the postmodern ethos, which is quite remarkable given that postmodernism claims dogmatically not to have any dogmatic ethos. So, today I offer my own postmodern story about Neo and Oldo, who of course, opposes the postmodern ethos, even though the adherents to such an ethos can't agree on what it is. Ready?

One day Neo was out walking and came accross his old friend Oldo relaxing near the brook, in the shade of the old oak tree.

"So, Oldo, what's new?"

"Well, Neo, I'm just laying here listening to the wind and the birds and marveling at the simple majesty of God's creation. What's new with you?"

"I'm just wandering, trying hard not to dwell on any one subject too long for fear that I might come to some sort of certainty about it. Certainty, as you must know, is really the enemy of truth, because as soon as you are certain about something, you're sure to try to share that certainty with someone else, and that, of course, would be a power play, trying to tell them what is true for them when it may actually be only true for you. In fact, when I find myself coming close to some sort of certainty, I just try to formulate that last sentence in my mind, and that confuses me and keeps me from drawing close to any firm conclusions, which I am certain would be wrong for me."

"Come on. . ." Oldo replied ". . . certainly you don't think you can really live that way, do you? I mean, aren't there just some things of which you are certain? Doesn't the existence of the universe, and its continued management depend on some fixed and certain natural laws? Seems to me your view is logically inconsistent, and just won't stand up to reality."

Neo calmly adjusted his cap, cracked a few knuckles to reach the right level of calm, and then replied "Not at all. In fact, the fact is, that no one can ever really know anything for sure, except that you can't know anything for sure. And here's why: To say you know something for sure would mean that you knew every possible thing about it. Take gravity, one of your so-called 'natural laws.' We suppose something called gravity, but we don't know for sure because there may be things we don't know about gravity, or about the way objects behave in the atmosphere surrounding earth. We also don't know if that will change tomorrow, or if there may be some objects that will react contrary to the 'law' of gravity. Since we can't know everything that could be possibly known about gravity - in fact, we can't even know if there is more that could be known! - we can never come to the place that we are 'certain' that we know all that could be known, and thereby, be 'certain' about gravity. Simply put, until you can know perfectly, you can't know certainly." And with that, Neo smiled, clearly proud both of his opinion, and his unassailable presentation of it.

As he waited for Oldo's response, he watched with surprise as Oldo slowly got to his feet, and walked the few paces until he was face to face with Neo. With a speed uncharacteristic of his advanced age, Oldo drew back his fist, and socked Neo in the nose.

"Hey" cried Neo, "what'd you do that for? Now look what you've done . . . my nose is bleeding down my face! Is that how you act when you're bettered in an argument? You took your fist, hit my nose causing it to bleed, and my head to ache. What are you thinkin'?"

Oldo calmly replied "What makes you think your nose is bleeding? or for that matter, that you were hit in the nose, or further, that I hit you? From what you've just said, you can't be certain that I hit you until you are able to consider that there are no other possible reasons for you to assume that you're bleeding. Maybe your senses are off; maybe you're asleep and this is a dream; maybe a supersonic bird, flying faster than you could see, smacked into your nose; maybe you fainted, hit your face on the tree root there, and then I picked you up, and you revived just in time to see me withdrawing my hand from your shoulder, and mistakenly assumed that I hit you. Maybe the disciples went to the wrong tomb (whoops, wrong subject!)."

Oldo paused for effect.

"No, here's the deal Neo. You've got this great new philosophy, and you like it because it gives you a convenient - even somewhat pseudo-intellectual - way of escaping the obligations of certainty. The obligations of living in a real, day-to-day world, where people make decisions, stand for things, deal with right and wrong, and have to go to work, and do things they don't like. Your little philosophy always give you an out if you run into something you don't like, or don't want to submit to. And I am sure you can flesh out your arguments with citations from loads of academic types who are hiding behind the same philosophical curtain. But, the problem is your philosophy is stupid, foolish, and moronic. It can't pass the nose bleed test. Try as you might, you can't honestly escape the reality - the certainty - that I took my fist, hit your nose, causing it to bleed and your head to ache. Of that we're both certain. And if that's certain, so can be a whole host of other things. And by the way, you were right about one little thing: my certainty did turn out to be a power play. My power played a tune on your nose!"

And with that, the two friends walked away together. Neo nursed his now swelling nose, trying desparately to ease the pain with quotes from Lyotard and Derrida, yet all the while feeling that perhaps a philosophy that included Tylenol might be the better answer. Turning to Oldo he said "So, you admit you hit me in the nose, right? And, if I know your heart and belief system, you probably recognize that it was a bad thing to do. So, what are you going to do about it?"

Oldo said "Yes, I am sorry to have caused you pain. But, I am thankful that the pain may in fact awaken you to the vacuous nature of your worldview."

Oldo was quiet for a few paces, and then exclaimed in eureka-like fashion "Hey, today's Thursday, right? I know just what we ought to do! There's this guy named *John - a real intellectual type, who also messes around with theology. He's kind of a mixture between Augustine, Hume, Newbigin, Billy Graham, and Bono, and he's even read Foucault, Derrida, and Webber. You know what? He even knows Mark Driscoll! Every Thursday, he's at this bar - he calls it Beer Thursday. Let's invite him into this conversation and see what he has to say! I'm certain he can help, and maybe even bring in a little Bible."

Neo nodded, but said "I'm not certain that will help, but then again, I'm not certain it wouldn't. In fact, I just not certain about anything except that my head hurts, and I sure could use a beer."

Don't hold this against me; it's just a story,


David

* To meet the real life John, go to poiemachurch.com - he's a good guy . . . really.

What is Biblical Authority?

Every year I experience the wonderful "vacate-ness" of vacation. For me, vacation is a time to "vacate" the normal rhythm of my life, the inescapable expectations each day brings. Vacation allows for day after day of clean slates. No appointments, no obligations, no oughts. And it has been my experience that, during vacation, some truly amazing things flow into this "vacancy" that actually increase the benefit of the vacation itself. In my case, these things are almost always thoughts, or expanding ideas, or even long, unplanned, mental meanderings. Since my vacations are just thinly disguised reading safaris, filled with journals, articles, and a box full of books, when suddenly my mind takes off at a gallop, it is often the result of some challenge or insight offered by a well-crafted sentence or paragraph. Words can do that to me.

This vacation I have been reading widely on the idea of authority, and more precisely, the authority we find in the Bible. If you are like me, you've grown up hearing about, and agreeing with the idea that "the Bible is God's authoritative Word." And, if that is the case, you are right, for the Bible is all of that. But what is the nature of this authority?

I love to play golf, even though I don't get to play as often as I would like. But, when some of us get out on the course, the first thing we do is determine what the rules will be for our round. We decide about mulligans (if, and how many), we decide how to score lost balls or those shots that find themselves just "slightly" out of bounds. Frankly, we should not do this, for the rules of golf already have decided all these questions. There is even a little book - the Rules of Golf - that states the way every situation on the golf course is to be handled. That book is authoritative over the game of golf. You either obey it or not.

Too often this is the idea of "authority" we have assumed for the Bible. We consider that it is only a rule book, and we turn to it to see how we should live. Notice I said "only" a rule book. My concern today relates to the fact that there is a battle raging today over the "authority" of the Bible. Let me state in no uncertain terms that because the Bible is the very Word of God, it comes with its own authority. That is, since it finds as its creative source the very breath of God (2 Timothy 3:16,17), it comes bearing His authority. That is the beginning place of the discussion. Yet, if the only authority we find in the Bible is a type of "rule book" authority, we will certainly go off track. Let me explain.

Seeing the Bible as merely God's book of rules is a problem because, while the Bible does give God's rules in some areas (faithfulness in marriage is a biggie!), there are a whole host of areas where the Bible does not give rules in black and white. For example, does God want me to live in Corona (where the temperature is often over 100 in the summer) or in Dana Point (where the ocean is in sight, and the temperatures are much more moderate!)? I can search the entire scope of the Bible and not find a rule that solves this dilemma. So in what way is the Bible authoritative? If we only consider it in terms of a rule book, we may end up where so many are today, believing that the Bible is no longer "relevant" to our daily lives, that it no longer speaks to our situation. Looked at this way - as only a rule book - we may turn to it, frantically searching to find the "rule" that fits our particular situation only to be disappointed (especially in the Old Testament!) when what we read seems to have no connection with the decisions we are facing. But, the problem here is not with the Bible, but with our skewed perception of what its true "authority" is.

I want to offer a better, and I believe more biblically aligned, understanding of the Bible's authority.

First, it is the very Word of God, finding its creative source in His breath as He "breathed" out the very words He wanted the original authors to use. That is what Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is inspired by God (literally "God breathed out"). The Bible is not merely a description of God revealing Himself in words we can understand; rather, it is itself part of that revelation. So, where it does give rules, we are not at liberty to "adjust" them, as though we were playing golf. (It also needs to be said that over time, some of God's rules have passed out of operation, or been replaced by new ones. But that's a subject for another time, another post!). So, while the Bible gives rules, it is not primarily to be understood as a rule book.

Secondly, the Bible is a story, and must be seen in its progressive unfolding as revealing the mind and activity of God as He superintends all of history. God created, and then sin perverted the creation. From that starting point then, Scripture tells the story of God's actual dealings in history by which He initiated a great rescue effort designed to rescue all of creation from the decay brought about by Adam's sin. This rescue effort is seen over and over as God rescues individuals and the nation of Israel, only to have them turn away. But God does not abandon His efforts, for His plan progressively reveals that man is powerless to cooperate in his own rescue. This story - this rescue effort - finds it fulfillment in Jesus Christ, and the New Testament story goes on to show how those "rescued" by Him are now thrown back into the world as samples of what God's amazing love and grace can do. The New Testament writers referred to this rescue effort as the coming of the Kingdom of God. Those brought into the kingdom - rescued! - now understand that they have been granted the privilege of offering rescue in Jesus to those around them. And, it turns out that the Bible, being the very Word of God, and especially the Gospel, is the power by which the kingdom is extended to a watching world. God, working through His Word, as it is known, believed, obeyed and proclaimed by His church, works powerfully - authoritatively - to bring about a sovereign rescue whereby His kingdom expands one soul at a time. The authority of the Bible rests primarily in the fact that God - the great Authority - is working powerfully through it to bring redemption and transformation - New Creation! - to the world and its inhabitants.

So what does this matter?

First, if we consider the Bible only as a rule book, it becomes decidedly about us. We see the Bible as a resource for us, and - it must be admitted - looked at from a purely selfish point of view, it often seems irrelevant. We begin to see reading the Bible as a kind of personal good luck charm. We go to the Bible when we need something, when we're hurting, or when we need God to do or fix something. The Bible becomes our tool, to be used by us, for us. We ought to be ashamed!

But, when we see the Bible as the unfolding story of God's activity in rescuing all of creation, we begin to see that the kingdom is much, much bigger than just us. We begin to see that our personal rescue only points to the much bigger and more glorious work by which Jesus Christ will one day bring about the final overthrow of sin, ushering in a New Heaven and a New Earth, populated by a multitude no man can number who have been rescued eternally by sovereign grace. The Bible becomes our portal on God, offering greater and greater oppportunity to see His hand in history, His heart of love and forgiveness brilliantly set against the ongoing selfishness and sin of each generation. Rather than foster selfish interests, the Bible declares that we are part of something huge that God is doing, and that it is our privilege to be part of it, for His glory.

Secondly, if we look at the Bible as simply a rule book, so much of it will be unuseable. What do we do with Leviticus? Are the rules there for us? If not, then should we just rip it out, or at least not spend our precious time reading it? And what about Obadiah? This one chapter prophetic book just talks about God's judgment of Edom (who?). Nothing there for us if we're just looking for some rules for today.


But, if we understand that the Bible is God's progressive telling of His rescue mission, we will see that He has worked in grace and love in every age, all the while declaring that the hurt and broken are powerless to rescue themselves. (BTW, the prophet Obadiah was declaring just this: those who oppose God, who think they can rescue themselves, those who believe they can prey on God's people are wrong! God is still in charge, and even the mighty fortress of Petra can't derail His plans.) Reading the Bible this way we will understand the great hope of the Old Testament people as they awaited the arrival of the Messiah, God's rescuing King. We will understand the great joy at hearing John say "there He is, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." And most of all, now understanding that He has rescued us, we will read the Epistles - not so much searching for personal rules - with great delight in knowing that through our lives we can extend the rescue to those still drowning in the ocean of sin and hopelessness. Read this way, our lives are transformed from being me-centered to God and Kingdom-rescue centered. And when this happens, we will see that the authority of the Bible is the power of God working through it, and through us as we are transformed by it, to effect rescue - redemption!- in our world. With Paul we will heartily proclaim that the Gospel is the power - authority - of God unto salvation. The authority of the Bible lies in the fact that the Almighty God powerfully works through it, in and through us, to complete His grand operation of redemption, rescue, and New Creation.

Hope this helps,


David

Monday, August 14, 2006

Why the ocean?

First, I recognize that there have been no new heggthoughts for some time. I would offer some apology, but actually, I am under no pressure to offer thoughts everyday, or even every week. I know that some believe that a blogger is responsible for consistent postings, but I do not agree. Those things in life that are free never create the burden of entitlement.

Secondly, I just don't have enough good insights for daily postings, or even weekly ones. When things strike me as useful, I pass them along. It is my hope that any readers of heggthought will consider less as more, and be thankful that they are not subjected to pages and pages of daily nonsense.

Now, why the ocean? We're vacationing in a rented condo just now, living just seconds from the beaches and waves of the Pacific Ocean in SoCal. And we're not alone. The beaches and roads and restaurants and parks and parking lots are crowded with people like us, drawn to the ocean despite the throngs and inflated prices. All around us are homes whose price tags are staggering because they offer their owners a glimpse or the scent of the ocean. Even though proximity to the ocean makes living more expensive and travel more congested, we all prefer it, dream of obtaining it, and yet seldom ponder it. Today I got in a good bit of pondering, and perhaps have come up with at least part of the reason behind the ocean's draw.

The ocean - that broad and beautiful expanse of restless serenity - is not the passive relational partner it appears to be. True, our first impression is that it is out there, quite unimpressed with us, quite unconcerned with us, quite passive in our relationship with it. It is just there, and will continue on regardless of what we do, passively refusing to care whether we - or anyone else for that matter - is present. But I think this is the great myth of the ocean. It isn't passive. It powerfully acts upon us at almost every level of our being, and that is why we are drawn to it. And before you start thinking that my vacation has included too many adult beverages, give me a chance to explain.

Standing and staring out at the ocean today, I realized that it was delivering a powerful message to me, and to everyone else who took the time to consider the differences between the ocean and the human.

The ocean is the picture of stability, of longevity, of consistency. Simply put, it nevers worries. It is never pressed or pressured, never forced, never coerced, never beaten. It is constantly moving, never static, and yet as it flows back and forth, day in and day out, it does so without a care or concern.

I, the human, on the other hand, am tossed about by circumstances everyday, opposed by forces more able and pressures more powerful than me. For almost all of us, the daily rhythym of life is really all about developing personal strategies for facing all the obstacles each day brings. To thrive, we must become experts at ducking, dodging, or dealing with all the expected and unexpected debris the wind of this world blows our way everyday. And so, when life offers the chance to stand and take in the ocean view, smelling the air, and enjoying the breeze, my soul is refreshed in the presence of a power - the ocean - that brings calm in consistency, comfort in stability, rest - if only for moments - in the knowledge that there is, in this chaotic world, a true expression of peace that never disappoints. This peace is what I so long for, yet seem never to capture whole, except in moments and seasons. Enjoying the ocean reminds me that such peace can and does exist in this world, that it can be enjoyed even in the midst of chaos and opposition, and that pursuing the enjoyment of this peace is the highest purpose in life.

I greatly doubt that we ocean lovers really ever think like this. And to enjoy the ocean's benefits we don't need to. We come, watch, relax, and walk the sand, and leave better, seldom caring why. But not knowing why doesn't mean a reason doesn't exist. The ocean works on us all the while appearing to be unaware of us. And yet, when we stop and think, and consider the powerful ways the ocean calms and comforts and improves us, we come even more to appreciate the way it sets our lives right. But there's more.

The ocean, as grand and majestic as it is, and as therapeutic as it is, isn't really alive. It has no volition, no personality, no animating spirit. It is not acting on its own initiative or according to its own plan. Rather, it is a tool in the hand of the One who created both it and us, and everything else. The ocean is the Lord's as is all that it contains. In so many ways, the consistency, and stability, and faithfulness of the ocean's movements are but the extension of the consistency, stability and faithfulness of our loving and almighty God. And the peace to which the ocean testifies is only realized in relationship with this God whose greatest act of love is His ongoing rescue mission by which He intends to bring redemption and renewal to His sin-wrecked creation. His peace is real, consistent, stable. His love is sincere, faithful, eternal. His offer of peace and love is a bona fide offer, available to the broken in His Son, Jesus Christ.

I can't afford more than a visit now and again, and perhaps a few days of yearly vacation, at the ocean's shore. But, as it turns out, I don't need to! I have been afforded the privilege of living before the very face of God everyday. As the hymn writer described it "He is an ocean full of goodness." My prayer and hope, as this oceanside vacation draws to a close, is that each day, standing before the God of the oceans, I will recognize and be refreshed by His consistency, His stability, His faithful love, His sustaining grace, and come to understand afresh that real life is so much more about delighting in Him than dodging the world's debris.

Hope this helps,


David