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something came over me
Something’s come over me. Or came over me. Last Sunday, second service, and I stepped into a little wormhole or inspiration breeze, you don’t always know for sure. Touching the issue of warning against the adoption of the “liberal-conservative” category as a short-hand for “unfaithful-faithful” in matters of faith. I mean there in the sermon–what was a side-bar in the notes became a full stop, talk straight kind of thing. A little flushing or warmth around the ears kind of thing. Sounding like my brother in law Bill, here, I know. It was almost like feeling the thing itself–the category, I mean–bristling back, annoyed. I know this sounds charismatic or egomaniacal. I told you, something came over me.
A trusted listener later said, “Ken, you seemed like you were getting a little pushy there with that liberal-conservative thing.” I can see that. I did feel like I was pushing something, trying to dislodge it in fact, like a car in a handicap parking spot without a sticker.
Funny thing about this business of standing up addressing matters of spirit. It’s kind of a slippery business, or can be. The pushiness of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Or some things just need the heave ho when they are in the way? Or neither. Or both? Messy business, religion.
March 21st, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Wouldn’t want it if it were neat and clean. Faith needs to be dangerous to not be an opiate. Shake those trees.
March 22nd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
How do we know what we’re talking about? How do we know we’re not merely whistling into a hurricane? We ask one another, Do you hear the same tune? Is the same song playing inside of you? We ask God, Is this the song you are playing? We go to Scripture, and we ask, Is this song somewhere here? We ask our reason, Does this make sense? Is this music euphonious or cacophonous?
I just received an email from a friend. He says that if we are not Young Earthers, we are not Christians. And he sends this to me, a friend, an evolutionist through and through. Oh, it is easy to allow emotion to get the better of us.
I wasn’t there. I don’t know the exact words you said or how you said them. These do make a difference. But importing political/economic/social categories into spiritual discussion does not illuminate. It confuses.
Was Jesus a conservative or a liberal? If we cannot say with compelling evidence and logic, we probably cannot illuminate much of anything in our faith with these ideas. To attempt to do so is probably at best confusing and at worst subversive of the Gospels.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:19 am
i can see the headlines now:
Manaical Wilson Points Out:’Emperor Has No Clothes’
April 1st, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Ken,
I am with you and to Steven’s point, I am singing the same tune. The difficulty is some of the folks who have been my friends and family don’t at this day and time care for the music. I am starting to hear this tune in the scriptures, at church, at home, at work, and in the streets. The odd thing to me is that some of the people who I see deciphering the music (and even singing it!) are the ones who probably more closely align themselves to the “liberal thought” to use your words.
I was actually in a very heated conversation with a beloved uncle last night and I just could not explain my evolved perspective and conviction to love the poor and the outcast of today’s society. My uncle continued to respond that Yes, you need to love your neighbor as yourself, but they need to know that they are a sinner. This was in context to the need to be spokepersons against abortion and homo-sexual marriage. THEN..the light bulb went off. He was coming from the Behave, Believe, Belong model, whereas, my position has become Belong, Believe, Behave.
To conclude I will share a very humbling story of mine. In 2004 I told my christian roommate (who is african american as well) that if you don’t vote for Bush, b/c he is the pro-life candidate, you need to question whether you are a christian. It was at this time I was trying to learn what it meant to be christian and also be engaged in politics, which lead me to fox news and 103.5’s Bob Dutko who formerly worked with the Christian Coalition and claims to be fearlessly defending the faith. Knowing where I am today, I am appalled and ashamed of my narrow minded remark. A year later I did end up asking my brother for his forgiveness, but it still humbles me to this day…probably not a bad thing. Caesar can have his politics for now, I just want to figure out this loving the poor thing.