Let me be honest. I don't quite fit into anyone's paradigm. This is due, I am sure, to a combination of factors, including my own idiosyncracies (the stuff that makes me . . . me), personal circumstances (my life experiences), and the often mysterious plan of God.
This being said, here are some of the things that help shape my perspective:
(1) I am a Christian.
This means--at least in theory--that I am trying to follow Jesus. I don't pretend to have figured out all that this entails, but I am convinced that Jesus is the unique Son of God and that it makes sense to align our selves with his purposes.
(2) As an extension of the previous point, I believe that our Creator has revealed himself to us.
This revelation occurs in and through the Christian Scriptures and also in many places throughout the world. Thus, God speaks specifically through the Bible and also in other ways. What God is saying in our lives and in the world generally should impact our approach to Scripture. Life drives us back to our sacred texts. At the same time, this is no call to relativism, for Scripture itself remains the touchstone for all truth claims.
(3) I believe in the knowing/not-knowing tension.
By this, I mean that some things can be known, while other things cannot be known. This is especially true when it comes to the things of our Maker. He has revealed things to us, which can be discovered and grasped. On the other hand, many things are beyond our ability to understand.
Of course taking such a stance does not afford us with easy answers as to when we can or cannot understand a given subject. To this, I simply respond that this is the way things are. Thus, we can and should do our best to understand God, ourselves, and life in general. Understanding truth requires an ongoing effort, and there's no reason to give up the pursuit. Then again, some things are a lot more difficult to comprehend. In these cases, we must avoid being overly dogmatic and be willing to embrace (not just allow for) mystery.
Some things that are mysteries for me? + That Jesus is both divine and human. + That God is both 3 and 1. + That God can both govern the universe and yet still interact within it. + That divine sovereignty and human choice can coexist. + That a good and ruling God can allow so much evil and suffering and not be "called on the carpet" for it. All of these things, I believe even though I cannot explain them in any comprehensive way. They are mysteries to be explored, not fully understood.
(4) At some level, I think we need to be both conservative and liberal.
That is, some things are worth maintaining, and other things are not that important. We must delineate those ideas that are to be defended and proclaimed from those that are not. As such, I am often frustrated in what I observe. On the one hand, I can't stand the overly defensive and often arrogant posture of those self-proclaimed guardians of the faith, who seem to think they have God in a box. For them, life is simple, they are right, and everyone else is wrong. That's a bit simplistic, I know, but it captures the attitude of many. On the other hand, I despise the flimsy, too loose, politically correct agenda of those who oppose anything that sounds too absolute. Some of these are ultra-liberal types, who specialize in attacks on virtue; these self-proclaimed "experts" are under the dellusion that we actually need their guidance. Returning to my original point, we must hold onto that which is solid, while remaining open to anything that might aid us in our pursuit of truth.
(5) I'm somewhat of a "gut instincts" rebel.
There is in me a tendency to stand against anything that feels wrong and to embrace anything that feels right. Sometimes, this gets me into exciting situations. Other times, it just gets me in trouble.
(6) I firmly believe in a journeying paradigm.
As already stated, none of us has this whole thing figured out. The mystery of it all, the ignorance that is in all of us, the complexity of life--these things and more demand that we continue to think, to live, to grow.
(7) I'm listening for (and to) the music.
The music is playing all around us. You hear it in nature, in art, in movies, in culture, and especially in relationships. While I am sometimes spiritually "hard of hearing," there are times--thank God--when I truly hear the music, what our Creator is saying and playing.
There are other things I might have added to this list, but these will do for now. Here, then, are some of my personal presuppositions, my current concepts, my governing thoughts. I suppose you could describe these as my opening confessions.
This being said, here are some of the things that help shape my perspective:
(1) I am a Christian.
This means--at least in theory--that I am trying to follow Jesus. I don't pretend to have figured out all that this entails, but I am convinced that Jesus is the unique Son of God and that it makes sense to align our selves with his purposes.
(2) As an extension of the previous point, I believe that our Creator has revealed himself to us.
This revelation occurs in and through the Christian Scriptures and also in many places throughout the world. Thus, God speaks specifically through the Bible and also in other ways. What God is saying in our lives and in the world generally should impact our approach to Scripture. Life drives us back to our sacred texts. At the same time, this is no call to relativism, for Scripture itself remains the touchstone for all truth claims.
(3) I believe in the knowing/not-knowing tension.
By this, I mean that some things can be known, while other things cannot be known. This is especially true when it comes to the things of our Maker. He has revealed things to us, which can be discovered and grasped. On the other hand, many things are beyond our ability to understand.
Of course taking such a stance does not afford us with easy answers as to when we can or cannot understand a given subject. To this, I simply respond that this is the way things are. Thus, we can and should do our best to understand God, ourselves, and life in general. Understanding truth requires an ongoing effort, and there's no reason to give up the pursuit. Then again, some things are a lot more difficult to comprehend. In these cases, we must avoid being overly dogmatic and be willing to embrace (not just allow for) mystery.
Some things that are mysteries for me? + That Jesus is both divine and human. + That God is both 3 and 1. + That God can both govern the universe and yet still interact within it. + That divine sovereignty and human choice can coexist. + That a good and ruling God can allow so much evil and suffering and not be "called on the carpet" for it. All of these things, I believe even though I cannot explain them in any comprehensive way. They are mysteries to be explored, not fully understood.
(4) At some level, I think we need to be both conservative and liberal.
That is, some things are worth maintaining, and other things are not that important. We must delineate those ideas that are to be defended and proclaimed from those that are not. As such, I am often frustrated in what I observe. On the one hand, I can't stand the overly defensive and often arrogant posture of those self-proclaimed guardians of the faith, who seem to think they have God in a box. For them, life is simple, they are right, and everyone else is wrong. That's a bit simplistic, I know, but it captures the attitude of many. On the other hand, I despise the flimsy, too loose, politically correct agenda of those who oppose anything that sounds too absolute. Some of these are ultra-liberal types, who specialize in attacks on virtue; these self-proclaimed "experts" are under the dellusion that we actually need their guidance. Returning to my original point, we must hold onto that which is solid, while remaining open to anything that might aid us in our pursuit of truth.
(5) I'm somewhat of a "gut instincts" rebel.
There is in me a tendency to stand against anything that feels wrong and to embrace anything that feels right. Sometimes, this gets me into exciting situations. Other times, it just gets me in trouble.
(6) I firmly believe in a journeying paradigm.
As already stated, none of us has this whole thing figured out. The mystery of it all, the ignorance that is in all of us, the complexity of life--these things and more demand that we continue to think, to live, to grow.
(7) I'm listening for (and to) the music.
The music is playing all around us. You hear it in nature, in art, in movies, in culture, and especially in relationships. While I am sometimes spiritually "hard of hearing," there are times--thank God--when I truly hear the music, what our Creator is saying and playing.
There are other things I might have added to this list, but these will do for now. Here, then, are some of my personal presuppositions, my current concepts, my governing thoughts. I suppose you could describe these as my opening confessions.
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