"off book"
I have spent the past couple of days in a dialogue on a blog related to the "Book of Daniel" television series. The conversation has had very little to do with the actual show but is has been really quite telling. The blog is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The tone of the moderators of the blog and that of many who comment is strikingly "Christianity Lite" to use Paul Zahl's phrase. Almost every post refers to a highly subjective, emotional, introspective (although not too deep), relativistic, wishy-washy, "safe" realm of topics. For example, one woman referred to a time when she prayed that God would convict her if her homosexual relationship was wrong. She happily reported that shortly therafter her relationship was filled with even more joy. This was sure confirmation that God approves of her behavior. When I questioned the grounds of her conclusion I was reported to be insensitive and hostile. Soon after she accused me of being attached to external parchment as she claimed that as a fulfillment of Jeremiah, God had written His law on her heart, therefore she was justified in coming to her conclusion. She had a name for this interpretation of Jesus' fulfillment of Jeremiah. She called it going "off book"
Now, maybe this in not a new term (it is definitely not a new idea) but I had a realization. It seems that she was not at all interested in justifying her position on the basis of scripture. Rather, she was supplanting herself as above scripture itself on the basis that Jesus himself was primarily interested in getting us "off book".
By the way, she has an M. Div. from TESM. I don't think they teach "off book" do they?
posted by Joshua Corrigan at 6:11 PM
7 Comments:
Hey Josh,
great name and great blog!> . .
I'm pretty sure that TESM is not for going "off book"!. . haha
much love,
jady
When asked to clarify her point, the TESM grad wrote the following:
Scripture is God’s Holy word. It contains the story of how God intervened to save us. In that story lies all my hope, so I venerate it as I do any other object through which God is revealed. I write and venerate icons as well, which the Eastern Orthodox Church call windows into divine reality. I venerate the Holy Eucharist, which is a vehicle of God’s presence in my life. Most of all, I venerate people who have also been icons of the love of God to me. Jesus died for people, not books or even doctrine. I have seen people read the Bible, and it means nothing to them. For others, like myself, when I sought God in Scripture, it seemed to fly off the page and into my heart. Don’t we know that when you read Scripture with the intent to find God, He always meets us? But if you just open it because someone gave it to you with a free lunch, you can just as easily drop it the minute something better comes along. I account the difference in experiences to the Holy Spirit. Most Christians would agree.
The same way the Holy Spirit intervenes for us when we read Scripture and pray, it also speaks in our hearts. It convicts me of sin, making it progressively more and more unbearable for me until I repent. I’ll give an example: we had a transit strike in NYC before Christmas. It was very disruptive and painful for many people, so I was mad at these transit workers for weeks afterwards. I kept snarling at them whenever I went into the subway. I still do, but God makes it hard on me. He makes me smile and say hello even when I don’t want to. I keep reminding God about how my partner had to walk across the bridge in sub-zero windchill, but He won’t let me stop smiling. The reason He can push me around like this is that He is alive in my heart, and I would not want it any other way. It follows that if God is so clear to me when it comes to smiling at transit workers, then He could also get His point across about my relationship with my partner.
One last point, I do not raise any of this to the level of creedal theology. I do not believe that how one stands on the homosexuality issue is necessary for salvation. When I get to heaven, I am fully prepared to find out that I was wrong about this and any number of other things. But then, I figure, I’ll be with Jesus, so He can straighten me out personally on the fine points.
That woman's comment was so interesting and so revealing.... It sounds basically like what she was saying is: "I realize that I am in sin, but it's small potatoes (ie "the finer points") and I don't really want God's intervention at this point in my life. I am doing God's work by smiling at the transit workers.'
Most revealing is how she writes "MOST OF ALL ( my emphasis) I venerate people who have also been icons of the love of God to me" (ie,presumably,"my partner"). We all get into trouble when we elevate anything or anyone above His revealed Word, which is pretty clear (both OT and NT) on the issue of homosexuality. And no, I don't believe it is any worse than any other sin--including my own---but the difference is, if we don't CALL it sin, we can't confess it, and be forgiven. Effectively, a whole group of people (gays) are being sold down the river in the name of "love" and "inclusivity." Why should they be encouraged in this?
My friend Jon Wong says having a discussion with one of those types is like a discussion between a cat and a cow.
But to NOT have the discussion is to not love. I think Nicky Gumbel said it once that we are guilty of "loving people into Hell."
The easiest thing in the world is just to dismiss these people and mumble prayers for them. Not to diminish prayer in any way, but "with gentleness and respect," we are supposed to give them the reason for the "hope that is in your heart" (Galatians, Ephesians, maybe?). I think of all the kooky things I believed along the way, and I am so thankful for the people who, with gentleness and respect pointed the way to the "Deeper magic," and who honed me "as iron sharpens iron."
It's amazing how terribly confused people allow themselves to become ... in order to pursue the very things they know they can not do.
Great blog ...
Just to correct David... It is a conversation between a duck and a chicken!
The point is that we speak a different "language," and it is nigh impossible to discuss the issue rationally. By all means continue to the conversation, but also pray and rely on the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do!
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