a bowling trophy faith

"When you think you know it all,
could it be that you are thinking way too small?"*

One of the fundamental problems Jesus had with the religious leaders of his day is that they had placed God in some box which they could (ultimately) control and manipulate to fit their individual desires and motivations. In similar fashion - because there is nothing new under the sun - we have found ourselves a God that is not too offensive and placed our understanding of him on our mantles, right next to all of the other trophies we've accrued. Although it sounds rather absurd to throw our understanding of the transcendent and omnipotent next to some gold-painted plastic kingpin dude, this is exactly what many Christians do everyday. In fact, many of us get together and form church communities dedicated to this very end.

I often point out the fact that theology is, in part, an admission that we do not have all of the answers. The entire task of theology is questions. We question what we can/cannot or do/do not know about God. Further, theology allows us to question God himself! I know that in more fundamental circles the notion of questioning God might as well be outright heresy, but for those who actually experience some level of normalcy it happens all the time. And that's o.k. Actually, it is more than o.k. - it is good. That means that we are wrestling with God and he is wrestling with us. It is the solidification of a relationship between the human and the divine.

Whenever we come to the point (and many of us are there) where we no longer ask questions about God or to God then we inevitably reach the point where we feel secure in our knowledge of God and assume we have all the answers. It is at this point that we are no longer doing theology. . .we are regurgitating thoughts of God that lose their effectiveness and meaning. By contrast, a faith that is being challenging and being challenged becomes a vibrant relationship with the divine. It allows him to tear down all of our misconceptions produced by a mind corrupted by sin and a soul shrouded behind the veil of his glory.

Knowing him shakes the foundations of the soul and allows for no rival. Approaching the hidden one scares the hell out of us. But. . .I suppose that's the point.


*John Schlitt, "God Is Too Big" on Unfit for Swine
Words by John Schlitt and Mark Heimermann/Music by Ronny Cates
(c)1998 Norman Clayton Publishing