Christian Certainty
I have learned is that God is bigger than my doubts, bigger than my questions, and most of all, God is bigger than the ideas I have about God. Theology and doctrine still matter to me, as what I think about God and who I believe God to be matters. It matters significantly because these beliefs inform how I interact with others and view myself. For example, I believe God is a God who stands with the marginalized, and therefore I am an antiracist. I believe that God loves me; therefore, I know I am deeply loved. These beliefs are not just things I choose to think about randomly, but ideas passed down throughout history - theological opinions extracted from an ancient text. The Bible has stood the test of time, fingers fumbling through the pages, eyes scouring over the words. The Bible has lasted. So, you may be asking yourself, is this article an argument for or against the Bible? Neither. This article is an argument for choosing humility.
If what we believe about God informs the way we see the world, then we should be asking ourselves hard questions theologically before giving opinions publicly. Where does scripture support the idea of Christ as a political leader? Where does the Bible endorse a specific system of government? Where do we see an embrace of silencing people with whom we disagree? Where in the Bible do we see God champion the powerful to give them more power? Where in scripture is there an argument for any economic system we currently have in 2022? We don’t have great answers to any of these questions. Still, we understand God’s character: forgiving, strong, kind, loving, pure, holy, broken, full, aware, passionate, merciful, did I say loving? Aren’t we supposed to want God’s Kingdom here on earth? Will it come because of my arrogant ideas of what I think the Bible means? God never needs me fighting for “His values.” He needs me to be more like Him. To love like Him.
Love is listening. Love is choosing to hold on. Love is sitting in silence. Love is embracing. Love is intentional. Love is fighting for tomorrow. Love is believing for the best. Love is a confrontation with the goal of reconciliation. Love is standing in the gray, the blurry, the I’m-not-quite-sure-but-I-will-stand-with-you-anyway. God is love.
Whenever anyone says, “Scripture is clear….” I do a slight eye roll because it’s rarely that simple. I think God did that for a reason. If everything was so obvious, so plain, where would faith fit? We would focus on all the facts and ideas we know to be correct and not on God Himself. I have ideas about what is right or wrong based on my understanding of scripture.* Recently, I have decided to hold many of these beliefs lightly while holding to Jesus with the tightest grip of my life. What is there to know about God outside of scripture, you protest? I would agree, not much. HOWEVER, what I’m getting at is that I will no longer be unmovable in my various theological traditions, dying on the hill of what I think is right. I have much to learn. Instead, the hill I will die on is the one built on faith that God is who He said He is, and my emulation of this God, this forgiving, merciful God, would make Him proud.
-L
*My understanding of scripture is from a long, long line of beliefs passed down through the centuries of Christian history, no conclusion I have come to on my own.