The following is an excerpt from a longer correspondence
with a friend, a friend who does not consider him/herself to be religious:
If believing in an intelligent, creative, and purposeful God awakens you to the creativity, complexity, and beauty in even the most basic material things, animate or inanimate.
“Nonetheless, my parents instilled in me a
great wonder for life, love and the universe, as well as a deep respect for the
way that individuals interpret and deal with that wonder.”
I’m curious: can the words “Christianity” or “Christian
faith” or “Christian spirituality” be substituted for the first several words
of the above quote, altering the sentence to suggest that being a Christian
means participation in a project that does these thing: instills wonder for all
that humans experience and fosters respect for plurality and the myriad ways
people make sense out of what they experience?
It seems like Christianity has the potential to do both—promote
and limit wonder. But in which direction are the scales tipped? And not just in terms of potentiality but in actuality?
Does it cultivate wonder? Maybe yes, if
your Christian faith humbles you and takes your focus off of yourself, your
ambitions and desires...if it turns you outward, towards other things, people, realities
outside yourself. Or if in turning inward you are awed by the complexity of
your mind and body and the fascinating interdependence and capabilities of the two.
If you believe that the Divine Logos or Wisdom pervades all creation,
including every creature, and thus can be found anywhere, working in diverse
ways in various individuals, whatever they decide to name it. If you agree with St Augustine (at least on this matter) that “all truth is God’s
truth” and welcome new insights from other disciplines, religions, and individuals
as things which can deepen and enliven your own faith and understanding.
If believing in an intelligent, creative, and purposeful God awakens you to the creativity, complexity, and beauty in even the most basic material things, animate or inanimate.
If in observing the radical and profound love of Jesus (and
what this example suggests about God) you are left dumbfounded, humbled, inspired and
heartbroken at the same time. Then, maybe yes.
Does it stifle wonder? Maybe yes, if
you start to draw hard conclusions about what is and isn’t God. Or what is and
isn’t from God or condoned by God. Or if you discredit the spiritual or profound experiences of
others because they’re not identical to what you experience.
If you get stuck in routines or patterns that suggest there
is one right way to be a devout or faithful Christian, causing you to become comfortable in your
routine and setting you up to react violently when that routine is challenged by something new and different. If your faith experience is too mechanistic, legalistic, formulaic.
If you fear scientific inquiry and discovery as enemies to
your faith rather than companions.
If your underlying goal with people you meet who differ from you
is to make them more like you, to rally them to your side. If you are not really listening to what someone is truly communicating about themselves because their experience and perspective threaten you or just don't fit your schema, your expectations. Then,
maybe yes.
What do you think? Does Christianity, in practice (not just in theory or
intention), cultivate or stifle wonder? Or maybe better phrased, has it cultivated or stifled wonder for
you (or for your religious peers)? How has it inspired wonder? In what ways has it limited wonder?
3 comments:
Matt,
Jake Dockter here. How is life? I am bummed you are further away but am stoked for the new pieces of your life. I hope we can connect again soon.
I thoroughly enjoyed your recent post and have been thinking about these issues recently. I am currently working on a book that gathers the dreams of some of today's top luminaries about the future of America. In this we have connected with some top thinkers, scientists and innovators who marvel at the world.
Your quote, "I’m curious: can the words “Christianity” or “Christian faith” or “Christian spirituality” be substituted for the first several words of the above quote, altering the sentence to suggest that being a Christian means participation in a project that does these thing: instills wonder for all that humans experience and fosters respect for plurality and the myriad ways people make sense out of what they experience?" really connected with the current stuff I am working through in this book.
A group of the figures we have in the book are involved in NASA and the current exploration of Mars. They place their exploration and science in exactly these terms. They wonder, they respect, and are struggling to make sense of the universe. There are wondrous things out there! There are amazing sights to behold! As we explore the Universe, we can not help but to me amazed.
However, Christianity (Big C/Organized), is not really a part of this. In fact, at the very core of the explorations, is a goal to prove the evolutionary model and to show a multi-billion year history. I do not have a problem with these views and am embracing on a non literal, non-creationist, non- young earth theory. I tend to side with science over fundamentalism.
However, it is a very real possibility that Curiosity or Cassini or some other robot will soon prove that life is not only on Earth. Any day the wheel of the rover could turn over a stone to reveal bacteria. While the world marvels the church will be shocked. For many, it will be a destruction of the story of their faith.
How do we embrace the reality and wonder of the Universe when our faith (admittedly, the human version which more often that not real faith at all) is at risk?
Hi Jake! Cool to hear about your book project. Fortunately, I think there is a growing tendency in Christianity to welcome science as a revealer of God's creativity and to shed that anxiety that accompanies "threats" to our faith (or maybe this posture always been there and I'm just more aware of it now). And I think we feel the same that a lot of what is called "faith" out there is often revealed to be rather shallow and could benefit from the kind of deepening that comes from testing, by circumstances or ideas. My own included.
I agree. Wholeheartedly.
When faith is based on shallow foundations, of dogma, and not the reality of things which include distant planets, scientific discovery, amazing creatures and much more we miss out.
NASA may soon discover life on Mars soon, or a distant Goldilocks planet, and shallow people's faith will be crushed (or more likely it wil create a larger backlash and fundamentalism).
but those scientists, and those of us comfortable with doubt/amazement will be able to be full of awe at the Universe.
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