It's Complicated

I was initially inspired to write this blog because of my frustration with the lefts inability to come up with a better answer to extremists. While literal-ists are exclaiming the prowess of the presence of words on a page, the left shrugs their shoulders and retorts back with: "its complicated".

I agree that "it's complicated" but I want to yell: "fight back! Play ping pong with scripture and pour cement on our feet to show them that we shall not be moved!"

The need for a better answer digs deeper into the realization that the essential mode of discourse is flawed. This battle of beliefs between "us" and "them" only serves to dig deeper into the dis-unity, hate, and trauma prevalent in Christian culture right now. The fact of the matter is: conservative or liberal, progressive or fundamentalist WE all believe in the same God. When we draw battle lines what we are really creating is our own religion. We are saying: MY answers are the right answer, MY Bible is the right Bible, MY God is the right God. In declaring our dictatorship over religion we go to war with all those who would dare disagree.

Jesus taught us that faith is not about survival of the fittest or having the "right" belief. In fact Jesus showed us the opposite. Holy week  shows us that in the most pivotal moments where we think answers are the best solution, silence is actually the way to go. Easter teaches us that sometimes we have to die, we have to give up to discover God. Even in resurrection those who followed Jesus didn't understand what was going on. Mary Magdalene thinks Jesus is a gardener, Thomas asks for physical proof, Peter is terrified of the empty tomb. Only Jesus understood it all.

The fact of the matter is that Jesus taught ALL of us that "it's complicated". We as believers in Christ can spend all our energy and time arguing over interpretation, scriptural authority, context, history, culture, ethics and more OR we can admit to each other that "it's complicated".

None of us have the answers. Throughout the gospels we see question after question thrown at Jesus and rarely does he ever give a straight answer. If we are to follow Christ then we are to move away from answers and seek God in questions. Isn't that faith: not knowing but knowing anyways?

So I guess what I really want to say is: faith, scripture, salvation, sin, love, mercy...it's complicated! Thanks be to God that God knows what's going on.