I was asked by someone at church if I was giving up anything for lent. I said "no". Saying I'm giving up "theological certainty" just made me sound like a complete tosser. Which probably isn't too far from the truth.
Christians from the fundamentalist variety through to the liberal variety all tend to make statements with great certainty about what God is like and how God acts in the world. For 40 days (plus Sundays) I've decided to look at my own certainties and the certainties of others and say "maybe", "perhaps" or "I don't know". My life has become for all intents and purposes agnostic.
For all this I doubt anyone around me would have noticed. I've still prayed, still read the Bible, still gave money to people in need and have not binged on sex, drugs and rock n' roll. With all the theological uncertainty in the world I am still asking myself, "What does it mean to be human?" and, "How best might I live?" In answering these questions I still find myself turning to the Xn story.
Maybe when talking about our faith to others it might be worth ditching the theology, trying to convince people of what we believe about God, sin and death and stick to the material reality of how we live and why we turn to the Xn story to inform that?
Christians from the fundamentalist variety through to the liberal variety all tend to make statements with great certainty about what God is like and how God acts in the world. For 40 days (plus Sundays) I've decided to look at my own certainties and the certainties of others and say "maybe", "perhaps" or "I don't know". My life has become for all intents and purposes agnostic.
For all this I doubt anyone around me would have noticed. I've still prayed, still read the Bible, still gave money to people in need and have not binged on sex, drugs and rock n' roll. With all the theological uncertainty in the world I am still asking myself, "What does it mean to be human?" and, "How best might I live?" In answering these questions I still find myself turning to the Xn story.
Maybe when talking about our faith to others it might be worth ditching the theology, trying to convince people of what we believe about God, sin and death and stick to the material reality of how we live and why we turn to the Xn story to inform that?
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