"My concern for clergy is that they’re caught in a trap like the Emperor’s new clothes. Behind closed doors, clergy doubt much of what they believe. Is God there? Is the Bible accurate? We all have doubts. But, when most clergy step up into the pulpit, none of that is expressed.
The truth is that most people who come to church have lots of doubts themselves, but they cannot express their doubts, either, because the church has become this place where everyone is expected to be a stalwart of Christianity.
The congregation finds itself caught in this game in which everyone is trying to hide from each other. The church can become like this crack house, where everyone wanders in to escape their suffering for an hour with their weekly hit from the church."
Peter Rollins
Sadly there is very little acknowledgement in church that doubt is the very lifeblood of relationship with a mysterious and inexplicable God. Taming him into belief systems that *I* hold onto, diminishes him into some kind of behind the curtain Wizard of Oz that I bring out on demand.
Faith inherently requires an uncertainty. and God knows with God there is enough of that to go around if we're not playing pretend.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver [...] "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
It's beyond a crying shame that elaborate houses of cards have been constructed and held onto like the very breath of life thus teaching everyone to live in inauthenticity where maintenance of the facade becomes the "lifeblood" rather than the messy and satisfying work of relationship.
2 comments:
Even the founder of Christianity (who never intended to found a new religion) wrestled with his doubts alone in the desert, which is the best place to wrestle with them. He tended to keep his doubts to himself. He was a rabbi, after all. But in his darkest hour, he felt his Father had forsaken him, and cried out for all of us to hear. He did not have any doubts, however, when the door to his tomb was opened and the sunlight hit him in the face. But doubting or not, he always held his shape. He would not offer up pretense and call it worship. We cannot be honest with God until we are honest with ourselves.
Thanks, Henry. So very true. What occurred in his life compelled authenticity.
I think life has a way of doing that to us, though we may not appreciate it until after the fact!!
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