Last year, after slopping away trying to deal with a little flood here, I sat one evening enjoying a beer and the smoke of a good cigar. And as God met me in that moment of smoke rising, I was gazing into the deep of the star-lit night...and an image caught my eye off to the side; it was a moth at the street light, flying around it, and into it, and crashing, crashing, crashing into it...
...and I remembered something and something related occurred to me almost simultaneously...
I remembered: someone telling me that moths use the moon to navigate.
The moon does not move out of position if the moth flies in a straight line, thus they use it to navigate...but street lamps tend to confuse moths. If the moth flies in a straight line, it thinks the lamp's position has changed, and as the moth continues, the lamp "moves" again; thus the moth flies in circles, moving closer and closer until it is trapped...crashing into the street light again and again. Sad, in a little moth way, right?
...and I remembered something and something related occurred to me almost simultaneously...
I remembered: someone telling me that moths use the moon to navigate.
The moon does not move out of position if the moth flies in a straight line, thus they use it to navigate...but street lamps tend to confuse moths. If the moth flies in a straight line, it thinks the lamp's position has changed, and as the moth continues, the lamp "moves" again; thus the moth flies in circles, moving closer and closer until it is trapped...crashing into the street light again and again. Sad, in a little moth way, right?
This moon theory says that moths know that the brightest light at night-the moon-is always "up." but if they mistake a street lamp for the moon, they find themselves in the utterly confusing position of flying above or past what they understand to be the "moon." Thus they can no longer navigate. but also, the brightness of the light at close quarters makes them think it's daytime, so they go to sleep.
and something occurred to me: we are just like that moth some times. While we use the Greater Light of Christ as our guidance on our journey of life and adventures in faith, it is well. But it is when smaller lights (like some of the "doctrines" we hold tightly to...both the true and false ones) get in the way, and they can eclipse Christ and we get confused or disoriented. And while some of our 'doctrines' are well-conceived and based in truth, they are not the Truth (who is a Person), and thus they can easily de-center Christ, and as we are busy circling our lives around something that is not Christ...we get disoriented, but cannot quite put words to this strange feeling that something is out-of-place.
and something occurred to me: we are just like that moth some times. While we use the Greater Light of Christ as our guidance on our journey of life and adventures in faith, it is well. But it is when smaller lights (like some of the "doctrines" we hold tightly to...both the true and false ones) get in the way, and they can eclipse Christ and we get confused or disoriented. And while some of our 'doctrines' are well-conceived and based in truth, they are not the Truth (who is a Person), and thus they can easily de-center Christ, and as we are busy circling our lives around something that is not Christ...we get disoriented, but cannot quite put words to this strange feeling that something is out-of-place.
Thus, my issue with a lot of what I talked about last time regarding the neo-Reformed (really - as Jamie Smith pointed out to me, it's the neo-Calvinist that I'm really troubled by). They seem to be making issues and fighting about things that are a matter of conscience or indifference (the word the apostle Paul uses in scripture is 'odiofera') in seeking to follow and obey Christ. I do appreciate how the Vineyard has handled this with these matters, as my friend Steve Schenk posted the other day:
GUIDELINES FOR HOW TO LIVE WITH PEOPLE IN THE VINEYARD WHO HAVE A DIFFERING PERSPECTIVE
I. General Guidelines For Relationships
A. Accept that their view is a matter of conscience in obeying the scriptures.
B. Obviously, this mutual respect has to be worked out by listening well to one another and by careful use of our language so as not to show any disrespect to one another.
C. Abstain from using emotive or impugning language.
D. Endeavor to hear and understand one another.
E. Although it is quite acceptable to state what you believe on a point of disagreement, the basis for your views, and what you believe the possible consequences of accepting the differing view could be, these should be done without personal attack or judgment on the one who disagrees with you, and should be expressed with humility.
F. Show the costly side of loving one another by considering the high importance of the interests of others and putting such consideration into actual practice.
G. Speak respectfully about the various views.
H. Acknowledge that this is one of the "debatable issues" where good Christians can disagree in good conscience.
...but all of this feels like it's moving me into the depths of the relational-orientation of God, so that's where I want to pick it up next post...
+Please rouse us, O Lord...let us not lose our way in the smaller lights, but with grace for each other in "debatable issues" help us navigate our way with You as our Center. Amen+
[to be continued...]
+Please rouse us, O Lord...let us not lose our way in the smaller lights, but with grace for each other in "debatable issues" help us navigate our way with You as our Center. Amen+
[to be continued...]
5 comments:
Wow, this post really hits close to home for me. I have always been one that believes that I don't have all the answers or the corner on truth. I believe in making room for others to arrive at completely different conclusions without judgment.
However, I have struggled with the Neo-Calvinists as well and their influence over American Evangelicalism. My approach of making room works, as long as the "other" also engages by those rules. I don't see that. As a matter of fact, I see shots being fired before the rules are even laid out. This is just different than in the past, when Christians could respect one another and agree to disagree. I have been praying about how to love these brothers and sisters, but I almost always find myself being drawn into being on the defensive. Not sure where to go from here.
I'm with you Bill, have struggled with the same thing. Although they have mostly shot pithy little insults at me and walked away, I do take up for those present that they are coming down on in their seemingly always simmering anger. I suppose the only thing we can do is keep the door open for them to walk back through, but the rules of engagement - from my side - are still in effect and if their anger gets unmanageable, I'll gladly show them the door...but keep it open.
I have to admit - that mostly sucks and is really hard...
I do appreciate how Greg Boyd framed it earlier:
Correct Doctrine - Love = Worthless Noise
can failing to love be considered heretical?
What an awesome analogy between the way moths navigate and ourselves... wow...defiantly something to ponder.
BTW - your post reminded me of Ken Wilson's talk last week. We need to cut each other some slack as we listen and follow Jesus the best we can.
What's up Steve? Thanks for the comment on my blog. It's cool to see you check out Steve's stuff & that Josh Hopping comments on yours. We might be a small Vineyard blogging group.
Blessings my friend.
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