Sometimes we make theology the discipline of thought or study. The greatest theologians, however, have always been those facing the real issues of their days. St. Augustine faced a crumbling way of life, church heresy, and a collection of pastors asking, "How do we live as Christians in this time?" John Calvin lived in the aftermath of Luther's Reformation and the wars that plagued Christians because of disagreement in doctrine. Karl Barth pastored and taught during WWI and II asking how a Christian lives and acts in Germany in his time.
Great theology, you see, is done in the nitty-gritty of life, where God is involved for radical and life-giving change. Those who have faith, who have love, and who have hope are in the best vantage point to do theology because faith, hope, and love are the attitudes that truly show us God; and when can you hope, but when hope seems lost? When do you best love but when loving is difficult? And when do you have faith but when there seems to be no road? It is in these times that God proves himself strong.
So, with that in mind, I close with this quote:
"Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future; faith is having the courage to dance to it today." ~Peter Kuzmic
How does love fit in with hope and faith in this music analogy?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
I believe that love -as posed by Hemfelt, Minirth & Meier- is a choice. Where faith and hope are things you have, love is something you do. Perhaps this is why it IS the greatest of the three.
I always thought of faith as "the substance of things not seen and the evidence of things hoped for." (this guy Paul said that)
By hope I assume we mean "elpithi" which doesn't have much of a journey implication, usually used comparitively and usually in the nominative case.
But hey I'll go with journey, it flows better, sort of like a poem read by Garrison Keillor on Writer's Almanac.
I do agree that we have an imperative responsibility to faith and hope, through love.
Hey opticalwaveguy: Flesh this out for me:
"By hope I assume we mean "elpithi" which doesn't have much of a journey implication, usually used comparitively and usually in the nominative case."
What implications do you draw?
Hey Maia,
I like what you wrote. It is surely love of one another that was first remarked about Christians.
I think it makes a great connection with Paul when he says that the resurrection is the hope in which we were saved (Romans 8:23-24). It also makes sense to talk about journey, then, when Paul goes on to talk about waiting patiently for our hope to be fulfilled.
In your explanation it sounds like God shines the most when the times around us are at its worst. I know this was the case with me before He got a hold of my life. He used people(christians) that had strong faith, hope, and love to fill that hole in my heart. Now He is using me in the same way placing me in peoples lives to do the same, by showing the faith hope and love that only He can provide. I believe He uses certain people to make huge impacts like Calvin, Luther, and Barth. But He uses all of us to impact the people we come in contact with. So God help each of us with our faith hope and most of all love.
As far as the quote, I would say that love is humming alound the music to someone who can't yet hear it, and asking them to dance with you to it.
Since the sermon this morning I have been thinking about this idea of reconcilliation and, specifically, loving when it is difficult to do so. I can certainly appreciate the very difficult social and political situations the historical theologians that were mentioned found themselves struggling through. I feel that I can relate in some ways but to a much lesser extent. And I struggle with the question of what this love should look like, this difficult love, in the nitty gritty of my life. What about loving a sex offender just released from jail who happens to be a (kind of)part of my family? Shall he come to dinner at my home with my new baby girl? Shall I then let him hold her? Would I then let him baby sit? Where is the line between love and foolishness? Or is there not a line in Jesus' eyes? What about the sort of homeless kid who pops in for dinner at our home sometimes. Is the strange feeling I get of him being not safe and having evil intentions something I ought to push aside in order to just love him? Again, what about the safety of my baby girl? How do I love him as Jesus would when I fear he will harm us? But how can I NOT open my door to him when Jesus has opened His arms to a sinenr such as me? I would love to hear some ideas and "fleshing out" of where one draws the line in todays world with between loving and using wisdom. We don't want to throw pearls to the swine. We need to be gentle as doves yet clever as foxes?? (Is that how that goes?) What does that look like in my every day life?
kt
Hey GT: "When you write, I believe He uses certain people to make huge impacts like Calvin, Luther, and Barth. But He uses all of us to impact the people we come in contact with," you have said it better than I ever could have. This is why it is so important to emphasize the servant role all Christians are called to play.
I'm not sure where my first response went- so I will try again:)
KT poses some interesting questions that we may all at some point in our lives face in the "nitty-gritty" - while sorting out reconciliation, loving, safety and wisdom. Jesus has taught me how to love and forgive - but that doesn't mean that I should not be aware to set up boundaries. Jesus would want you to love your daughter enough to protect her, KT, so trust those motherly instincts. They are from God. I am sure that the leadership of this church would agree with me on this and have scripture to back it up.
Diane?
As for the quote - I am sure I am dancing!
First, KT, let me affirm the penetrating and profound questions you ask--ones that deserve thoughtful reflection (as opposed to "answers"). If you can't ask questions of how we should imitate Christ in the nitty-gritty, then I think we have not taken as seriously as God has some of the horrible aspects of living in a broken and sinful world.
I think you have asked the correct question: How should we love? What about when claims to our love seem to contradict (i.e., the claim your child has to your love and a fellow human has to your love)? I will first say that we learn to love by loving those closest to us. I would then say that you will learn to love the "outsiders" you mentioned by first loving your child; when you love your child, you learn how God loves broken people (which includes the outsiders you mentioned).
Prior to God's final kingdom in which all threat and danger is removed, boundaries are needed not simply to protect, but to love as properly as possible! (After all, you restrict the freedom of your child to ensure their protection and to enable their health as much as possible. Likewise, giving freedom to a person unable to use such freedom is neither fair nor loving.)
So, does celebrating God's embrace of us mean opening our doors to people who wish to do us harm? No. Does it mean being willing to open our doors upon their true repentance? Yes--and then with proper boundaries; does it mean being willing to forgive their hatred and intention to do harm? Yes.
Does God's embrace of us mean embracing those who have been dangerous in the past? With proper boundaries, I think yes. I don't know what the boundaries are that would be appropriate to you and your family for either of the cases you mention, except to affirm that God's gift to you of your child is the most beautiful expression of how God teaches how he loves and how we in turn should love. The love and embrace of your child is primary.
I can't and shouldn't give "answers" to the incredibly profound questions you have asked. The church community would be in a greater position to provide wisdom because of God's ability to speak through his whole church (or maybe a smaller representative). So, please don't take what I've said as answers; these are reflections on your questions from the position of attempting to reflect the call of Christ to carry our crosses and to love.
Having just read AWs reflections, I would say I concur...and to emphasize that proper boundaries aren't merely for defence, but themselves are acts of love.
Opticalwaveguy: This helps me get where you are coming from. I think Maia's comment was not concerning this nature of hope, but more the nature of it being lived out as one journey's in their life.
Good input.
Is "compelled to acquiesce" an oxymoron? :)
Post a Comment