As I read this week's chapter on relationships in Unbinding Your Heart, I noticed that the author used Trinitarian language as the framework for the conversation on relationships. When I first heard that application of the doctrine of the Trinity, I thought that the theology professor was really reaching! Now, that concept has become foundational to much of today's conversation on connectedness. Simply put, if we understand God as Trinity than by definition God is relational; if we are made in the image of God, we must be relational people.
As I have mentioned in other settings, when I meet someone on a plane or at a party and they find out I am a minister, I know they will have two questions/comments for me: 1. Do you have to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved? 2. Do you have to go to church to be a Christian? I won't bore you with my normal answers except to note that somewhere in my answer to the "church" question I ask my own question -- Can you find me any example in the biblical text where God called someone to be alone? To this point, no one has been able to give me an example (Jesus could be argued as the example, but that gets complicated by Jesus one person of three-person God, which means by definition he is not alone!). For good and for bad, we are in relationship with one another.
As I read this chapter, I found myself also wanting to push back a bit on the author's assertion that anyone who is excited about their faith wants to share their faith with others. While I would be willing to agree that most people who are excited about their faith act on it, the response could be different than bubbling over and telling people about it (of course, at this point I may be the mainline ministers she refers to who just don't get it!). But, I also think we too often consciously choose not to tell others, even when we want to, because we are not sure how that conversation will unfold and we are afraid of being rejected. Her story of not praying with the family gathered at the dying person's bedside at the hospital struck a chord with my own personal experiences as a pastor.
how is this chapter speaking to you?
Peace,
Richard
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment