ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
February 17, 2023
My friend, Rev. Michael Junkroski, is brilliant in his capacity to point out some of the absurdity within Christianity. Rob Bell has that capacity as well, but that’s for another day. Recently, Michael wrote the following:
For thousands of years, popes and priests indoctrinated billions of people into their cult of self-pity. I’m not sure which is supposed to make us feel worse: that by virtue of being born, we are worthless before we take a breath or that I, in essence, am responsible for God’s suicide because that was the only way for God to reconcile us to His love. It’s the definition of an abusive relationship… (https://michaeljunkroski.com)
I think Michael is, once again, spot on! Throughout the history of Christianity, people have attempted to explain, create theories, and develop systems that clarify a mystery. Some of these attempts have been better than others, yet sadly, Christianity has often chosen some of the most absurd. It is one thing to say, “I imagine God is sort of like…,” recognizing that whatever follows will, at its very best, fall immeasurably short of describing God. And the church has taken these so-called explanations, theories, and systems and has pretended as if they are not all metaphor and poetry. Like any analogy, if taken too far, there will be some problems. They all fall apart at some point because there is no simple explanation for the infinite, perfect love, self-giving love, or even the experience of baptism. Most of the time, we are trying to wrap words around an experience that was so breath-taking that we should have probably just let our awe-struck expression say it all.
May I never feel overly confident in my attempt to speak of you, O Holy One, while never feeling insecure when my explanation of your love falls embarrassingly short. Nothing I say will ever fully grasp, or at the same time, limit, who you are and how you embrace us all with a limitless and relentless love. Amen.
