A Response to Chad

My friend Chad commented on the last post - read his comment. Then read this.

The question of what is pleasing to God and how it relates to identity is interesting because I think it does go into Biblical interpretation. You are right on this point.

I have a mentor group and we talked about this last night. The major passage that deals with this issue speaks of denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily and following Jesus. Whoever wants to keep his life will lose it. Whoever wants to lose his life for my sake will find it.

This passage deals with identity. It is saying that if you want to find your true identity, your "psyche" or soul in the Greek, you must intentionally deny your self, take up your cross daily (daily intentional suffering for others) and follow me. There is something in all people that resonates with this idea of suffering for others. And when we think about people who have stepped the most fully and meaningfully into their identity, we think of Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Bishop Tutu, etc. So, paradoxically, to have the most fully human identity involves denying the claims of identity - giving up its rights and privileges for the sake of others. We, that is, all people, know this intrinsically.

But because we find this is difficult, church people usually try and interpret their way out of this fact and end up creating an alternative way to get to know and please God but we lose ourselves in the process.

Martin Luther talks about the two main theologies: (thank you honey for pointing this out)

1) The theology of glory which is more common and seeks to experience God through ecstatic experience, power, superior wisdom, insight, study and ritual.

and

2) The theology of the cross which seeks God through intentional suffering and giving up of one's rights and privileges.

Luther thinks that we only gain our true identity through the latter but most of the world (including many Christians) desire the former because it is a shortcut. This is why I told you that Trudy (one of our co-workers) was a better spiritual example than me. I have studied a lot but she has lived the way of the cross for years. The way of the cross is love. The theology of glory is pride and selfishness.

In short - we tend to interpret the Bible in ways that make following Jesus easier. In doing so we cheat ourselves out of experiencing life in it's fullness - suffering for others and finding our real identity. Our "self" is the image of God on us. It is on all of us. It is up to us to decide whether we will lose enough of our self to uncover it - kind of like that marble in the "chiseled" post.

Chad - perhaps you wanted to talk reader response type stuff but this was the direction I went. We can talk more at work.