The other day, our second session of NT Intro, we introduced a big concept: the Gospels are theological and literary interpretations of Jesus, at least as much as they are chronicles of things Jesus did and said. Case study after case study, we looked at the storytelling skill that shapes Mark's Gospel. Mark lines up similar stories next to one another, like stained glass windows inviting comparison. Mark uses Scripture to shape the telling of a particular story. Mark uses a passage of Scripture in one way, then returns to that passage to undermine the previous message. Mark would shape readers' perceptions of Jesus and what it means to follow him before Mark will line up details of Jesus's life.
And a student asked the pressing question: If we share stuff like this in church, we'll lose our jobs. Right?
Maybe, but I don't think so. It's a common fear among religious leaders, that laypeople can't handle the truth or will punish them for telling it. I'm sure that during this tumultuous time in the United States, this fear is more true than it's been in awhile. I remember encountering the story of a White Southern Baptist pastor who was severely beaten by his congregation for voicing sympathy with the Civil Rights Movement.That made an impression on this future seminarian.
But there's another truth--or a set of them. When exactly did Jesus call his disciples to patronize people? Ministry that hides the truth from believers lacks integrity. It's a sellout, daily and weekly. Yes, it's important to bring people along gently. By no means should preachers dump their education on congregations without thinking it through pastorally and strategically. But you can't compromise integrity in one area and expect it to hold up in others. Tell the truth slant, absolutely. But tell it.
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| Emily Dickinson, Wikipedia |
Another truth is that our failure to address real issues in real ways communicates that Christianity is irrelevant at best and dishonest at worst. Over and over I hear people telling me they just didn't believe the church had anything to say to them, at least nothing that mattered. One day I was teaching a group of mostly older adults. I don't remember how we got there, but I eventually asked how many of them had adult children who were married.
Most.
How many of those children had chosen not to live together before the wedding?
None.
I couldn't remember a preacher ever acknowledging that reality in church. We perform weddings, catechize children, and celebrate families, but we can't just speak to the truth of people's lives? Dishonest. Irrelevant.
When it comes to theology, especially biblical studies, it's no longer the case that religious leaders can assume congregations who don't know stuff. Young adults take religious studies courses in college. They encounter ideas in media that didn't exist when I was in seminary. They travel. They inhabit a pluralistic world. So they hear things.
Imagine what happens when a kid grows up in church, encounters a new and important idea in college that makes a lot of sense, and realizes that their religious leaders knew about that idea all along but never mentioned it? Yeah. And it happens all the time.
They leave, and you'll hardly notice it. Millions of people have left, and this is one of the reasons.
I never hide the truth from congregations. I always contextualize it. I will introduce it gently. I'll explain why it's good news rather than a threat. But I never hide it. And in my experience, far more people are energized by the process than driven away by it when it happens with authenticity, respect, and compassion.
Tell the truth. And not too slant.
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