(e)mergent Voyageurs

Of late I have been considering the future of the Church, the contribution the emerging church movement and what role will I play in it all, if any. I truly and deeply believe that we are in a crucial place as the Body of Christ, one that it at the same time tenuous and promising. As we move forward toward the ultimate intentions of God, wisdom is a treasured commodity.

It is times like this, as I read Scripture, consider Church history and seek God in prayer, that I also turn men and women who have stood as examples for me. With that in mind, I want to share a few quotes from them, taking a little time to reflect on how I see each other applying to our shared journey. Please share with me your own perspective in the comment section:

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

 

This, perhaps, is what ulitmately gave rise to the emerging movement- an unwillingness to remain silent about that which we feel is too important to ignore. While we can too often come across as though we are arguing from a spirit of critical superiority, I truly believe that the most sincere voices in this conversation are motivated because they love God and His Church. We would do well in the midst of our enthusiasm and frustration to remember that original purpose that inspired us.

“All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.”

-Martin Luther King Jr., ‘Strength to Love,’ 1963

All of us, both those involved in the movement and those critiquing it, must remember this. If we become too impatient, too simplistic or too ungracious, we will negative impact the “progress” that we work for inch by inch. As Gandhi titled his autobiography, we are engaged in “experiments in truth”. We cannot expect instant or constant success. Rome, after all, was not… Well, you get the picture

“The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.”

-Martin Luther King Jr., “Strength to Love”

This is one of my favourite quotes. In this simple sentence Dr. King reminds us of the need for “tempered radicals” (to borrow a brilliant term from Debra Meyerson). Our “nonconformist” nature must be guided by true discipline. The results we aim towards are not about being right, but bringing restoration of God’s intention. We live in an “argument culture”, so the temptation to emphasize proving our position can be very real, perhaps the biggest fruit in the emergent garden.

“Be nice to whites, they need you to rediscover their humanity.”

-Bishop Desmond Tutu

Though it may be selfish, this is why embracing diversity is such a strong emphasis in most of my writing and ministry. By no means have “white males” suffered like so many others have, so often at our hands. However, we cannot forget that we have also been deeply scarred by our own sins. This is another reason why I feel I need what is happening in the emerging church movement.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

-Bishop Desmond Tutu

There are times when the emerging conversation becomes heated, even argumentative. Many times it stems out of the realization that many of the issues being addressed are ones that relate directly to the well being of others. If we are right about the racialization of theology or the subtle (or blatant) misogyny in our ecclesiology, then there are real people at this very moment suffer for it most. Silence and neutrality condemn us.

“The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart.”

-Dorothy Day

While we deeply need to be exploring theology, examining Scripture and engaging new ideas, we must never forget that it is the heart, the womb the carries the promise of praxis, that should remain our central focus. In our desire to be heard and validated, we can easily become that which we are trying to transform.

“Tradition! We scarcely know the word anymore. We are afraid to be either proud of our ancestors or ashamed of them.”

-Dorothy Day

As the emerging church conversation has centered significantly around a critique of modernity, this quote has serious implications. While Day was referring to tradition within her own Roman Catholic faith, the application is clear. Many of us cannot deny that our emerging faith grew from the fertile soil of modernity. We must never stand on the shoulders of giants and mock them. Grace, appreciation and honour should be the foundation of any critique.

“I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions.”

-Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness, 1952

I believe in the study of theology, the commitment of contemplatives and the role of academy in faith. However, I also believe that we are at a place where our theological reflection must be born out of praxis. I am not suggesting that we blaze ahead ignorantly, but recognize that we have laid a strong foundation in more than 2000 years. It is time that we act. Let our witness have the authority demonstrated through incarnational theology.

 

Emerging Church