Faith and Disagreement, Part 2 (Mystery)

Perhaps the greatest issue facing the Church today, in light of our many cultural wars, is how people of faith can have such different understandings about truth and God. Faithful people on either side of a number of issues today can find Bible passages to support many different points of view. This has been the case throughout history. Both abolitionists and defenders of slavery used the Bible to uphold their views. With the ordination of women, both sides used particular passages from the Bible to argue pro or con. So where do we go in the face of such impasses? 

When opposing sides in today’s issues confront one another with the Bible there is often an element that is missing -- mystery. No matter how right we think we are we must make room for the truth that God is bigger than what any of us thinks about God.  I would hope that no faithful reader of scripture would look at her/his interpretation as “the” interpretation; as if God could be contained in one’s point of view. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians, “We all see through a mirror dimly.” We live with an element of mystery. We live in holy relationship with the verses of scripture and as we interpret them through the traditions of those who went before us, and our own reason and experience, we gain insight into the nature and work of God. We grow further as we study and learn together with others who are also living in relationship to the scriptures, even if we interpret them differently. No one knows God’s heart in full.

Mystery scares some people. They would prefer a cut and dry truth and fear that mystery only blurs things. There is truth in life and truth is not a passing whim or emotion that we invent, because truth belongs to God. Jesus was pretty clear that following God meant living a life of love; this is truth! Yet, we must hold truth gently, because truth is bigger than our understanding of it. We must be prepared for how truth can change our understanding of what we think is truth (just ask Peter - check out Acts 10).  If we make room for mystery in our views, we make room for one another and we make room for God’s Spirit to move among us. It will take generosity, humility, and courage. As a wise person once told me, “we must declare our truths without fear, without apology, without shame, and without judgment.” I believe we must also declare them with mystery. This is how we can disagree in good faith.

Together we are the hands and feet of Jesus,

Brett