At the risk of sounding like a grump – I am sick of opinions. Don’t worry, I know how chronically, painfully ironic it is to write a blog like this – my opinion on opinions!
However, indulge me for a few paragraphs?
It seems to be a curse of social media, if not of media full stop. Since 2007, when I joined Facebook (mainly to avoid paying for Friends Reunited), I have slowly accumulated a load of friends. Over these last seven years, I have been privy to people’s opinions on all sorts, but it’s the theological opinions that really get to me.
Christians often love to espouse their insights – followed by other Christians chiming in with theirs. What has triggered me writing this blog is how often we (and boy have I been guilty of this!) forget that many non-believers are looking in at our ‘debates’. I wonder what kind of a witness this is?
Rather than take a debate about, say, hell or homosexuality into a private conversation, maybe we enjoy the idea that anyone can see our discussion? Maybe I hope people will think I am clever and really know my biblical onions?
It’s incredible how defensive and frankly, offensive, we can get in sharing our opinions. Is it an obsession more with ‘rightness’ than righteousness?
Recently I have found three words that are setting me free…
I. Don’t. Know.
I don’t know about the final judgement and the nature of hell.
I don’t know why some are healed, and some are not.
I don’t know whether God made the cosmos in six literal days or not.
I don’t know how I am meant to be a new creation, yet still enjoy sinning quite a lot.
I don’t know exactly how to read and treat the Bible.
Trust me, my list goes on… and on…
I am sure there will most likely be a host of opinions left in the comment section (maybe not now I’ve said that!) – and people will continue to state their positions on Facebook. I’ll leave them to it. I am trying to rediscover mystery at the heart of my faith. I don’t want to pretend I know stuff that I don’t anymore. Many of the standard evangelical answers don’t really wash with me; maybe I overthink? But, I know this: I love God. I’m ok not having it all worked out, and I know God doesn’t need me to either. When it boils down, my faith consists of thankfulness and wonder at the mystery of it all. And this brings me peace. It’s almost like peace that goes beyond my understanding!
Image credit: Steve Straiton