Futility of futilities: Truth.
It is a boundless complexity so far beyond our capacities to understand that i find myself strongly in line with the apophatic theologians of the early 20th century (A branch of mysticism that emphasizes the fact that God/Truth cannot be known). The wisest man is the one who humbles himself before truth. BEFORE truth, as in ‘not in Truth’ or ‘at truth… but before arrival. I like it in the Bible when ‘Yahweh’ takes on the form of “Truth.” (the first personal pronoun “I” is truth speaking) so God is Truth and fully Other-ness, fully transcendent (his full revelation filtered and reduced for our finiteness)… the secret of mysticism is this, that man will understand everything by the help of what he does not understand (Chesterton). The holes, the gaps, the missing links are perhaps not the problem, but the solution. On the journey for truth: arriving at your destination you will find nothing but a sign that says “LOOK BACK”… you will look back on your steps and there you will find an answer. Truth is in the quest, and the more abstract it seems, the more paradoxical the silver lining… well, the closer you are to understanding the glory of God. He (Truth) is not something to be discovered, but something to be searched. The Greatest Mystery. We will not conquer Truth, we will not conquer God… this is why the idea of mysticism rings so true in my heart. We are silent before truth, we are silent and still before God.
Therefore – continuing with the initial thought – structure and order are necessary for us ‘extremely animal-like’ creatures. It is true that we need order, it is true that we need structure… or else Leviathan reigns. Often in prophetic writings Order battles against Chaos (Leviathan/Rahab) and crushes its seven heads. The Primordial Battle is not between good and evil, not between right and wrong, but between order and chaos. Maybe this is where truth, the only type we are worthy of putting our infinitesimal mind-hands on, lies – in the creation of order and the best structure for such an order. (Which will adapt… truth will be provisional, derived and therefore continuously open for revision depending on who, what, and when.) So, the church serves this purpose. What does the church know about Truth? look at the hundreds of denominations. You might say that the core is the same, but how little significance does this seem to make? Protestants and Catholics murdered each other for 4 centuries. Yet, the core WAS the same. Most Christians have the same core, but apparently this has very little affect. Unitarians? Pentecostals? Fundamentalists?
The bible is a framework (‘instrument for order’). A good one, but too unclear – hence the interference of church dogma and doctrine… obviously perverted by the ‘corruption of power’ held by the church. i think the church is, as Catholics believed, just as much an instrument of God’s revelation as the Bible. The reformational concept of sola-scritura punched a big hole into the role of the church… creating hundreds of denominations. Splits in the over-arching structure… causing dissention, violence, and grand chaos. Was it for the good? Perhaps, but how many suffered? How many died? And look at the effects of this on Europe today. They hate religion (or worse; complete uninterest) because of its violent oppressive and hypocritical historical fingerprints, making Western Europe one of the most secular/atheistic regions on earth. Something messed up big time.
I have heard pastors say that when they preach to congregations they don’t necessarily say and moralize what they believe to be correct. They are shepherds… and I like this image: it is not the shepherd in this context that leads the sheep. That is not his prerogative, in a sense it is the shepherds primary role to keep them safe and together. Leading them yes, but maybe from behind… does that make sense? What is best for my sheep? What do they need to hear? That is THEE question. What do they need to hear (often this should be challenging, stimulating, and exciting… but controlled) – Not what do I have to tell them, or what is the ‘Truth.’
Schliermacher wanted to remove everything from Christianity that was not central to Christ. Theologically I have an inclination to agree with him, but only theologically. Not on the ecclesial level… the church’s concern is it’s people. It serves them… it is meant for them. That’s why the church is so important. It is that framework, that structure upon which to hang happiness, contentment, morality…etc. it is not there to judge, just as Christ said that he did not come to judge the earth. If only the church could come up with a ‘system’ that removed guilt and judgmentalism that it breeds with such incredible diligence. BUT I think at the same time a church must calculate how honest it is going to be with its congregation. I think anything that gives hope, that brings joy, that encourages cannot be ‘wrong’ whether it is ‘True’ or not. The spirit is fueled by Love, and the mind should be governed by it… this is the fulfillment of the Law. (Romans) It is Not about Truth… it is about Love. And Love will always override Truth.
Great post, Pierre. I couldn’t stop nodding my head in agreement.
Ever read anything by Karen Armstrong? Her “Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism” was awesome, although incredibly long (even just the introduction is well worth the read)! I found her exploration of “mythos” vs. “logos” and how that’s affected religion through history incredibly fascinating.
Reading the apophatic theologians for the first time was like coming home. I felt like I’d finally found a place I could breathe. I find that a lot of their thinking is reflected by some of my favourite poets: Rilke, Rumi, Hafiz, Mary Oliver. They know how to explore Mystery and are comfortable with “unknowing” and silence. They also make faith possible for me.
Hope you’re doing well!
Interesting, i like.
hey Jessica, i haven’t heard of her – but i will look into it, sounds interesting
making faith possible for you, i like that phrase. i once said that when someone asked me why i was studying bonhoeffer, he made faith possible for me. especially his letters and ethics.. anyhow, i am not sure which jessica you are; but i also hope you are doing well