thread: 2006-09-08 : Salvation, damnation, justification, a la Sydney
On 2006-09-11, Joel P. Shempert wrote:
I grew up in a rural, Baptist setting myself, and one of the things that always-ALWAYS-struck me, even when I was a good little credulous Pastor's Kid with all the answers in Sunday school, was thatwe were taught a tradition of miracles, of seas parting and water to wine and lame walking and fiery chariots and lepers cleansing, and also of people prophesying and God speaking audibly and visions descending from the heavens. . .but of course, of COURSE, you see, God just doesn't work that way NOW. No flaming chariot for YOU, young man. No word of the Lord coming to you and demanding to be spoken. No healing of affliction. No signs and wonders. Oh sure, we have "miracles," meaning ANYthing good that happens especially if we prayed for it, is a miracle, I guess. But yeah, Tony, there was a definite "don't try this at home" vibe over the whole thing. And dammit, I wanted to try it. I wanted to move a mountain into the sea. Because the Bible told me I COULD. And I wanted God to speak to me in a voice. Have a conversation with me. Make things a whole lot easier and clearer. I wanted the whole miracle deal.
Now bear in mind, I wanted Middle Earth to be real too. I wondered just HOW long ago and how far away the Galaxy, and wished I could go there. I think all children want wonders, and depending on a million factors, this leads either to bitter disappointment or a deep and abiding joy as one matures. And I've certainly matured; I still have that ache for Narnia, Valinor, the Promised Land, but I'm sort of learning bit by bit what the ache is for. (Hint: Read Lewis' Surprised by Joy and Tolkien's "On Fairy-Stories.") I'm learning that a conversation with God doesn't have toinvolve soundwaves. I'm learning what Tony just said and that Jesus always knew, that all the divine razzle-dazzle in the world is no substitute for loving people and healing their soul's hurt. As my Political Science teacher always said about Jesus' healings (he considered them acts of acceptance—being willing to touch a leper): "It was a social miracle. The real miracles always are."
I'm ambivalent on the actual divinity issue and ressurrection issue. I do feel that Jesus is someone I can talk to, and who talks back, whose presence is more than just a mere impression of his personality gleaned from an ancient text. But on the other hand, especially viewing the gospels as a story, I tend to side with Tony, that Jesus' "for-keeps" death means a hell of a lot more than the last-minute divine save. On a related note, my brother and I felt ***Spoiler*** that Superman's survival at the end of the new movie was a bit of a cheat, that his sacrifice on the behalf of humanity would have meant far more had it "stuck," and furthermore, that was the BEST DEATH OF SUPERMAN ever.
Anyway. I don't know what value these ramblings have, it's just Tony's stuff struck a chord. I hope I haven't stepped on your toes, Sydney, though I suspect your answer will differ sufficiently from the above. And that's all I have to say for now.
