BLOG 3/23/16. DO WE CHRISTIANS HAVE SOMETHING TO LEARN FROM OTHERS?

BLOG 3/23/16. DO WE HAVE SOMETHING TO LEARN FROM OTHERS?

I received an interesting number of visitors to my last blog on living realistically and radically as God’s children of light right here in this present scene, what with all of its challenges. This came home to me again as I read in the morning paper about the parents in a neighboring county who were quite upset over their children’s school’s use of yoga, which these well-meaning parents felt “endorses a non-Christian belief system.” Alas! we do not live in some some hermetically sealed-off Christian context, but are called to live right in the midst of this (what the scriptures call) “present evil world,” i.e., a world that has also been defined in scripture as the dominion of darkness. But this world is also “my Father’s world.” It has a sacredness to it.

But, … in reading this newspaper account I thought of two dear friends (both recently deceased) who give alternative examples of fruitful encounter with those of differing belief systems, one, in fact in his participation in a yoga group, which he joined for the physical exercise and help it would provide for his busy life. The yoga instructor was, yes, a disciple of oriental religion, but was also aware of the positive fruits of yoga practice. So my friend would go one evening each week to engage with this group of other men to learn about, and engage in the yoga disciplines. The others in the group, to be sure, had no contact with anything Christian and so were fascinated by my friend who was the president of a theological institution. They became social friends. (They had never heard of a ‘theological seminary’—what is that?)

Communication ensued. From time to time they would socialize over meals. It was a two-way street. The others wanted to know what in the world a theological seminary was, and this gave him occasion to ask them questions about the purpose of their lives and their motivations in daily life. So my friend was helped by yoga and by its instructor,  but it was also an occasion to be a witness to the Light with his new found friends. We are called to be salt and light in the midst of many non-Christian belief systems.

The other example that this news article called forth from my memory was my question to a distinguished (and brilliant) Christian professor and department head in philosophy in a west coast university. My friend, I seem to remember, was something of a whiz in phenomenology. My question to him was how he related to the other non-believing members of his department, but hugely qualified in their philosophical fields. In all modesty, my friend acknowledged that he had to realize that he probably had something significant to learn from them, since they were so gifted. But then he added that he also had to assume that perhaps he had some insights, as a Christian intellect, that might be useful to them, so they were collegial, had mutual respect, and were mutually supportive.

Back to the newspaper article about the upset parents and their children’s engagement in the practice of yoga at their public school. If we Christian parents try to protect our children from any encounter with the influences of this secular society, we will first of all surely fail. But even more tragic, we will deprive them of their capacity to discern and resist that which is counter  to  their Christian faith. In our zeal to immunize them against the thought patterns and lifestyle of this secular age, we will leave them even more vulnerable. Rather, parents and children together need to discuss all of these things, and to learn the realistic nuances of their particular setting. This will be challenging. The internet means that there is not much that our children cannot be exposed to, and we certainly don’t want them to be totally vulnerable to all of the challenges that they will confront socially, philosophically, sexually, politically, ethically, … you name it. Robust Christian faith comes from robust fruitful engagement (as Christ’s followers) with the persons and daily realities we, and they, face inescapably each day. Salt and light! That’s us.

About rthenderson

Sixty years a pastor-teacher within the Presbyterian Church. Author of several books, the latest of which are a trilogy on missional ecclesiology: ENCHANTED COMMUNITY: JOURNEY INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH, then, REFOUNDING THE CHURCH FROM THE UNDERSIDE, then THE CHURCH AND THE RELENTLESS DARKNESS. Previous to this trilogy was A DOOR OF HOPE: SPIRITUAL CONFLICT IN PASTORAL MINISTRY, and SUBVERSIVE JESUS, RADICAL FAITH. I am a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, a graduate of Davidson College, then of Columbia and Westminster Theological Seminaries.
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