Part 193. When all is said and done.

2023 was quite a year for me. I dispensed finally with the last vestiges of fundamentalist literalist conservative evangelicalism and embraced, for me, new ideas. What "my theology' is now I don't know or care but most certainly it is orientated in the progressive/liberal, maybe even the deconstructive, direction.

It has been so liberating to escape the clutches of detailed conservative evangelical biblical exposition and replace it with the broad principles of Jesus as reported in the synoptic gospels.  The two Great Commandments fulfill all earlier teaching and asks of us to love God and love others. The teaching of Jesus, to follow him, to seek His kingdom on earth through love is a simple yet profound concept.

I have given up regularly attending bible study groups. Instead I look forward to attending groups seeking to discern what it means in practical terms to follow Jesus, to understand how love should show itself to to the marginalised and discriminated  against in our society. The shift that has taken place in my thinking  is one of moving from private piety to public proclamation of the need for systemic change in our society. I accept that showing love entails meeting present needs and many faith groups provide a wide range of loving support for people in straitened circumstances or on the receiving end of discrimination.  But simply propping up the system is not enough.  Followers of Jesus should campaign for change, to sweep away the rotten systems and attitudes causing so much hurt and misery. Jesus confronted religious, legal and political systems and so should we.  But do we? Do we seek instead comfort in our church congregations and the feel-good factor of direct assistance to individuals.  I believe we all do in varying degrees and I do not criticise for one second anyone for so doing. But in our heart at least we should pray for His kingdom to come and empowerment of individuals able to campaign for change.

Churches are very good at studying and preaching on the minutiae of bible passages. What is lacking is studying how the two Great Commandents are to be put into effect. How do we challenge those in power to effect systemic change? How do we empower individuals to rise up and campaign for change? Have the lessons of Liberation Theology been understood and applied? Sadly I have my doubts. Too many good people are enveloped in the comfort of churches rather than going into the world and challenging its assumptions and systems.