Klavan Fils.
You’ve taken us into a very difficult area, which I’m afraid is where we’re supposed to be.
Recently, I brought such a hellacious storm of opprobrium down upon my head that I had to look up the word opprobrium to find out what was falling on my head. My sin was saying that God would have compassion on whomever he pleased and show mercy to whomever he pleased (Exodus 33:19) and that just because you call Jesus Lord, that's no guarantee of salvation (Matthew 7:21), and indeed there would be those who were saved by serving Christ without ever knowing it was Christ they served (Matthew 25:37-39, Luke 10:25-37 & John 4:22) and that, therefore, we should judge not, for we may be surprised whom we meet in heaven, if we are lucky enough to go there.
Well! You would have thought I had taken the rattle from a baby. I was condemned as a universalist — which is not true at all; I think everyone I dislike is going to hell! Or worse, I was accused of telling antisemites to stop hating Jews — which I would never ever do; I think antisemites should hate like crazy until the acid of hatred burns their souls into blackened, twisted nubs. Because I find that amusing. Some even felt that I was telling them that furious, vitriolic professions of faith spat angrily in the faces of those they despised were perhaps not exactly what God had in mind when he told us to love one another as he loved us. Which I guess sort of was like taking a rattle from a baby, assuming it was a baby rattler.
But more seriously, what I had really done was contradict the preachments of certain churches and churchmen by quoting the ever-radical word of God.
I am a great believer in orthodoxy, ritual, liturgy and tradition. I think they are the collected wisdom of the wise. By the same token, I am an enemy of piety, niceness and virtuous good feeling which are, far too often, a mask for conformity to the world and its corruption. But for me, a church has a purpose. It is a vessel for carrying God. It may be a vessel ordained by God, but, day to day, it is made by men, and if it ceases to be a vessel for God, it is nothing, no matter how orthodox or traditional it may otherwise be.
So while I am wary of new-fangled woo, my question is always: woo in the service of who? We know that all the law and the prophets hang on the love of God and neighbor. We know that Jesus expresses, not a philosophy in the classical sense, but a vision of what the world is.
If science unfolds fresh insights into that vision — as good science surely will — and if that gives us fresh woo for you-know-who, then, and only then, I say: Woo-hoo!
Pa Klavan
Andrew, how is it that I agree with everything you say? Perhaps because you affirm classical Christian orthodoxy. I’m sorry that brings down opprobrium on you. But I thank you for affirming the faith once for all delivered to the saints. May our God of grace and love continue to give you courage to fight the good fight of faith. Be blessed.
Jesus said, pick up your cross and follow me. There were no instructions about how that would feel, but, based on personal imperfect experience, it is not "nice."