There’s the faith and there’s all the other stuff. The theology’s of the Faith. The theology’s of the Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Baptists, all the way over to the “just Christians” and everything in-between. I believe that all these different Christian theologies are one reason why many people don’t join any one particular church, or congregation.
Stepping back to see the forest for the trees is as necessary as stepping back from our involvement in work or life in general. A need to step back and see things in a simpler light. As I wrote about in, …and we still don’t get it!
Theologies are complex. Although, oddly enough, they’re often developed to clarify the Faith. So why are theologies so complicated?
If theologies are so deep, complex, and intricate as to confuse the average followers and create more questions than answers, why bother? The answer is simple, it’s the Human condition. In this case it’s the loophole mindset. We view the loophole as a way to get around the hard things, to change potential sin into something that feels ok.
This is not a new phenomenon. You can go back, biblically speaking, to Adam and Eve. God didn’t really mean you can’t eat of this tree… God didn’t really mean you’d die… There’s a loophole! God’s lying!! This continues with the Mosaic law. Grossly over-simplified, its 613; what about this situation? Can I do this if that happens? What if, Loophole closures. This continues in Jesus’s time as well.
The Apostles, disciples and those sent by the Temple Priest’s, were constantly asking Jesus about the issues of the day, The Ten Commandments, divorce, remarriage etc. they were in most instances looking for a loophole as well as for clarification. Today we’re still discussing the merits of these and other loopholes. We’re still looking for more loopholes. Lawyers, both secular and religious, live on the concept of the loophole. We dive in so deep into our theologies we get lost in the beautiful simplicity of the Faith.
Stepping back to see the forest, to hear the harmony, to read the raw verses that so beautifully state, be kind to one another, take care of one another, be the bringer of good. Evil is easy, ask Adam and Eve. Their perceived loophole was devastating.
Let us not look at each other through the eyes of the loophole, but instead, through the eyes of kindness. Kindness, the simplest form of love. And love is charity.
David E. Gonzales
