"Life is Complex"

Stemming from my personal struggle to make sense of life and out of the recognition of how little progress I have made, comes a motto, "Life is complex." This may read like an expression of surrender or agnostic depression but it is not. I say these words with a sense of relief and joy. It is a relief to acknowledge that my difficulty in making clear judgements about people, issues, and everything in between, is less a reflection of my critical thinking skills and more to do with the raw complexity of reality. Along side this, runs an abiding faith that all things are in God's hands. His critical thinkings skills are sufficient for the task. And, He is with me.

Admitting life's complexity leads me to a place of humility. The information age has resulted in a paradoxical effect. The more I know, the more I realize how much I do not know. History is full of examples of people making assertions with full conviction only to have time bear out the error of the position. This is especially true in religious history. The CofC is no exception here. Humility leads me to avoid unilateral judgements. Remember the advice you received about using words like "never", "always", "all", and "every".

People, issues, and things in-between are rarely good or bad, right or wrong, righteous or unrighteous, etc., but rather, they are a composite of opposites. For example, I look in the mirror and see a man who is both good and bad, mostly good I think. Can you trust me? The answer is: most of the time. You see, I have let people down in the past, and I will let people down in the future. So I strive for the grace of God to expand the good, right, and righteous in me, not losing sight that the bad, wrong, and unrighteous are still at work. There is great strength in humility. The strength of not losing sight of one's own weakness.

We can apply this humility of thinking to things outside of ourselves. Each day we are confronted with opportunities for judgement. Factors like societal trends, political issues, and influential people are constantly impacting the course of this world in which we live. We are tempted to judge things unilaterally. Is Tom DeLay a good man or bad? Both. Jesse Jackson? Both. Benny Hinn? Both. We can argue all day as to how the good versus bad is weighted, but, it is important to acknowledge that both are present.

If you have read this far, you are wondering, "Where is he going with this?" I am currently reading a book, "A History of Fundamentalism in America" by George W. Dollar. By the strict definition of biblical fundamentalism, I would count myself as one. Yet, I cringe at the thought of being wrapped up with the current expression of American Fundamentalism. A true fundamentalist would judge me a liberal. There are many in my own brotherhood that would judge me liberal. I abhor the underlying principles of biblical liberalism. I am not a liberal and yet I am not at home with the conservatives. What is the X-factor? Humility.

I am striving for a conservatism that is humble. Can we simultaneously seek truth and maintain awareness of our limits? Can we acknowledge the work of God in others without obsessing over differences? Can we trust that God is sufficient for the task? And, that He is with us?

I think we can. We have been making great strides.

Mike Cope has posted some thoughts that humbly deal with the complexity of homosexuality. You can read it here.