Theology 601...
So, here is a question Peter and I talked about last night: where do we see and experience God in Christianity? One of the amazing characteristics of the creator God of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament is that he is also intimately connected with his creation. I say "connected" because Christians often use the language of his "concern" or "involvement" with humanity and creation in contrast to a deistic conception where the creator God puts laws in place to govern existence and then does not "interfere". Both of these models suggest that he is primarily considered to exist outside the creation and acts in it only through "intervention", miraculous or otherwise. A more detailed study of the relevant texts reveal that his presence within creation is pretty consistent throughout, be it in many different manifestations. In other words, it is very hard to construct a picture of God "outside" of his creation. Somehow, he is both in heaven (which is seen more as a different dimension than a place far away) and in creation.
The ultimate expression of this characteristic in the Hebrew Scriptures is seen to be the physical presence of their God in the temple in Jerusalem. Functionally, the holy of holies within the temple was seen as the meeting place of the heavenly realm and the earthly realm. In many world religions, poles are used symbolically to represent this connection between the heavenly realm (ostensibly in the sky) and the earthly realm. These symbolic places are considered to be the area where heaven and earth meet...where sacred and profane come together. Religious ritual is meant to recreate this meeting through symbolic participation in a communal setting. Thus, while Moses was the only one permitted to come face to face with God on Mt. Sinai and the high priest was the only one allowed to enter the holy of holies each year to atone for the people's sins with a sacrifice before the altar, it was the people's participation in the religious rites surrounding the tent of meeting and the temple that enabled them to somehow connect with the heavenly realm. It's really a very rich concept.
Then the temple is destroyed and the Judeans are exiled in the early 6th century BCE. The prophetic writings during this time speak of a day when God's presence will once again be among his people, presumably, in a rebuilt temple. Thus we have the construction of the second temple in the 5th century BCE when the Persians allow some of the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem. When the temple is finished, the presence of God does not return according to the Jews' expectations. There is no recording of a scene parallel to the account in the book of Kings where the presence of God comes like fire in the midst of the dedication ceremony and forces all the celebrants onto their faces. The theological explanation of his failure to return is couched in terms of continued exile. Though the Jews had returned to their land, they were still in "exile" because they were under the rule of the pagans (paralleled of course in their original exile/slavery in Egypt and historically located with the domination of the Persians and subsequently the Seleucid Greeks and Romans, with a short Jewish self-rule under the Hasmonean "dynasty" in the late 2nd century BCE following the Maccabean revolt).
This theological interpretation leads to the development of Jewish eschatology, or the expectation of history's culmination in the vindication of the Jewish people when their God comes to live among them again. It was assumed that this would take place within the structures of the temple, as is seen in the writings surrounding the various messianic movements of the Second Temple period. Always, the legitimacy of a messiah was to include the purification of the temple from pagan influence so that God's presence could return and the Jews would have a place to once again stand at the threshold of heaven and earth.
In the Christian writings of the New Testament, Jesus can be seen as becoming the new temple. He is the place on earth where the fullness of God's heavenly presence dwells among his people. He is the meeting place of heaven and earth. And it is around this presence that the people of God are to be gathered. In other words, Jesus becomes the place where the Jews are to "see" God living among them. Further, Jesus becomes the fulfillment of how the temple is portrayed in prophetic writings (and had been to a certain extent in Solomon's time)--not just the place where Jews gather to see God, but where the other peoples of the world are drawn to see him as well.
But, the Christian writings also portray Jesus as having died, been bodily resurrected, and "ascended" to the heavenly dimension. He is no longer physically present among his people. Does this mean that the vindication of God's people didn't actually occur? Does it mean that God does not actually physically live among his people?
This is where Peter and I picked up the conversation (I know, that's a long preamble, but we've both studied theology and Jewish history enough to have that background). The prevailing attitudes in contemporary American Christianity seem to point at Jesus not being here, and that his people will one day "go to meet him face to face" as it is often described. While I'm sure there could be several interpretations of such an ambiguous phrase, the connotation in conversation certainly seems to be that Jesus is "somewhere" and we will "go" there to be in his presence again. This is behind the concepts of rapture and "going to heaven" that have been widely popularized in various hymns and books and such contemporary writings like the Left Behind series.
Also, the concept of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology mysteriously allows for Jesus' presence when two or more are gathered in his name; Paul describes the body as being the temple of the Spirit of God (this is usually read as an individual status, but I wonder if in context it does not refer to the collective gathering of Christians in Corinth...I don't have the Greek to say either way on that).
Many Christians today, particularly in the evangelical tradition, might say they meet God or see Jesus in their "quiet time", a term used to denote a regular set aside time to read and the study the Bible and pray. The quiet time has been a staple of the many books and materials on spiritual disciplines to which most of us in the evangelical tradition have been exposed. We were often told as teenagers that it was so important to have a quiet time and meet God in that set aside time.
I ask, where do we get the idea that we can meet God in reading the Bible? I know this is a provocative statement, and I mean it to be. Where does this presupposition come from? I am aware that the New Testament had not been fully compiled when it was being written (duh), but there was no inkling from Jesus in his teachings that a devotion to Torah or the writing of the prophets was what would bring his followers into the presence of God. It seems like he would include instructions regarding such a crucial topic, and that the authors of the writings that would eventually be the New Testament would mention it, even if Jesus had not said it, to give their writings more legitimacy.
But, the only teachings attributed to Jesus about being in his presence, and therefore the presence of God, have nothing to do with reading sacred writings. These teachings have everything to do with people. Do you see the shift? Moving from people to books, from active engagement with the surrounding physical world to the shutting off from the world to "commune" with printed text, from communal interaction to individual solitude; this shift seems to not only miss the thrust of the original teaching, but subvert it! That should cause every thinking evangelical Christian grave concern.
As I mentioned before, being with other people who gather in Jesus' name is one such avenue. There is another that is far more prominent and yet grievously ignored in most evangelical circles. As you might guess, I am referring to Jesus' teaching that he is somehow mystically present when people feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned. In short, Jesus is present when people serve the poor. In a teaching referring to the ultimate judgment, Jesus is seen as rewarding those who served the poor because they had served him, and rejecting those who had not served the poor because they had not served him. His paraphrased words: "Whatever you do for the least of these, you have done for me."
I don't understand it, but Jesus is mysteriously present in the people that we love and serve, particularly the outcast and downtrodden. His eyes look out through the red-rimmed eyes of oppressed and marginalized humanity; see the atrocities of war and the devastation of starvation. His ears hear the insults aimed at the disfigured; hear the cries of the starving baby whose mother sits helpless, tears ducts exhausted long ago. This is where we are told to meet with Jesus, to come before the presence of God.
So, I ask again, where do we see and experience God in Christianity? I would submit that we in America who call ourselves followers of Jesus have much to answer for. I also submit that many of us who may ask to see more of God or experience more of his presence need only look as far as the nearest homeless shelter or social services agencies. I submit that if we are waiting to one day "go" and "meet him face to face", then we are wasting our time in a terrible way. If we do not take seriously our role in fulfilling the prayer that God's "kingdom come [and his] will be done on earth as it is in heaven", then we should have a very hard time indeed figuring out what exactly it is that makes us followers of Jesus.
I'm seeing God more as I'm learning to invite Karen (was that her name, Lizzie?) to sit at the lunch table when she asks for a diet 7-Up. I've got a long way to go, but I'm glad that I don't have to ask to see him anymore. I know right where he is.
The ultimate expression of this characteristic in the Hebrew Scriptures is seen to be the physical presence of their God in the temple in Jerusalem. Functionally, the holy of holies within the temple was seen as the meeting place of the heavenly realm and the earthly realm. In many world religions, poles are used symbolically to represent this connection between the heavenly realm (ostensibly in the sky) and the earthly realm. These symbolic places are considered to be the area where heaven and earth meet...where sacred and profane come together. Religious ritual is meant to recreate this meeting through symbolic participation in a communal setting. Thus, while Moses was the only one permitted to come face to face with God on Mt. Sinai and the high priest was the only one allowed to enter the holy of holies each year to atone for the people's sins with a sacrifice before the altar, it was the people's participation in the religious rites surrounding the tent of meeting and the temple that enabled them to somehow connect with the heavenly realm. It's really a very rich concept.
Then the temple is destroyed and the Judeans are exiled in the early 6th century BCE. The prophetic writings during this time speak of a day when God's presence will once again be among his people, presumably, in a rebuilt temple. Thus we have the construction of the second temple in the 5th century BCE when the Persians allow some of the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem. When the temple is finished, the presence of God does not return according to the Jews' expectations. There is no recording of a scene parallel to the account in the book of Kings where the presence of God comes like fire in the midst of the dedication ceremony and forces all the celebrants onto their faces. The theological explanation of his failure to return is couched in terms of continued exile. Though the Jews had returned to their land, they were still in "exile" because they were under the rule of the pagans (paralleled of course in their original exile/slavery in Egypt and historically located with the domination of the Persians and subsequently the Seleucid Greeks and Romans, with a short Jewish self-rule under the Hasmonean "dynasty" in the late 2nd century BCE following the Maccabean revolt).
This theological interpretation leads to the development of Jewish eschatology, or the expectation of history's culmination in the vindication of the Jewish people when their God comes to live among them again. It was assumed that this would take place within the structures of the temple, as is seen in the writings surrounding the various messianic movements of the Second Temple period. Always, the legitimacy of a messiah was to include the purification of the temple from pagan influence so that God's presence could return and the Jews would have a place to once again stand at the threshold of heaven and earth.
In the Christian writings of the New Testament, Jesus can be seen as becoming the new temple. He is the place on earth where the fullness of God's heavenly presence dwells among his people. He is the meeting place of heaven and earth. And it is around this presence that the people of God are to be gathered. In other words, Jesus becomes the place where the Jews are to "see" God living among them. Further, Jesus becomes the fulfillment of how the temple is portrayed in prophetic writings (and had been to a certain extent in Solomon's time)--not just the place where Jews gather to see God, but where the other peoples of the world are drawn to see him as well.
But, the Christian writings also portray Jesus as having died, been bodily resurrected, and "ascended" to the heavenly dimension. He is no longer physically present among his people. Does this mean that the vindication of God's people didn't actually occur? Does it mean that God does not actually physically live among his people?
This is where Peter and I picked up the conversation (I know, that's a long preamble, but we've both studied theology and Jewish history enough to have that background). The prevailing attitudes in contemporary American Christianity seem to point at Jesus not being here, and that his people will one day "go to meet him face to face" as it is often described. While I'm sure there could be several interpretations of such an ambiguous phrase, the connotation in conversation certainly seems to be that Jesus is "somewhere" and we will "go" there to be in his presence again. This is behind the concepts of rapture and "going to heaven" that have been widely popularized in various hymns and books and such contemporary writings like the Left Behind series.
Also, the concept of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology mysteriously allows for Jesus' presence when two or more are gathered in his name; Paul describes the body as being the temple of the Spirit of God (this is usually read as an individual status, but I wonder if in context it does not refer to the collective gathering of Christians in Corinth...I don't have the Greek to say either way on that).
Many Christians today, particularly in the evangelical tradition, might say they meet God or see Jesus in their "quiet time", a term used to denote a regular set aside time to read and the study the Bible and pray. The quiet time has been a staple of the many books and materials on spiritual disciplines to which most of us in the evangelical tradition have been exposed. We were often told as teenagers that it was so important to have a quiet time and meet God in that set aside time.
I ask, where do we get the idea that we can meet God in reading the Bible? I know this is a provocative statement, and I mean it to be. Where does this presupposition come from? I am aware that the New Testament had not been fully compiled when it was being written (duh), but there was no inkling from Jesus in his teachings that a devotion to Torah or the writing of the prophets was what would bring his followers into the presence of God. It seems like he would include instructions regarding such a crucial topic, and that the authors of the writings that would eventually be the New Testament would mention it, even if Jesus had not said it, to give their writings more legitimacy.
But, the only teachings attributed to Jesus about being in his presence, and therefore the presence of God, have nothing to do with reading sacred writings. These teachings have everything to do with people. Do you see the shift? Moving from people to books, from active engagement with the surrounding physical world to the shutting off from the world to "commune" with printed text, from communal interaction to individual solitude; this shift seems to not only miss the thrust of the original teaching, but subvert it! That should cause every thinking evangelical Christian grave concern.
As I mentioned before, being with other people who gather in Jesus' name is one such avenue. There is another that is far more prominent and yet grievously ignored in most evangelical circles. As you might guess, I am referring to Jesus' teaching that he is somehow mystically present when people feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned. In short, Jesus is present when people serve the poor. In a teaching referring to the ultimate judgment, Jesus is seen as rewarding those who served the poor because they had served him, and rejecting those who had not served the poor because they had not served him. His paraphrased words: "Whatever you do for the least of these, you have done for me."
I don't understand it, but Jesus is mysteriously present in the people that we love and serve, particularly the outcast and downtrodden. His eyes look out through the red-rimmed eyes of oppressed and marginalized humanity; see the atrocities of war and the devastation of starvation. His ears hear the insults aimed at the disfigured; hear the cries of the starving baby whose mother sits helpless, tears ducts exhausted long ago. This is where we are told to meet with Jesus, to come before the presence of God.
So, I ask again, where do we see and experience God in Christianity? I would submit that we in America who call ourselves followers of Jesus have much to answer for. I also submit that many of us who may ask to see more of God or experience more of his presence need only look as far as the nearest homeless shelter or social services agencies. I submit that if we are waiting to one day "go" and "meet him face to face", then we are wasting our time in a terrible way. If we do not take seriously our role in fulfilling the prayer that God's "kingdom come [and his] will be done on earth as it is in heaven", then we should have a very hard time indeed figuring out what exactly it is that makes us followers of Jesus.
I'm seeing God more as I'm learning to invite Karen (was that her name, Lizzie?) to sit at the lunch table when she asks for a diet 7-Up. I've got a long way to go, but I'm glad that I don't have to ask to see him anymore. I know right where he is.