Theologizin’ Bigger during Turbulent times
Day 3
“Theologizin’ ain’t just for the theologians. It’s for everybody who’s still thinking new thoughts about God. Good thoughts. Bad thoughts. Skeptical thoughts. Undoubting thoughts. When you’re willing to sit with those thoughts and follow where they lead you, I’d call you a theologizer.” - Trey Ferguson
Welcome to Day 3 of my Theologizin’ Bigger series as a way to bring in my 25th birthday and acknowledge the beautiful impact the book this series is named after has had one me.
For some, the reality of suffering is proof that God-talk is utter foolishness if not qualified as a fairytale or mere coping mechanism.
While I don’t maintain it, I can never fully refute such a claim. The things that shake us up from which we never recover threaten to supplant belief in our hearts with brokenness, loneliness and perhaps even bitterness.
For turbulent times, keeping appropriate gear nearby is always good. However, being well-suited for difficult situations is no guarantee to preserve the rigorous God-talk we once obtained. More than likely, it’ll go through turbulent times. What was at one time unprovoked has now become open to fear that our whole belief system is wrong.
How does one theologize bigger when turbulence feels like a downward spiral? Ain’t no oxygen masks gonna help with this metaphor. And no crash dummy helmets that can prepare us for a landing that almost looks like it’s shattering us and the dreams of the home in God we once felt.
Many people I love believe the sine qua non to avoid an atrophying godward imagination is diving into the world of apologetics.
I personally cannot get there. I am happy that there exists a space for people who have gone through just as hard times (or even unconscionably harder) than I have to find comfort in answers that combat what they’d consider to be the salesman of doubt via devotion to scriptures and a devout faith.
I get it. If we let the truth of our suffering get the best of us, we may conclude things about God that would be horrendous to the former, unscathed version of ourselves.
I work in local church ministry, so in a very real sense, I’m weekly commending people to faith in God, but not with disregard or without deep empathy to the hopelessness turbulence causes.
This has led me to conclude that while looking more like Jesus is a central goal to theologizin’, having an airtight answer and the proper equipment for the turbulence we undergo may not always be accessible. So, learning to be okay with the discomfort is the encouragement I have for today’s reflection.
Luh y’all big time,
Ru :)