Anyone remember that Steve Perry song?
I have heard it said that it is good to be a fool for the Lord; often this ideal is modeled after King David, who danced naked in the street, singing and shouting in praise of the Lord. In other words, being unashamed of the God we worship and being outspoken about it.
But there's a wrong way of being a fool.
I devoted almost 30 years to trying to believe the earth was created in 6 literal days, 6000 literal years ago. I tried to believe that we must legislate reproductive health and human sexuality. I really wanted to believe that a banana was ultimate evidence of the existence of God. I gave it my damnedest, trying to believe science is evil and every word of the bible is literal. I wanted to believe it because I was told to believe it. What a fool was I. Not because I believed the things I did (or tried to), but because I let the church perform a lobotomy on me many years ago, enough to think I was not qualified to think for myself.
So I say I "tried to believe"...because deep inside, I knew some of these beliefs were wrong. I have mentioned before that I secretly read National Geographic for years, hiding it from my Christian friends, because this publication teaches such heresies as evolution, global warming, and that being gay is genetic. The truth is, I soaked it up...it was an island of reason in my otherwise illogical belief system. Not to say that I blindly follow science, either, but that so much of it makes sense to me. I strongly believe God is behind everything, I have just 'evolved' out of my prideful notion that I have any idea at all how God goes about anything, like, oh, say, creating and sustaining THE UNIVERSE...do we not think God created scientific evidence, as well?
Somewhere along the way, I began to grow a brain of my own. I'm not sure how it happened, but it is part of what led to my eventual church-leaving...for I could not maintain the facade any longer...I could no longer claim to follow beliefs I did not truly subscribe to, and, as many of you know, people who grow brains in some churches do not always continue to be welcome.
The lyrics I quoted above say, "You've been wrong before, don't be wrong anymore". When I hear that, in this context, I can't help but think of all the people, immediate family included, whom I have hurt with my foolish beliefs. And how much I really don't want to be wrong again...pushing the wrong agenda to the wrong people. I know I will continue to get it wrong sometimes, probably often. I am still a fool for God; but I hope I will no longer be foolish for some supposed Godly agenda, which in the end, only hurts people...which cannot, in my mind, be of God.
Some of the other lyrics of that song go like this:
I want to have a Foolish Heart.
Please visit my fellow synchrobloggers for their thoughts on the topic of "God's Call to the Fools".
Post-links will be added as they become available:
"Quiet Now, God's Calling" / Jenelle D'Alessandro /Hello Said Jenelle
The Power of Paradox / Julie Clawson / One Hand Clapping
That Darn Ego / Jonathan Brink / Missio Dei
Won't Get Fooled Again / Alan Knox / The Assembling of the Church
A Fools Choice / Cindy Harvey / Tracking the Edge
Strength on the Margins / Adam Gonnerman / Igneous Quill
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right / Mike Bursell / Mike's Musings
Ship of Fools / David Fisher / Be the Revolution
What a fool I've Been / Reba Baskett / In Reba's World
Fool if you Think it's Over / Paul Walker / Out of the Cocoon
Hut Burning for God / Fr. Gregory Hallam / Antioch Abouma
Blessed are the Foolish... / Steve Hayes / Notes from Underground
God Used this Fool / Cobus van Wyngaaard / My Contemplations
Fools Rush In / Sonja Andrews / Calacirian
The Holy Fool / Phil Wyman / Square No More
What a Fool Believes / Sue / Discombobula
My Foolish Calling / Lisa / Let's Put the Kettle On
God Uses Foolish Things / Sally Coleman / Sally's Journey
The Foolishness of God and Christians / K.W. Leslie / The Evening of Kent
"Foolish Heart, hear me callin'For many years of my life, I believed that being a Christian meant blindly believing church leaders...whichever leaders those were, in whatever church I was attending. Of, course, I believed I was supposed to believe the leaders simply because they themselves told me I was supposed to believe them. How's that for some killer circular reasoning?
Stop before you start fallin'
Foolish heart, heed my warnin'
You've been wrong before
Don't be wrong anymore"
I have heard it said that it is good to be a fool for the Lord; often this ideal is modeled after King David, who danced naked in the street, singing and shouting in praise of the Lord. In other words, being unashamed of the God we worship and being outspoken about it.
But there's a wrong way of being a fool.
I devoted almost 30 years to trying to believe the earth was created in 6 literal days, 6000 literal years ago. I tried to believe that we must legislate reproductive health and human sexuality. I really wanted to believe that a banana was ultimate evidence of the existence of God. I gave it my damnedest, trying to believe science is evil and every word of the bible is literal. I wanted to believe it because I was told to believe it. What a fool was I. Not because I believed the things I did (or tried to), but because I let the church perform a lobotomy on me many years ago, enough to think I was not qualified to think for myself.
So I say I "tried to believe"...because deep inside, I knew some of these beliefs were wrong. I have mentioned before that I secretly read National Geographic for years, hiding it from my Christian friends, because this publication teaches such heresies as evolution, global warming, and that being gay is genetic. The truth is, I soaked it up...it was an island of reason in my otherwise illogical belief system. Not to say that I blindly follow science, either, but that so much of it makes sense to me. I strongly believe God is behind everything, I have just 'evolved' out of my prideful notion that I have any idea at all how God goes about anything, like, oh, say, creating and sustaining THE UNIVERSE...do we not think God created scientific evidence, as well?
Somewhere along the way, I began to grow a brain of my own. I'm not sure how it happened, but it is part of what led to my eventual church-leaving...for I could not maintain the facade any longer...I could no longer claim to follow beliefs I did not truly subscribe to, and, as many of you know, people who grow brains in some churches do not always continue to be welcome.
The lyrics I quoted above say, "You've been wrong before, don't be wrong anymore". When I hear that, in this context, I can't help but think of all the people, immediate family included, whom I have hurt with my foolish beliefs. And how much I really don't want to be wrong again...pushing the wrong agenda to the wrong people. I know I will continue to get it wrong sometimes, probably often. I am still a fool for God; but I hope I will no longer be foolish for some supposed Godly agenda, which in the end, only hurts people...which cannot, in my mind, be of God.
Some of the other lyrics of that song go like this:
"I need a love that growsI no longer desire to be a fool for foolish beliefs...instead I want to be a fool for Love...Loving so liberally that I will deliberately set myself up to be heartbroken. I haven't made it yet, but each day is new.
I don't want it unless I know
With each passing hour
Someone somehow
Will be there
Ready to share"
I want to have a Foolish Heart.
Please visit my fellow synchrobloggers for their thoughts on the topic of "God's Call to the Fools".
Post-links will be added as they become available:
"Quiet Now, God's Calling" / Jenelle D'Alessandro /Hello Said Jenelle
The Power of Paradox / Julie Clawson / One Hand Clapping
That Darn Ego / Jonathan Brink / Missio Dei
Won't Get Fooled Again / Alan Knox / The Assembling of the Church
A Fools Choice / Cindy Harvey / Tracking the Edge
Strength on the Margins / Adam Gonnerman / Igneous Quill
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right / Mike Bursell / Mike's Musings
Ship of Fools / David Fisher / Be the Revolution
What a fool I've Been / Reba Baskett / In Reba's World
Fool if you Think it's Over / Paul Walker / Out of the Cocoon
Hut Burning for God / Fr. Gregory Hallam / Antioch Abouma
Blessed are the Foolish... / Steve Hayes / Notes from Underground
God Used this Fool / Cobus van Wyngaaard / My Contemplations
Fools Rush In / Sonja Andrews / Calacirian
The Holy Fool / Phil Wyman / Square No More
What a Fool Believes / Sue / Discombobula
My Foolish Calling / Lisa / Let's Put the Kettle On
God Uses Foolish Things / Sally Coleman / Sally's Journey
The Foolishness of God and Christians / K.W. Leslie / The Evening of Kent
28 comments:
January 16? That's still two whole days away! I'm thinking that mentioning such a great topic and then expecting us to wait that long qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment! ;)
-- Jarred.
Sorry, Jarred. With the synchroblog, we have whole bunch of people posting on the same day and linking to each other...I have to pre-post so my link is available for the lists, and Blogger won't allow future posting and doesn't provide a direct link till I post.
Anyhow, it will probably be up tomorrow night.
That's okay, Erin. I'm mostly just teasing you anyway. ;)
And who better to write it?
Mwahahahahaha. Only jokin', Erin chickly chicky.
I look forward to it. I'm doing one myself but it doesn't seem to be manifesting itself ... so maybe I won't
Hey, my "thinking for herself friend because God doesn't create Strawmen or Women" :)
Good stuff, chicky babe. Good stuff. Good to read about your forays into your God-given freedom.
Thanks Sue. It's cool to be free.
Definitely interesting read. I'm going down a similar path, though I haven't come exactly to the same conclusions, but mostly, particularly about 6 day literal creation.
I recently read a quote from Rachel Remen that said: "The secret of living is not in having all the answers but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company." It's good to have big questions and best in good company who are not afraid to let you wonder.
Joining the synchroblog late with my post My Foolish Calling...
I love Journey, so this has to be a great post, right? I also love the last part - love so liberally that you set yourself up to be heartbroken. This is foolish love, but its also Jesus-love. Thanks!
-Alan
Good stuff, as usual! I particularly liked this line:
"...Loving so liberally that I will deliberately set myself up to be heartbroken."
What a courageous goal!
-- Jarred.
Lauren - That's the beautiful thing about it, in my opinion...we as Christians don't HAVE to all believe the same things. What I thought for years was there was only one RIGHT belief system, because that's what I was told...and finding freedom outside of that has been so healthy for me.
Lisa - I love that quote...I certainly think that's what all of us here are doing.
Alan - Thanks!
Jarred - Thanks. It might be an idealistic goal, but it's mine.
wonderful, wonderful, thank you
My God, Erin, this bloody song has been in my head, like, all the live long night. I woke up with it still blathering on.
I wish he'd switch and sing Oh Sherry. Or my favourite - Open Arms (awwww, me loves that mushy song :)
Thanks Sally!
Sue - It's always my pleasure to torture you by putting a song on the radio in your head. But your title got me back good, so there. I'd rather listen to Steve Perry than the Doobie Brothers.
Haha! I knew there was a reason why I used that hateful song as my title. It was to torture you! Hooray!! :D
Just think the fun we can have this year, torturing each other with the worst musical synchroblog titles we can come up with :) I look forward to it
Sue - It can be our secret hehehe (insert evil laugh here).
Hey Erin, I appreciate how you outline your journey here. That last bit about Loving is quite nice. Sounds a lot like, "this is how we know what Love is, it lays down its life..."
Thanks Jenelle. It's huge to live up to, but the idea is a place to start.
In my own journey out of both conservative fundamentalism and "enlightened" liberalism, I have found there is a good bit to be learned in both. I would hope you'd discover that value of your faith foundation, no matter how misguided it may have been.
Pete - I agree...it's hard sometimes to find the center, but I try.
What - you mean to say you DON'T believe the earth is 6000 years olod and was created in 6 days? Don't you know that's the foundation of the whole Christian faith and your own faith will fall apart if you don't have that foundation? Don't you understand that better people than you believe it all and do the thinking so you don't have to? Don't you realise I'm talking bullshit and you're actually making a lot of sense here? ;o)
Barry, would you call that sarcasm or satire?
File the 6000 year old earth under Fallacies 1:1, why don't you?
Already done it HERE. Keep up the good posts!
Oh, yeah. I forgot that one. Thanks for reminding me.
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