Good grief, it's been over a month since I've been here? Wow, I never meant to be so absent, but you know how it is. I may not post here very often any more, but that doesn't mean I'm gone. And I haven't run out of things to say.
When someone leaves church, due either to disillusionment or circumstances, or both, the obvious loss of "community" (or whatever the dysfunction that exists in many churches can be called) can be excruciatingly painful. We already know that and have talked about it here at great length.
However, to rub salt in a wound, there is another tremendous loss.
The loss of certainty.
- The loss of certainty of who God is, whether or not he exists, whether or not he is good, whether or not he is powerful.
- The loss of certainty that there is an afterlife, what that afterlife is like, and who will have a part in that afterlife.
- The loss of certainty about the role of the bible in our faith, whether or not it is inerrant, infallible, true, or whether or not any of it is metaphor.
- The loss of certainty of who Jesus is, whether or not he existed, whether or not he is God, whether or not he was resurrected.
- The loss of certainty about creation, evolution, the origin of life, and God's role, if any, in either of those.
- The loss of certainty that religious beliefs are more important than social issues. Or put another way, do we have to evangelize the hungry to feed them?
- The loss of certainty about the purpose of evangelism in our faith. Is it really imperative that we convert every person to a life with Christ?
- The loss of certainty about numerous significant life issues: homosexuality, abortion, war and women's equality...and smaller issues such as alcohol, movies, music, tv, hobbies, reading material, child-rearing, education, and the place of science in our lives.
- The loss of certainty about the rightness or our religion and the wrong-ness of other religions. The loss of certainty about what people should believe, how they should practice faith, whether or not their path leads to God, whether or not people should even believe in God.
- And probably the most important; the loss of certainty about identity. For many people, their identity is defined by their faith. When that faith is altered or lost, what is left can easily be a shattered, shell of an identity. This can lead to depression, crisis, destructive behaviors, faithlessness, hopelessness, and loneliness.
This loss of certainty leaves many people feeling to be in freefall, and it is terrifying. I have been there; I know. For if we don't believe in the God we have learned to follow, what is left? However, along with all the certainty that is lost through disillusionment with and/or exit from modern Christianity, there is one thing certain to be gained. FREEDOM.
The freedom to rediscover who God is. The freedom to love people whom the church has taught are unlovable (if not taught by words, it is taught by actions). The freedom to explore things that were once off-limits. The freedom to believe the things that you may have always known in your heart, but were afraid to admit. The freedom to find peace outside of the organization.
The freedom to know God on a truly personal level.
Part 2 soon!
(I'm sure there are many, many other losses of certainty than my list alone encompasses. Let me know if there are any I have missed, I would love for a more complete list.)
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