Freedom and Bias

So it occurred to me in theology today how liberating it is to be a Baptist, and how much I take it for granted. I don't think I appreciate how much freedom I have in that. We sit in theology and we listen to all of these fantastic theories. Theories that have been thought and debated for decades, centuries, millenia- some of which have completely torn apart churches. But I can't help and think that you shouldn't really be able to tear apart Baptists.

Not that we haven't hard our wars. The schism brought on by a fundamentalist take-over of the SBC still leaves its scars on those that grew up firmly believing that they were southern baptists, just to wake up one day and realize that they weren't anymore. Being Baptist doesn't mean that we don't argue, don't fight, don't say things that we later wish we hadn't, it doesn't mean that we reach points that are impassable and have to go our own ways.

But what it should be is that we should continue to be in dialogue with everyone. Isn't that what the priesthood of the believer is? Don't I have a right, an entitlement, to read scripture and reflect on it in due measure and understand it how I'm lead to? And if so, how do I then say that your interpretation is wrong. To borrow from Serene Jones, we are intrinsically characterized by our whatness. No matter what I believe, it stems from being a white, female, heterosexual, upper middle class, well educated, participant in a moderately liberal church, friends with people from a multitude of faiths- yet this does not necessarily make it anymore of a challenge to be Baptist than it should to someone of all the opposites.

We make it difficult by pledging ourselves to declarations and creeds. Subscribing ourselves to dogmas that have been true for someone else but may no longer be as true. I think this is why I have such a hard time not challenging things. For me faith and belief has been a challenge- one that I've wrestled with, one that ultimately makes me feel safe in wrestling with it.

We are all wrestling with God and what it means to be Christians. Some are fine to concede to what they were taught as children and for them that is comfort and truth and it should be. But not for me- I don't know what I grew up with, but I also know that its impossible to have arguments or be angry at God without being assured that whether right or wrong, God would still be there to love me, regardless. I am a wayward teenager in my faith. And God is the ever patient parent weathering the tantrums and extremes with love and hope that at some point this rebellion will slow.

Each new day is a new hat and a new interpretation, and God sends me out of the door faithfully even if I'm wearing a ball gown and sandals and have died my hair blue.