Post-Intellectualism and Community
By "Post-Intellectualism" I don't mean "Anti-Intellectualism" I mean "Beyond" or "intellectualism as a beginning" or something like that.
anyway...
I feel that my faith in many ways is getting simpler. I'm 26 now and am in a new place in life. I have been married three years, have a son, have a house, work in a church. I am getting older. I'm no longer in the perpetual stage of youth that I thought I once was. College for me was my time to figure out some sort of shape that my faith would take, my own template maybe. I was forced to consider my Gnostic/American view of God and Christianity and deal with the fact that my views were changing and becoming my own despite what my parents, pastors, and professors thought. I surveyed the Bible and connected the historical dots of what I thought (and for the most part still do think) what God's message to us is.
One aspect that I always believed in was community and the body of Christ. I always believed that it was God's purpose for us to reach the world together as communities, that the world would know because of our love. And there have certainly been times where I've experienced that. And I think I'm learning more about this all the time. Dan and Andie Hannah were examples of that to me, we lived together for about 8 months. Dan and I would spend time at the local community coffeeshop and talk to the regulars there, discuss books, life, beliefs etc.... Some months after we left Columbus, a couple leaders of the church were discussion whether our way of relating to people was really a witness to people. We weren't direct enough they were saying...and just as they were leaving, the owner Patti (not a Christian) came over to ask about how Suz and I were doing up in Michigan and said "those guys and Dan and Andie were the best pictures of Jesus that I've ever seen...because they didn't stuff Him down my throat..."
You see Patti is one of those loving, community-minded people who does the closest thing to church, without including God. She has something energetic going on almost every night of the week at the coffee shop, writing groups, amateur stand up comedy, and live music. The culture there is made up of former loners who find a place that is safe. She accepts everyone and just by being herself you want to hang out at Three Cups Coffee everyday (which we did). But she was one of those who had tried going to church in her younger days, only to be bashed and bruised. So now she will not be manipulated by religion. She will not be sold on a bridge diagram. Pattie will not be convicted watching TBS. A cool, trendy flyer, given to her by a cool, trendy person will not speak to her. But I think friendship does. I think the test of time and commitment will. I think our youth who volunteered to set up and tear down for charity events at her coffee shop did. I even think the pastor's willingness to change and understand what was "fake" or "unathentic" about passing out those trendy invite cards, his humility spoke to Pattie.
I'm experiencing community in new ways here all the time.
-when Jen and Eric call us and say "we have a free night" we want to help you move/take care of the baby whatever"
-when Melissa asks me how much I'm working this week so she can help Suzanne when I'm gone
-When Brent and Kate (and 13 other people!) show up to help us move even though we don't really know each other that well
-When I walk out of a meeting to find my band cleaning the inside of my car because I'm such a complete slob
-When Travis is real and challenging with me....when we spur each other on/sharpen each other with out thoughts
-When Erin makes a four hour trip to be with Suz as she is in labor and she can only stay for a day...
-When the Sunday band changes the way they do things, just because I say that it's a good idea
-When Noel pushes me to lead
-When Suzanne pushes me to lead
-When Chaz buys an outlet for our dryer without us asking
-When I talk to Scott about once every 2 or 3 months, but we know we are brothers.
-When our mothers take a week off of work to help us with the new kid
I can keep going...there are so many people. I've wondered how in the world people have kids, buy a house...,just live, without being a part of such a community. And it makes me want to bring that uncommon love to others. There are Patties everywhere. People who are trying, they just don't have God. They might have an ugly picture of God because of the way Christians have treated them or each other. It's our job to change things.
posted by Dan Price @ 11:43 AM
8 Comments:
cool. you sound so don miller-ish.
Steve
this is the most poignant and encouraging truth you've ever posted, Dan.
Peace, tim poindexter
Beautiful.
Shane
thanks dan
Right on, man
encourage, don't discourage
can't believe i said that I'm 26. That won't happen until September. I'm 25.
Yeah, he is turning into our very own Don Miller.
Grooving Dan,
Even though you’ve received universal and unqualified props for your writing and for your thinking here, let me add some more. I think you have a great talent for reaching people, being sensitive to their needs, and loving them—a love that inspires love in return.
“A friend loves at all times.”
A friend also will challenge, reprove, and push you to greater heights. Not necessarily with the things you want to hear. “Be a greater leader,” may be tough to hear at times, but well, I mean you wouldn’t mind ending up a better leader, right?
I was talking to some Oneness Pentecostals the other night with Scott when the wife of the leading brother commented on my insertion of Greek and Hebrew meanings at several points (Necessary to show that God is one, yet three persons in this case). She exclaimed that if she had to have all that education and history she’d be lost. All she could do was cling to the Bible. I quickly pointed out to her that she didn’t need an education to understand the Bible perfectly well and that many of the twelve were poor, uneducated fishermen. Anyway, it again made me see that becoming more like Christ is the key to evangelism, both in wisdom and in love. I think we affected the wife with verses in Rev. 5 where the Lamb is separate from God the Father on the throne and they both receive blessing and honor and glory as God. She said she had never heard that before and I think it made an impression on her.
As I am getting to know my new friend from Johnstown, who likes to witness to everyone he meets, I like to think about how his style contrasts with yours. He too, is a likeable guy, though not as intellectual. He’ll witness to several guys at a construction site over the course of a couple weeks. Occasionally someone will react very negatively, most walk away, and about one of ten hang around—many of these becoming disciples. I would characterize his method as being very high on content, yours as being very high on friendliness. He is friendly and you have content, but you know what I mean. He confronts very early, whereas you might not ever be confrontational.
There are many ways to have a thriving community of people who like and love each other. I realize it is difficult to say, “My flesh is true bread and my wine true blood,” and see most people walk away, but truth and content are important. When I was doing Youth for Christ in the 80’s and drew big crowds of kids who loved being with us all the time, it was exhilarating. What hurt was to see who was still following the Lord months and years later. Very few. “These things entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Having lots of people at the Burger Bash didn’t equate to making disciples. This was a tough lesson, and one that helped me realize that I needed to bring the gospel in early with people in many situations.
Anyway, starting the third McLaren book and looking into Barth and Hans Frei again to see where the fruit is coming from—up through the branches and down the trunk, through the roots and into waters deep below. What do I see in my crystal ball? Is that existential ecumenicalism? Whoa!
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