Exclusivity and forks in the road
My son just started playing basketball. Playing may be overstating it. Five year old kids can’t really play basketball. They just don’t have the coordination and body control that is needed to play hoops. Basically it’s just a practice session where they try and learn the building blocks that might one day translate into basketball skills.
One thing I noticed right away is that coach isn’t concerned that the kids are traveling when he instructs them to dribble from one end of the court to the other. In fact he hasn’t once explained what traveling is. He is more concerned that they get the basics down first. Yet, to an experienced basketball player, traveling is pretty basic. Fact is, if he was concerned about the kids understanding and executing properly the concept of traveling at this point in their hoop journey, the journey would all be end. They simply are not ready for that reality yet.
I see this scenario played out in Christendom all the time:
Someone asks a Christian about their faith or about God and not three sentences in they start dropping info about the trinity or the virgin birth, or worse yet, details about their beliefs on eschatology.
At some point in one’s spiritual journey there comes a fork in the road. That fork is one of a series of concepts about the Christian faith that demand exclusivity from other paradigms, and they are important.
Why do we feel the need to rush people to that fork? Should we not first try to take them along a longer road that would prepare them to receive these truths? Should we try and go down a road built on common ground for as long as we can?
That last paragraph sounds rather, erm… lifestylevangelism-ish? At what point do you present their position to them? That being a creature outside (for the moment) the covering of grace?
[Reply]
Vince Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 4:15 am
I think we misunderstand what truths one actually needs to have grasped to receive God's grace. All I'm saying is that sometimes we need to not sweat the peripherals so early in the game.
[Reply]
Agree.
[Reply]
For whatever reason, we feel its our duty (as Christians) to play the role of the Holy Spirit. It is the love of Christ that compels people towards change. Not our nagging.
[Reply]
Daniel Mosley Reply:
February 19th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Lol. I guess I should pay attention to the auto-fill info. John Stone is a fictional name I use to fill out random forms on the web. Sorry about that Vince.
[Reply]
Vince Reply:
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:49 am
i knew something was up there
[Reply]