{"id":29361,"date":"2022-11-03T13:28:28","date_gmt":"2022-11-03T20:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=29361"},"modified":"2022-11-03T13:28:28","modified_gmt":"2022-11-03T20:28:28","slug":"two-pegs-for-all-commandments-and-prophets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/two-pegs-for-all-commandments-and-prophets\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Pegs For All Commandments and Prophets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carl Trueman\u2019s book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self:<\/em> Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution<\/em> offers his thesis that the western culture\/society has collapsed as seen by humans\u2019 acceptance and normalization of diversity in sexual identity.\u00a0 Trueman\u2019s argument is tethered to his outline of the journey of history that has led to society embracing humans search for identity that is shaped by one\u2019s psychological feelings to be seen and heard and expressed as an individual.\u00a0 Trueman is convinced this has left our society on the precipice of moral\/ethical decay that has untethered us from the Biblical truths that gird Christian moral authority.<\/p>\n

I found myself exhausted attempting to enter into conversation with Trueman.\u00a0 Although I appreciate his passion that we see the western communal fabric eroding from the pervasive consumeristic individuality, I struggle with his leap to judgmental proclamations around the moral decay seen in the diversity in sexual identity.<\/p>\n

even now in our sexually libertarian world, certain sexual taboos remain in place, pedophilia being perhaps the most obvious. Not all expressions of individuality, not all behaviors that bring about a sense of inner psychological happiness for the agent, are regarded as legitimate. Whether any given individual notices it or not, society still imposes itself on its members and shapes and corrals their behavior. Now, while we might hope and pray that things such as pedophilia and incest remain taboo, we cannot be sure that such will be the case because sexual codes have changed so dramatically over the last few decades.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Trueman lacks an insight about the way power plays into understanding what is taboo\/sin.\u00a0 To equate LGBTQ+ identity\/relationships with pedophilia is dangerous and quite narrow.\u00a0 It negates that LGBTQ+ relationships have equal capacity as heterosexual relationship to be healthy.\u00a0 Incest and pedophilia have to do with power dynamics not appropriate healthy intimacy.<\/p>\n

As I pastor, I approach scripture as an integrated whole. One Biblical truth is that God desires for humanity to surrender the power that we took in the Garden of Eden. \u00a0Is this not one of the major issues Christ came to upend and redeem in all of creation? In the forward, reference is made to Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn\u2019s Templeton Address, \u201cMen have forgotten God,\u201d[2]<\/a> which I find an unhelpful proclamation in this context. It raised a critical thought for me.\u00a0 Is it possible that having an ultra-left or ultra-right interpretation of scripture is what reveals one has forgotten God? Or at least a view of the word that reflects an understanding of the flow of scripture?<\/p>\n

The nuances of life in God and understanding scripture are many.\u00a0 Genesis chapter 3, the fall of humanity and ALL of creation is revelatory of humans\u2019 desire to be like God.\u00a0 If we think we have moved away from that just because Jesus has gone to the cross and is resurrected, don\u2019t we fool ourselves? Why don\u2019t people of faith even begin to hesitate to consider this truth before making claims?\u00a0 Is God fully loving? Do we think we have the capacity to define how or who God loves?<\/p>\n

Does Trueman begin with a God who loves individuals and places us in community with each other to love like God loves?\u00a0 Trueman applies a less than nuanced understanding of the psychology of identity to dehumanize people of color,[3]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0and the youth of the Western world.[4]<\/sup><\/a> The mystery for me, is that as a pastor, Trueman lacks the ability to contextualize Jesus words, \u201cI tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.\u201d[5]<\/sup><\/a> The lion\u2019s share of his focus is on sexuality as it relates to dehumanizing the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

Another question Trueman raises for me is how does one understand the nature of scripture; inspired or infallible? One\u2019s belief on this question often informs the theology of hermeneutics. Doctrinal orthodoxy has been the impetus for burnings at the cross, crusades, extermination of Jews, and supporting slavery.<\/p>\n

How does one who clings to the infallible word of God interpret passages like a mother and father dragging their glutton of a son to be stoned to death in Deuteronomy 21:18-21? Inspired or infallible? Depending on one\u2019s hermeneutics, one could be considered an adherent of Sharia Law and applaud \u201cshame honor killings\u201d.\u00a0 Jesus invites us contextualize the power dynamics when he asks, \u201cNow in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?\u201d[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

Is God all loving? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is asked which commandment is the most important.\u00a0 Jesus responds, \u201c\u2018Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.\u2019 This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: \u2018Love others as well as you love yourself.\u2019 These two commands are pegs; everything in God\u2019s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.\u201d [7]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

I serve a congregation that is a More Light church; we are an open and affirming congregation to\/for the LGBTQ+ community.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0I do not presume I have the authority to define love for God.\u00a0 It is only through a glass, dimly that I interpret.<\/p>\n

Everything hangs on the pegs of love. \u00a0Jesus strongly encourages us to count the cost of following in His path.\u00a0 This leads me to ask, what does it cost someone like Trueman to surrender the power he holds to love like Jesus? What if I would be faced with the question, \u201cWhat if you are wrong about your stance on LGBTQ+?\u201d\u00a0 I do know this:\u00a0 If I am wrong about my interpretation of the wholeness of scripture and accept and embrace my LGBTQ+ siblings, \u00a0I can still stand with integrity and dignity that I have responded to commandment of Jesus to hang all commandments and the prophets on the pegs of love.\u00a0 As Christ reveals, love is sacrifice; sacrifice, not as a hope of delayed gratification of inclusion in God\u2019s kingdom but motivated to offer space for wholeness for the other.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Trueman, Carl R., and Rod Dreher. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution<\/em>. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2020. Kindle. Page 52.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Ibid. Page 11.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a>Ibid. \u00a0Page 67<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid. Page 126.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Matthew 18:3 New Century Version<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> John 8:5<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a>[7][7] Matthew 22:39-42 The Message.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carl Trueman\u2019s book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution offers his thesis that the western culture\/society has collapsed as seen by humans\u2019 acceptance and normalization of diversity in sexual identity.\u00a0 Trueman\u2019s argument is tethered to his outline of the journey of history that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2431,137,437,2427],"class_list":["post-29361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-nowhimsyinme","tag-love","tag-sexuality","tag-trueman","cohort-lgp11"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/148"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29361"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29362,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29361\/revisions\/29362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}