Most faith traditions or denominations tend to emphasize a particular Biblical attribute of God and make it their primary lens or through which the see and experience God. My thought is that the origin behind this is usually rooted in some historical dynamic and/or cultural milieu.
I think this usually involves a particular spiritual leader, during a particular time in history, who personally resonates with a specific attribute of God's. Interestingly, whichever attribute most resonates with that leader, often correlates with how the surrounding culture responds to Christ. The emphasis of specific attributes ebb and flow according to the spirit of the age and the leaders who rise up and articulate them. That particular leader, and subsequent followers, build around their selected "attribute" a theological system and eventually an ecclesiastical structure - which almost always evolves into a relatively narrow religious subculture. At which point relationally emerges the dynamic of the authentic Christian: known as the "us" and the inauthentic Christian: known as "the others...." -Functionally regarded as: Real vs. False, Obedient vs. Disobedient, Informed vs. Uninformed, Elect vs. NonElect, godly vs. worldly, mature vs. immature, discipline vs undisciplined, orthodox vs. unorthodox, faithful vs. unfaithful... In essence: True Christian vs. False Christian...
I think it obvious that while all attributes of God are equal and historically transcendent, not all attributes of God speak to all people in the same way, at all times and in all places. Wesley emphasized holiness (as part of his "method") because of the decadence of England, Calvin elevated sovereignty [Its not what we do, but what God does] over the dogmatic tradition of Roman Catholicism. The sterile nature of Modernity mandated the use of God's love as being the foremost attribute for the great evangelist Billy Graham. Pentecostalism with its emphasis on the gifts and Holy Spirit power is blazing through much of the third and two-thirds world because those particular cultures tended to be heavily "[darkly] spiritual" and animistic. Today, the Post-Modern/Post-Enlightenment condition of our culture tends to emphasize (some times disastrously so) Immanence over Transcendence, Love and Grace more than Truth and Law and Mystery over Revelation/Dogma.
There is much more that could be said, but my point is that most denominations and faith traditions emerged because the cultural context called for primarily a particular attribute of God's to be used to convey who He is. Later they privileged and institutionalized that attribute above all others. In essence, the attribute that acted as a lens to make known the sacred, became a sacred lens that can blind those to what is really sacred.
In like manner, many denominations and faith traditions die because their primary message, predicated through a attribute of God, no longer speaks convincingly - the language is different and the spirit of the time has changed. For example, Fundamentalism rose during and in response to Modernity; and since Modernity has faded so has Fundamentalism; and those who are highly Reformed have discovered that a Post-Modern culture is highly offended by the perceived "exclusivity" of the gospel.
Metaphorically speaking the attributes of God are like the facets on the face of a perfect round-cut diamond. Each facet EQUALLY proportioned... collectively working together to project a uniform and brilliant white light. No one facet contributes to the overall nature of the diamond than any other. Some facets only APPEAR to be bigger or brighter, depending on the angle, place and time with which you observe them. (1) So it is with how we understand the attributes of God - all speak... some speak better than others in different places and at different times to different people. To hold any one attribute above all others, at all times and in all places to all people is to mis convey who God is and how God works.
This being said, those Christians who say then: "if you REALLY want to know God well, you must see Him through primarily ________________ (fill in the blank)." They are not only risk communicating God as irrelevant; but also limit the God who is (Historically this is known as heresy). Do we really want to say, based on the Biblical evidence of His known and communicable attributes, create a tradition that stipulates GOD IS REALLY MORE OF THIS, THAN HE HIS OF THAT? I guess we can... but if we do, then we do it not only to the peril of others, but to our own as well.
(1) The ONLY facet that might be larger would be the one in the middle - and it would be named "mystery."
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
EDUCATION -
When I was growing up in Washington Pennsylvania several decades ago the necessary "bench mark" for educational outcomes was much different that what it is today. To the best of my recollection, when blue collar industry was at it's peak, a High School education was often all that was necessary for most of us. School Boards chose curriculum, hired teachers and approved programs with the idea that most should be educated well enough to be competent in basic life skills and competitive for local or regional jobs and vocational choices. College was important to many as well, but the lions-share of my fellow students who pursued post-secondary education enrolled in a local college typically without much in the way of national distinction. This was the way it was in Industrial Western Pennsylvania in the 50's, 60's and 70's.
Today the purpose for which we educate our children is and must be, much, much different. The Blue Collar Industrial Complex for which many worked and made a good living is all but gone. NEVER to return... The global economic matrix mandates this. The American culture has not only become addicted to low cost goods manufactured from other countries, but utterly dependent as well. Our household budgets are predicated on our ability to purchase low cost goods made from far-off lands sold in the myriad of discount stores dotting the landscape of our county. Ironically enough most of the very people who mourn bitterly the loss of our industry in Western Pa, make almost daily pilgrimages to Walmart, Costco and Target etc. Not only do we give those retailers money out of our pocket, but that same money is now destined for international governments. We do in fact give our money away twice.
The ability for the China's and India's to produce quality goods, at a rapid rate and low cost is clearly connected to their exponential leap educationally. THEIR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS have caught up; and have in many cases surpassed our own educational system in the USA. Amazingly many communities, like mine, are still educating our students to compete with those from their own locale, region or even the USA (let's say at most 300 million others)... Conversely countries like India and China are educating their students at a tremendously high level to compete with the almost 7 Billion people on the planet. It has been reported for example that India, has no less than seven universities that rival our Princeton's and Harvard's. And their graduating students are in many cases not only better educated than our students; but they are willing to be compensated for a fraction of what ours would be, doing the same job. This distinction cannot be overstated.
Our pedestrian approach to education is largely responsible for: Jobs being outsourced internationally, while on the other hand international workers are moving in to the USA because corporate America" is really America (becoming globally) incorporated. The employment of Illegal Aliens and paying them low wages is in part our pathetic economic response to compete economically with workers from other nations like India and China. Our fading ability to compete globally with our labor is making us dangerously dependent on other governments that will love us only until we have no more dollars to give and resouces to hand out.
Its imperative to see that we live in a time when it is almost impossible to overspend on education. Our ability to compete economically with the rest of the world is directly connected to our commitment to educating our children to be more than competent in the workforce for decades to come. Education and being economically viable is what will continue to produce jobs, grow our communities and provide for our national security. We can either keep spending money (I.e. Education) on the grain for The Goose-That-Lays-The-Golden-Eggs; or we can foolishly eviscerate ours and extract what we suspect might be left in there. If we kill ours, not only is our Goose cooked, but now we become the grain that feeds theirs.
Thomas Friedman notes in his best selling book, The Earth is Flat the following:
"We know the basic formula for economic success - reform wholesale, followed by reform retail, plus good governance, education, infrastructure, and the ability to glocalize (export good comprehensively).
He goes on to say regarding economic development and renewal need two things:
1. A society's ability and willingness to pull together and sacrifice for the sake of economic development and
2. The presence in a society of leaders with the vision to see what needs to be done in terms of development and the willingness to use power to push for change rather than enrich themselves and preserve the status quo
Economically depressed communities like mine, and short-sighted School Boards like the Ambridge City Schools, appear to be determined to kill the goose. Modern buildings, safe and inspirational learning environments, current technology, up-to-date books and competent teachers are non-negotiable investmets if we are to keep competitive, not only as individuals but as a nation - in a world that has become incredibly aggressive economically. While its true that many of those who live on fixed incomes can be hurt from the revenues necessary to keep all of the above in place... the truth of the matter is that for most its a matter of giving up a Flat Screen T.V., Laptop and/or Vacation for a year or so... Bottom line: We either produce fodder to feed our Goose, or we become the fodder to eat for their Goose. The choice is ours...
Today the purpose for which we educate our children is and must be, much, much different. The Blue Collar Industrial Complex for which many worked and made a good living is all but gone. NEVER to return... The global economic matrix mandates this. The American culture has not only become addicted to low cost goods manufactured from other countries, but utterly dependent as well. Our household budgets are predicated on our ability to purchase low cost goods made from far-off lands sold in the myriad of discount stores dotting the landscape of our county. Ironically enough most of the very people who mourn bitterly the loss of our industry in Western Pa, make almost daily pilgrimages to Walmart, Costco and Target etc. Not only do we give those retailers money out of our pocket, but that same money is now destined for international governments. We do in fact give our money away twice.
The ability for the China's and India's to produce quality goods, at a rapid rate and low cost is clearly connected to their exponential leap educationally. THEIR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS have caught up; and have in many cases surpassed our own educational system in the USA. Amazingly many communities, like mine, are still educating our students to compete with those from their own locale, region or even the USA (let's say at most 300 million others)... Conversely countries like India and China are educating their students at a tremendously high level to compete with the almost 7 Billion people on the planet. It has been reported for example that India, has no less than seven universities that rival our Princeton's and Harvard's. And their graduating students are in many cases not only better educated than our students; but they are willing to be compensated for a fraction of what ours would be, doing the same job. This distinction cannot be overstated.
Our pedestrian approach to education is largely responsible for: Jobs being outsourced internationally, while on the other hand international workers are moving in to the USA because corporate America" is really America (becoming globally) incorporated. The employment of Illegal Aliens and paying them low wages is in part our pathetic economic response to compete economically with workers from other nations like India and China. Our fading ability to compete globally with our labor is making us dangerously dependent on other governments that will love us only until we have no more dollars to give and resouces to hand out.
Its imperative to see that we live in a time when it is almost impossible to overspend on education. Our ability to compete economically with the rest of the world is directly connected to our commitment to educating our children to be more than competent in the workforce for decades to come. Education and being economically viable is what will continue to produce jobs, grow our communities and provide for our national security. We can either keep spending money (I.e. Education) on the grain for The Goose-That-Lays-The-Golden-Eggs; or we can foolishly eviscerate ours and extract what we suspect might be left in there. If we kill ours, not only is our Goose cooked, but now we become the grain that feeds theirs.
Thomas Friedman notes in his best selling book, The Earth is Flat the following:
"We know the basic formula for economic success - reform wholesale, followed by reform retail, plus good governance, education, infrastructure, and the ability to glocalize (export good comprehensively).
He goes on to say regarding economic development and renewal need two things:
1. A society's ability and willingness to pull together and sacrifice for the sake of economic development and
2. The presence in a society of leaders with the vision to see what needs to be done in terms of development and the willingness to use power to push for change rather than enrich themselves and preserve the status quo
Economically depressed communities like mine, and short-sighted School Boards like the Ambridge City Schools, appear to be determined to kill the goose. Modern buildings, safe and inspirational learning environments, current technology, up-to-date books and competent teachers are non-negotiable investmets if we are to keep competitive, not only as individuals but as a nation - in a world that has become incredibly aggressive economically. While its true that many of those who live on fixed incomes can be hurt from the revenues necessary to keep all of the above in place... the truth of the matter is that for most its a matter of giving up a Flat Screen T.V., Laptop and/or Vacation for a year or so... Bottom line: We either produce fodder to feed our Goose, or we become the fodder to eat for their Goose. The choice is ours...
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