Attempting to Re-Understand Evangelicals
Nov 9th, 2006 by michelle
You would think that at midnight while my entire family is sleeping, I too would be resting, but of course I am not. I was reading. Reading a type of “literature” that I haven’t read in years.
I was in a Christian Bookstore with my very good friend (I was actually there trying to find some good, educational, Christian music for my son- that didn’t happen! Any suggestions?). We were perusing the Best Sellers section when my friend recommended a book. It was at that moment that I realized I could better understand my friend and her spiritual journey if I was reading what she reads. So, I asked to borrow the book.
The book has been sitting in my car for a couple days, and I decided that tonight was the night. I read the back cover, which gives a quick synopsis, and I knew immediately that this wasn’t going to be anything like my normal reading material (the saints, church fathers, anything Orthodox, etc). Even after I read through the entire book, skimming sections, I didn’t “get it”. I couldn’t find the point in the book. Where was the part about faith? Or even God? Oh yeah, there was a huge section about God; well, Jesus. (Though the Trinity was mentioned once and I was quite surprised.)
The section about Jesus was quite odd– in my personal opinion. It talked about Jesus as a person’s Lover in a chapter whose title used the word “Romance”. The author uses songs written by people whose lyrics are distinctly written about their significant others, not God, in order to clarify what she is saying. I found the entire chapter to be confusing; I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to ask Jesus on a date or what. It was just odd. It reminded me so much of the songs I used to sing (or not sing) while attending the church I grew up in. I never liked the songs that talked about our love for God/Jesus in a romantic way. It always made me feel really uneasy. Yes, I love God. But to express that love in the same way that I do towards my husband doesn’t seem right. I feel that God deserves our reverence and respect, and by equating our relationship with Him to that of a lover we are losing some of the deepness that only the love of God can reveal. (Although “deepness” isn’t really much of a word to use to describe it.)
What bothered me most about this book, besides how obviously it was a “feel-good” book, was that it is the type of book that anyone can read: Christian, Atheist, Muslim, Satantist (maybe?). And all these types of people who generally get the same out of it– maybe leave out the chapter about Jesus being your Lover, though. It is a self-help book. It is meant to helped us who are “wounded”. But rather than seek salve for our wounds, shouldn’t we be seeking GOD?
He is the One who can heal us. Not books. Not songs. Not touchy-feely Christian “stuff”.
However, reading the book did help me understand my dear friend, but that is exactly the type of book that she shouldn’t read. It, as my husband would say, is spiritual deception/manipulation. In no way could that book have uplifted her. If anything, it probably made her even lonlier for a mate, which is the opposite of its purpose. She needs to empty herself for God, not fill herself with book after book that offer, sometimes guarteeing, fullness in Christ, when fullness cannot come from a book– it can only come from Him.
Reading this type of book shows me even more how desperately I need the Orthodox faith.
Aren’t you going to tell us the title of the book?
One greek word that has been used to describe the “deepness” you talk about is “pleroma” (in english something like “fullness”). Also used by the Gnostics, an Orthodox understanding of pleroma describes the depth of the love existing in the “inner workings” of the Holy Trinity.
I am trying to be nice to the author of the book and those who like it, so I purposefully did not disclose the title of the book. If you really want to know, you can email me.
These books abound. I was a sucker for them too. But instead of pointing me to God, the really just pointed me to myself, to the individualist culture.
About the Jesus as lover thing, I bought into this when I was single and desperately wanting to escape the chains of meaningless relationships. While I found it comforting at the time, years later I struggled with the idea, and how much weirder it must be for men than women. My husband never liked this notion.
Yes, I think you should ask God out on a date
Or was that a rhetorical question?
ha ha. I like your thoughts!