IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD: HUMANITY, DIVINITY & COMPLEXITY

The following is a critical reflection on the role of God and his household in addressing the world's challenges. It is a random hodge-podge I’d like to share with you all, so that you can get a better understanding of my thoughts concerning humanity, divinity and complexity.
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Recent events here in Uganda have forced me to think deeply and critically about the household of God. Watching pregnant mothers break stones into tiny pebbles in the sweltering heat for less than US $1 per day; seeing teenagers and their young siblings dig eight-foot deep holes in search of scrap metal and food; or, witnessing ten year-olds march for miles to collect and sell firewood just so one of them can go to school is enough to push the skeptic and even the believer to ask, 'God, where are you?' It is a weirdly arresting and deeply captivating question--one with which learned Biblical exegetes from the academy and hungry uneducated children from the urban slums must contend. There are no easy answers to this and related questions. And as a matter of fact, I would wager that there are no 'answers'. There are simply perspectives. With no definitive answers to lean on, where does (and how can) our faith stand? And how do we relieve ourselves of the ever-present dissonance such questions breed?

Believe it or not, faith does not afford us luxury and ease. (Herein lies its complexity.) In acknowledging the complexity of faith and society, we may be tempted to jettison God and humanity all together. A select, determined few find the peace needed to cope with the elusive, and think anew about faith and its seemingly deliberate ambiguity. Consider this, for example. In his text, The Gospel According to the Ghetto (1981), the Reverend Canaan Banana submits a powerful reconstruction of The Lord's Prayer. It reads:

Our Father, which art in the ghetto,
Degraded is your name.
Thy servitude abounds,
Thy will is mocked,
As pie in the sky.
Teach us to demand,
Our share of gold,
Forgive us our docility,
As we demand our share of justice.
[And] Lead us not into complicity,
[But] Deliver us from our fears.
For ours is thy sovereignty
The power and the liberation
For ever and ever..., Amen.



Reverend Canaan's provocative version of this famous prayer is neither a reflection of cognitive or creedal theology; instead, it is a pragmatic appeal rooted in the lived-experiences of 'common folks' and tailored to reflect the socio-political realities of its time. Such a rich contextual hermeneutic is critical for the sustenance of God's household and the unification of divided parties within it. How else will the rich be quickened to shame if the poor do not re-think their faiths? How will abusive men and corrupt systems fall if women (and alert men) do not take a righteous stand against oppression? The desire for liberation, dear friends, starts in the mind, matures in the soul, and in time informs our social re-engineering efforts. In re-assessing the biblical canon, as Reverend Canaan has done, we are not only stimulated intellectually, but are also compelled to act justly.

Contrary to popular belief, God's household is not at all perfect. It most certainly is not a majestic Utopian order. Conflict and crises abound there; injustice and corruption are frequent troubles there; and yes, tensions and divisions are also common there. However, their preeminence lasts only for a time. The troubles and tensions that arise in the household of God are created by humans, but made permissible by God. Why would God allow mass murders, starvation and human rights violations?

Liberty.

Freedom and choice are handed to all, and as such, we are all co-creators of the social conditions and inequalities in God's household. All are invited to partake in the leadership of this household—to aid in its development and improvement. No one person or cohort can redress all that has gone wrong. However, with each positive effort, humanity leaps forward.

So, where is God right now? You tell me. For some, God is ever-present, no matter the context or situation; some would argue that God's presence cannot be (accurately) measured in the struggles and successes of this world; while for some, God is entirely absent. Though it doesn’t provide any relief, I believe God is with me—pushing me to tackle difficult questions and address seemingly bleak social issues. God is the compelling force that helps me not to skirt tough questions; the motivation to include all people (of every persuasion and orientation) in his household; the inspiration that causes me to see that it is unity--not diversity--that stands as the defining feature of humanity in times past, and hopefully, in the future, too.


The diverse responses are puzzling testimonies of the clarity and dissonance, assurance and insecurity that accompanies our perceptions of Divinity. A detailed examination of these broad-ranging perspectives steers us to an age-old truth that remains profoundly unconventional: the all-pervading God and his creation scattered across the universe are infinitely complex and as such our views of two can be anything but simple. When we face this harsh truth, we may find the sound courage needed to flee unquestioned, overly simplistic, 'religious' conventions. And indeed, mental churning and spiritual angst may come in response to the truth of God's complexity and the world's; but, if we are relentless seekers, we will find a free faith unbound by dogma. You see, dear friends, faith is a wonder of its own. It is not synonymous with certainty. At its best, faith CAN furnish hearts with enough inner security needed to cope with the inevitable uncertainty of the known and unfamiliar and the boldness to pursue God-- the greatest mystery of the ages.