Community Class BLog

Author:  Mitch Williams

Robert Frost authored an inspiring poem that dovetails with my faith journey. The poem, The Secret Sits, is reflective of my Christian voyage. Frost writes,

    “We dance round in a ring and suppose,

       But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.”

The Truth sits in the middle of our lives. However, the discovery is often elusive.

I made a profession of faith to Jesus Christ almost sixty years ago. I remember the moment as a genuine mystical experience; moreover, the transformation in my life has been a perpetual inquiry for the Truth. As my life evolved, I privately harbored skeptical thoughts concerning the Church. The cliché, “Bible believing church,” did not resonate with me. Under the radar, the trite phrase meant a strict and muscular interpretation of the scriptures. Reflecting on this limited translation of the Bible, I have learned by visiting other Protestant churches that all churches are Bible believing; however, the exegesis process is diverse.

Approximately, forty years ago I experienced a liberating epiphany that I hungered for. It was more than an aha moment. The revelation augmented a suspicion I had bottled up for years- you do not have to read the Bible literally. The liberation from the “chains” of parochial theology propelled a curious faith expedition.

C.S. Lewis returned to his Christian faith at age thirty-two after an extended period rejecting Christianity. His brilliant mind was creative and imaginative. Reinforcing imagination with scholarship, reason, and science should not be feared but embraced. Three beliefs have influenced my life.

Equality. Needless to say, the church has been on the wrong side of history regarding civil rights. African Americans have been victims of prejudice, discrimination, and exclusion by professing Christian entities. We can do better, and we must be committed to a sincere effort to end all forms of bigotry in our faith communities. Carl Sandburg said, “exclusion is the worst word in the dictionary.”

Women have been second class citizens in Christian churches for centuries. Currently, several denominations relegate a female’s participation to non-leadership positions and exclude women from senior ministerial jobs. Brillant women hold secular leadership positions in medicine, elected roles, military, business, etc. However, on Sunday morning they may feel compelled to check-in in their brains at the front door of the church and submit to a condescending atmosphere reminiscent of the Dark Ages (their tithes are accepted). Why would Christ want to minimize anyone’s potential?

Jesus loves us as we are. A gay friend of mine told me that during his thirty-two years of living he had been beaten, bullied, denied jobs, humiliated, received perpetual derogatory insults, and ostracized by his family. His question to me was, “if my sexual orientation is a choice, why would I put myself through this living hell?”

The Church has put too many people on unwarranted guilt trips. I pray for the sincere acceptance of everyone. Galatians: 3:28.

Certitude. Episcopal priest, scholar, theologian, author, and college professor Marcus Borg replied to a question about a significant eschatological question with a surprising answer to the audience. “I don’t know.”  Many religious circles have portrayed an image of unequivocal dogmatic theology with no tolerance for opposing views. Too often, these entities hitchhike on absolute inerrancy and the fear of damnation. This controlling spiritual mentality has fostered a commercial enterprise where some of the extremely large religious organizations are as transparent as an opaque stained-glass window. Financials and other information are not disclosed.

The scriptures have numerous twists and turns. Unanswered questions and inconsistencies are prevalent. We do not need dogma police to interfere with our critical thinking. A lot of “I don’t knows “exist. The uncertainty in our lives and the skepticism in our Christian pilgrimage complement each other in a reassuring manner. Jesus is with us through this invigorating walk. Romans 12:2.

Transformation. Richard Rohr writes in The Naked Now, “most of the major teachings of the great religions do not demand blind faith as much as they demand new eyes.” The vicissitudes of life allow us to transform our spiritual paradigm through an openness to discernment. My wife has been an incredibly positive influence in many ways, including my beliefs. When I view the rearview mirror, I can acknowledge that gradual changes in my beliefs have made me a better person. Likewise, my spiritual transformation has been incrementally supported by curiosity and an open mind. The quest for the Truth continues and I realize that we will never have answers to all the questions. The value is manifested in the search. I no longer believe in several accepted Christian principals of my first denomination, and I aborted the guilty thoughts associated with my decisions. Consequently, my contentment with Jesus Christ has been enhanced. Mental spiritual bondage can be destructive. Galatians 5:1

Frank Sinatra sings the song The Second Time Around and the following verse speaks to my miracle with Jesus.

   “Who can say what brought us to this miracle we’ve found

   There are those who’ll bet love comes but once and yet

   I’m oh so glad we met the second time around.”

Jesus is Love

John 15:9