One of the earliest nicknames I earned was from my younger sibling, Nathan. A little bit more than two years younger, he declared me, “Mister Know-It-All.” I did have an easy time with academics, while my brother struggled a bit more in his studies. I am not sure when I first heard Mister Know-It-All from him, but I can probably recall parts of the occasion. It was probably while I was reading several entries in our World Book Encyclopedia set. This was when they actually printed encyclopedias.
To this day, my brother still seeks my insatiable ability to search and find information. He knows that if he calls and asks a question that I do not know immediately the answer, I will hunt it down like some safari leader until I have the information that prior to his question, I knew little or nothing about. My Mister Know-It-All status was probably a title of derision from my envious brother, but I proudly wear the title to this day.
As we enter the season of Easter, we come as people who do know-it-all. We knew Jesus was going to die. We knew Jesus was going to be resurrected. We knew the women would be the first eyewitnesses. We knew, just as we knew when the movie Titanic was released, that the end would have the ship sinking. That is the gift of the past; it is already happened. Later this season (and Easter is a 50 day season for the church, not one Easter Bunny laden Sunday), we will encounter the apostle Thomas, the one with the title “doubting.”
Sometimes our know-it-all status has consequences. We can be totally confident in our finesse of a given subject, that “everyone knows that” and find ourselves totally condescending when someone does not know even the basics of the story. Sometimes our head knowledge starves our heart knowledge, and we present the gospel as a “I read it, I believe it, that settles it” among those who have not read, may not believe, and are certainly unsettled about it. Some know-it-all church members can be intolerant of the doubters in their midst.
Some churches are know-it-all churches. They know exactly what every verse in the Bible meant and their interpretation is the correct interpretation. Questions are not tolerated, because, in their minds, doubting is next to the slippery slope of believing whatever you wish to believe.
Some churches are doubting churches. They are venues where questions are acceptable, people are allowed to utilize their thoughts and experiences, and joining in the journey with God and neighbor is part of its life and practice. While certain practices are kept, these very practices are explained to all who seek to know. Why do we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday? Why do we have an office of deacons? The last thing a community of faith like this would say is “because I said so.”
Both types of churches seem to grow in our postmodern world. You can see know-it-all churches on the local religious channel. It might be more difficult to find a “doubting” church, but I assure you, they also exist and are thriving.
As Jesus accepted Thomas’ demand for more, so Jesus extends to all “doubters.” Know-it-alls and doubters are welcome together each Sunday. Come and seek the answers to those things you doubt. Come and learn again the stories you think you know-it-all. You may be surprised how little you actually know. As a movement of wholeness in a broken world, one of our foundational philosophies of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is Faith seeking understanding. Bring your mind and your heart. God needs both for the effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment