conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

for tomorrow's sermon

When I was in seminary (O, so long ago!) I absolutely fell in love with Bonhoeffer. Yes, it's true. I am one of those theological lemmings. What I liked about Bonhoeffer was that he understood Christian Ethics and righteous action to be something different than a glorified purity code. We Christians are oft enticed by purity codes, liturgical, social, institutional, congregational purity codes. We want to be right. Bonhoeffer always pushed the envelope suggesting that Christianity is more complicated than that. It does contain right action. Certainly. There is a thing called purity and a thing called perfection. But he always caged it in terms of "being." This quotation from Meister Eckhart appeared in my e-mail box this morning.

People should think less about what they ought to do and
more about what they ought to be. If only their being were
good, their works would shine forth brightly. Do not imagine
that you can ground your salvation upon actions; it must rest
on what you are. The ground upon which good character rests is
the very same ground from which man's work derives its value,
namely, a mind wholly turned to God. Verily, if you were so
minded, you might tread on a stone and it would be a more
pious work than if you, simply for your own profit, were to
receive the Body of the Lord and were wanting in spiritual
detachment.
... Meister Eckhart (1260?-1327?)

This is a mystic's way of getting at the same theological quandry. I love it. I also see a connection between this and Barrington Bunny's brand of courage. You see, if our will is that of God's, then courage is even something misplaced. Surely, most if not all of us will struggle with this kind of "being" Christian. Even Christ wrestles with his fate. But was it an act of courage to follow through...an effort of Jesus' own will to be crucified? Or, in stead, was it simply a turning over, a submission to God that simply led Jesus to the cross? I am thinking that it was much more the latter. Barrington did not perform some great act of courage like Superman. He did not exert his own will. He simply was. It is a difficult line of thought to tread...and more difficult to articulate. Eckhart does it well, I think. So does Barrington.

Posted by tripp at August 26, 2006 07:05 AM