We needed a name that centered on the Jesus path. And we needed a name that acknowledges that mainstream Christians would challenge whether we are Christian at all, and at the same time that simply calling ourselves Christian leads non-Christians to ascribe to us a bundle of beliefs to which we do not subscribe.
The earliest followers of Jesus were deeply versed in the ways of mystery religion. For us, we recognize that no deep belief – no belief brought out of real wisdom – can be explained exhaustively in words. There is at the center of the most meaningful religious beliefs an element that is not knowable with certainty, not definable, and in fact paradoxical. We understand that what we would convey to the world cannot be boiled down into simple formulations.
When words are done, what have we left but art – beauty – poetry – gesture – music – contemplation – experience – ritual – communion – relation – belonging, to show what we mean? What seems solid in this life is mostly a human construction, floating on our assent. All this is, indeed, a reverie.
If we say that many of the great pillars of standard, orthodox Christianity are simply not believable, that is not to say that there is nothing believable or worthy in the tradition! Quite the opposite is the case. This is the vast, relatively ignored and unknown terrain we traverse and chart.
Leave a Reply