Friday, December 16, 2005
Construction, Deconstruction and beyond ...
In my recent post, I offered a rant of deconstruction that some found frustrating while others seemed to more or less agree with the deconstructing rant. It was suggested that I offer some sort of constructive comments on what can/could/should/will be done about the issues that I raised. I have certain "out there" ideas that I may post in the near future. However, I would rather talk about the nature of deconstruction, and what (if anything) comes after. It seems to me that there are three phases, perhaps they cycle, perhaps not... Anyway, these three phases are construction, deconstruction and whatever lies beyond. Beginning with modernity (I know, this is not where I SHOULD begin, sorry)... beginning with modernity, we see construction. This is, in sorts, the heart of modernity. Its a very similar feel as the Tower of Babel... how can humanity construct things in order to reach/transcend God/Higher Power/disease/limitations/....? We also constucted ideas and theories about how things worked... the universe, the body, God, etc. Then, postmodernity begin questioning these constructions.... in other words, deconstruction. Nothing is left sacred, nothing is left constructed. *LARGE PARENTHETICAL COMMENT This is my fear with those of us who are trying to revision church, of which a major componennt is deconstruction. My fear is that we will stop short of total deconstruction. If you've read my thesis, this is essentially what I say the Emerging movement fails at. They, along with many others often times including ourselves... myself, hault deconstruction because the chaos and uncertainty found in the Spirit of Deconstruction is too much. We begin constructing too soon because we get uncomfortable with the deconstruction.... its hard to exist while the sands of life are slipping through your fingers... *END PARENTHETICAL COMMENT What happens next? Does anything happen next? I think so, but I don't know when or how whatever happens happens. This is only my idea... It seems to me that if you begin constructing again... like all other constructions, they will ultimately fall down and fail miserably. (Not that what I am about to propose will fair any better) However, it seems that constructions, by and large, are totally human efforts. Humans build things. What I see taking place after deconstruction is not more construction, but re-creation. Only God has the power to create, which He shares with us on ocassion. Think about our hearts. We come to God with hearts of stone, constructed as we will. We ask God to remove our hearts (deconstruct them) until nothing remains and to place in us a heart of flesh (a re-created heart). This is a promise! Yet, if we leave slivers and slices of the stone heart in place, can we even receive a heart of flesh? In other words, to join the two conversations together, if we leave some of our old visions of church and community life constructed... never allowing them to be deconstructed by the Spirit that hovered over the chaos and darkness in the beginning, how then can we fully received the re-created visions of what life/church could be?
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Perhaps I was one of those you had in mind when mentioning "construction". I don't have the time right now to explain my intention. Maybe I just heard so much hurt that I wanted to be encouraging and positive. I have been in that place. The past 2 years have been a real time of deconstruction for me as well. I feel as though I am the rubble waiting to be cleared. I think the next step in the cycle (at least for me) is hope.
I agree with you that only God can construct. And only God should deconstruct. Many christians are like the rich young ruler who had accumulated so many things and when God asks them to give away all of their ecclesial systems and programs, they walk away disappointed. God must destroy our ridiculous paradigms.
But...
I meet and hear so many people who are caught in this internal spiral. They got burned at a church and take a tail spin. Everything focuses inward like a theological depression. Certainly God can use this and perhaps God was the unseen catalyst. Deconstruction needs to be under the guide of the Holy Spirit or it becomes self-focused instead of God-centered.
I would much rather read your thesis after you have spent a few years in the battle. I mean that as no cut but I was in your shoes and had lots of great ideas and thoughts. Ideals get tested quickly on the front lines. Even your deconstruction gets deconstructed. I know you agree that theology was meant to be done in the midst of ministry. I don't mean in anyway to say that your experiences in ministry are not valid. But I think in more time you will have more to say on the matter that is practical as well as abstract. Please don't take this the wrong way.
I am not in a place to leave my situation because it isn't what I thought. It feels more like Jeremiah who bought a piece of land knowing it would be worthless once the exile began. I love Brueggeman's "preaching to the exiles". My problem is I can't convince anyone an exile is coming and is already here in some places.
Perhaps my plea for God to construct something through you was more me-centered and not even about you. I've been called to rebuild the wall (Nehemiah - my thesis). It isn't much but I could use some help building.
ps - why don't you begin a church in MS or New Orleans?
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