Answers & Questions

This is part 6 in a series reflecting on How (Not) to Speak Of God by Peter Rollins. I would like to build off of the last quote from my last post:

In a world where people believe they are not hungry, we must not offer food but rather an aroma that helps them desire the food that we cannot provide. (37)

The typical view of evangelism is that we give people all of the answers they need. These answers provide a key that opens the door to "heaven." Rollins says, on the contrary, that the "job of the Church is...to help encourage the religious question to arise." (40-41) He thinks that we should be "celebrating complexity." (41)

In the comments section of my last post, someone quoted 1 Peter 3:15, which says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." Does this verse contradict what Rollins is saying? Not necessarily. First of all, Peter (the apostle) is assuming that a question is being asked in the first place. In other words, someone is seeking for that answer that Peter says we should be prepared to give. I also wonder if this answer can be both simple and complex at the same time. In other words, the reason for my hope is Christ...now how do I go about explaining the way Christ has instilled that hope in me?

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to say that we are doomed to sit around scratching our heads about these issues. I'm just saying that some of these things are, after all, more complex than we sometimes make them out to be.

Rollins says "the Christian faith is extrapolated via a powerless discourse which, at its most evangelical, attempts to create a space in which others can seek for themselves." (41) Is it possible that we actually hinder people from seeking by getting in the way at times? I can just imagine someone searching for their keys and we are babbling away in their ears about where we think they must be.

I'm still trying to decide if Rollins takes some of his ideas too far. Toward the end of the chapter I've been discussing, he sums up by saying "the emerging community must endeavour to be a question rather than an answer and an aroma rather than food." (42) Although I agree that we need more of this sort of thing, I think that there also times when we "put in our 2 cents," if you will. As one follower of Christ to another, we are able to share some direction, some morsel of truth with our fellow travellers. I think his words are a powerful corrective, but I'm not sure if they contain the whole story.

What do you think?

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Links to the rest if this series: Heretical Orthodoxy, Conceptual Idolatry, Defining God, 21st Century Pharisees?, Powerless Discourse, Answers & Questions, The Search for God, Doxorthy

Comments

[Lauraconk]

My mind is traveling everywhere... but here are a few starting thoughts:

I love the "aroma" word...it is kind of like "being salt"...but just connotes such a warmth. Very good!

While WE can't exactly provide the food as that is God's role...we are in a sense the wait staff, however. We "bring on" the food for many, we represent the food...so maybe we're also in the food sales business ;)

I don't want to ONLY be an aroma and then leave people hanging for Satan to just take their longings and misplace them. When people get hungry, they'll search anywhere for food and what they settle for might be loaded with transfats and sugar instead of the good food!!

We can't just make'em hunger and then say, "Cool...you're in the right direction for food! Now let's sit and talk about what food might be like and how good it could taste and how it might fill your achin' belly." NO! They are hungry!!! Not particularly time to waste...show them exactly where the food is, watch them eat and wipe their mouths when they spill :)

We need to be reverent of the fact that Christ could return any day. If you want to reach people and your church isn't out there doing it...inspire them to. Join one of the million opportunities out there to go where people are in need. There is seriously no lack of opportunity if you want one. They're just trying to get people saved and don't really care about the people?? Nonsense, I say... get involved and find out for yourself how much well-diggers, food-servers, house-builders, pregnancy test-takers, etc. care for the people they serve!

Be an aroma AND bring on the food!!!

[deborah]

Our lives are supposed to be the aroma. People should be looking at Christians and wondering what we have that they don't. Then when they are hungry, direct them to God. How that fits in with Jesus telling us to "feed his sheep", I'm not sure. It seems that instead of a step-by-step process, it should be a multi-tasking event.

Regarding Rollings taking his ideas too far, that could be where his philosophy background comes into play. Often, philosphy teachers focus only on the questions, rather than the answers.

And lastly, if the ec turns out to just be aroma, then its critics would be valid, for it would have just left people hungry. They need to at least provide a sign for the buffet.

(For some silly reason I have a picture of Homer Simpson sniffing and saying "MMMMMMM Dooonnnuuutttsss...." in my head.)

[Tom]

Good point, Deb. Otherwise it would just be "theological seed-spilling" to borrow Georges' cleaner version of the phrase!

[r]

John 6:33 I am the bread of life, no one who comes to me will ever be hungry again, those who believe in me will never thirst.

[Bill]

r,

Good quote. So we can't say that we have food to offer. The food is Jesus. Rollins is saying that we should help people to hunger and thirst for him as opposed to our man-made solutions, which includes "religion."

[Bill]

everyone,

My response to r brings me back to a question that I was trying to raise in my last post:

When we try to "get people saved" are we really offering them the bread of life? Are we giving them a hunger for Jesus or just assuaging a fear that they might suffer in the afterlife?

[r]

When you witness to individuals what do you say?
p.s. I think I like this conversaton over here better. :)

[Bill]

I guess that depends on how you define the word "witness." I think we can be a witness to Christ's goodness, love, etc. just by the way we live our daily lives. That doesn't mean conversation isn't important, though!

I don't think there's any set thing that I have in mind to say to people. It all depends on the context.

Sorry if it doesn't seem like I'm answering your question. If you want to give me a specific situation perhaps I could tell you what I might say or do in that situation.