Lately (come to think of it, actually my whole life), I've been really struggling with the cringing in disgust and the getting upset over people's brief and shallow mentionings of God and the Bible, or their responses to any of my problems with a "one-solves-all" Scripture reference. I get turned off by it, and it's annoying. But I don't think that's the main issue even - the main problem I have with it is that I feel so bad afterwards for being disgusted! The main reason is, of course, I feel like I dislike God after these uncontrollable feelings rise within me, in response to comments made by overly-religious people - when, in reality, I'm just inadvertently accepting their beliefs as unquestionably "right" when I know I shouldn't.
Let me give you two scenarios to exemplify this. Suppose, for instance, I'm struggling with depression. I want somebody to be there for me, to be my friend - and to listen to me and understand me. So I go to Holy Joe over here (unaware at the time that the only language he speaks in is Biblinese), and tell him about this struggle I have with thinking bad thoughts. Holy Joe, who hardly even knows me, starts spitting out a Bible verse and tells me to go "suck on it." (Well, okay - he doesn't say that specifically, but he says the Bible verse with such quickness and with such ease, it makes me think he really is saying just that.) I try to talk to the guy some more, but all he does is say, "Go read your Bible," or "Pray some more." Or he just spits out another Bible verse and leaves, making me feel further away from God instead of closer. (And also, how can he be so confident that that specific verse was meant to help me solve my problem - he doesn't even know me that well!)
Of course, I know very well not to go to these people for help, but sometimes it's difficult to know whether or not someone is like that (especially whom you don't know very well - but whom you want to know better). I'm not saying that all are like that - that's just one type of Christian (or Churchee, whatever you want to call it). There's another type that I want to discuss in this essay, and that is the "This World is Heaven" Christian, or the "God Explains Everything" Christian - or, as one of my friends would say, the "Super Christian."
Typical behavior of these Christians are characterized by having extreme faith in Christ, so extreme to the point that the only thing they see in this world is what they claim to be "God." Although I respect their confidence, and although I do admire the faith - I'm not a very huge fan of ignoring other people's viewpoints, or labeling everything you see, "God." Try to have a decent conversation with them about movies, books, or video games - and they can't restrain their love for Christ by saying, "I know movies are good, but God is better," or something along those lines. All these people seem to talk about is God, and nothing else. Now, I'm not against talking about God, but I am against talking about God in cliches impertinent and oblivious to what others perceive the world to actually be. Empty phrases like "Praise the Lord!" or "Amen!", coupled with a very lacking amount of knowledge or a very shallow understanding of the situation at hand, are the very things that turn me off - and hinder me from using church jargon myself (due to the unoriginality or vagueness of it all).
I think the main reason for my disgust is not because I'm opposed to God (and I'm not, by the way), but because I just don't believe in these people's love for Christ, thus making me wrongly suspect (or rightly suspect, depending on who the person is) that they really don't mean what they say, and that they are just phony hypocrites trying to sound "good" for their peers around them, or for society. And, it's probably also because I feel like they don't care about me, or don't want to hear what's on my mind or understand my perspective.
Of course, there should be a resolution to this issue. And I think the resolution comes from deeper explanations and, most importantly, richer and more revealing descriptions, specifically of God or anything Scripture-related.
Back to empty phrases, let's take a good look at this void and nondescript one: "God is good."
Okay, I know that God is good - I've heard it a billion times from a billion different people. Mind elaborating?
Like, tell me specifically what you mean by "good," and, more importantly what you mean by "God." The Buddhist says I believe in "God," the Muslim says I believe in "God." The Mormon says that he works for a "God," and some New Agers say that we are "God." Please, you need to tell me what you mean by "God" - specifically by throwing in some more adjectives, or by giving an explanation as to why you say that. Why do you think God is so good? What has he done in your life specifically? (And please, don't go on further by throwing in some more vague and overly-abstract Christian gobbledygook.) I just want to know how exactly you see God, and what he looks like in your eyes. Because I know He's a lot more than just two words, that's for sure.
"Isaiah 41:3 - For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." So quotes Holy Joe when I tell him about a problem I'm facing. Now, don't get me wrong - that's a comforting verse if you use your imagination well. The image of a lovely being in heaven taking your hand and protecting you from harm is sometimes one of the most comforting things to anybody going through depression.
But, the problem is, Holy Joe doesn't tell me what the verse means specifically to him. Yeah, the verse is great - but a lot of its greatness has to do with me and my imagination. How about you, Holy Joe? Why don't you tell me what it means to you? Describe to me an experience you've had where you felt like there was no hope, and where, upon discovering this verse, suddenly leaped up for joy, exclaiming "God is good!" (There's that phrase again.) Tell me what was going on in your mind when you read that verse - the images that were evoked, the specific insight it gave to your life, the new perspective it gave you on the issue you were dealing with. Please, tell me your story.
The Bible is chock full of abstractions, so it could be very well said that a lot of it is open to interpretation. Because of this, people are going to have to start applying it to their lives and to the world around them, specifically in the way they see the world (given that these people aren't living in denial or oblivion - which, often times, many of them do). What gives the word "God" more life, or makes the Bible more alive and real, is the personal meaning people give to these verses or these words - and the stories/insights they share with each other. That would be a lot more beneficial and meaningful - not only to me, but to everyone else as well.
I think if people did this, the disgust I have with Christianese would start disappearing (as well as the language itself, I bet!), and Scripture would start to be much more intimate, personal, and real - as opposed to the overused "God is good!" trope that carries with it no explanation, story, or description to back it up.
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