Faith, Hope, and Love (perhaps part 1)

I have four main classes this semester, one of which is taught by Dan Allender (Mars Hill's president and primary founder) and is entitled "Faith, Hope, and Love."

Now, initial thoughts may consider this to be an elementary class given the familiarity of the words in the title, but I have spent the last 3 days pouring over class transcripts (most students purchase these) for several reasons:
1) the information is incredibly profound
2) Dan moves through material at an accelerated pace; it is literally at a breakneck speed.
and 3) the information is so profound, and the pace is so quick, that I need ample processing time to internalize these concepts - time that is not given in class.

So, you, my faithful blog readers, get to participate in my educational experience. Over the years, I've found writing a summary of concepts to be a helpful way to process, and what better outlet for writing, than my own personal blog!

so.....Let's start with Faith (class #1):

I think I'll begin by defining Faith as remembering the redemptive acts of God.
Another interesting category of faith as a preface comes from Hebrews: sightless surety and certainty.

Faith is a matter of Trust. It asks the question, "To whom am I loyal?"
The context of our Faith is played out in story, so the questions can then be asked,
"What story am I loyal too?"
"What story do I trust?"
"What story has central command over my life?"
"What stories rule me?"

In looking at the idea of story, or narrative, several things must be understood:
First, we are all in a "story war." Many stories are vying for our attention, our life.
Does your story of past sexual abuse rule you?
How about your need for success?
What about your desire for safety, security, or financial stability?
What about your loneliness?

All stories consist of a basic 4-part structure:
1) a beginning of "shalom" or peace. Innocence is another word. Something is good, new, fresh.
2) Tragedy strikes - your "shalom is shattered" "Where did you lose your heart?"
Is it when your house didn't sell?
Your friend betrayed you?
Your loved one died?
Your car broke down?
Every one of these stories takes into account the fall.
3) Shalom is sought - we're trying to find our way back home. We're on a journey of redemption.
Because the nature of faith is the absence of sight, these journeys will lead to madness because they will probably lead to more heartache. Furthermore, they are full of paradox: you must give up your life, if you are to find it. You are sure and certain of that which you cannot see.

If your faith is a structure to escape chaos, it is built on idolatry, not redemption.

4) Denouement - stories end at a place where we can say, "Ahh." It's a loosening, a temporary respite
Here, at the temporary denouement, we can say, "I trust."

If you question this structure, go to the video store and browse the movies - this plot line is very familiar!

So, in the end, all stories are about redemption and hold the tension of "the already here, but not yet."

To sum all of that up, Faith engages Narrative. However, all stories are interpreted. We view stories through our own interpretive lenses - lenses that we cannot escape.

Here, we have a dilemma: no story can be objectively interpreted.
But these stories are from my life, so I'm pulling data from my memory, right?
Correct, but our memories are biased also!
Think about any storytelling or remembering you've done with a friend or family. How many details get mixed up? How do we know we are remembering correctly??!!! Another dilemma.

Our stories determine who we are. I have been defined by my family, growing up in Pataskala, going to Madison, going to basketball practice, sitting through Geometry class, etc. These are all stories that have determined who I am.

So, my story is the story because it shapes my identity. But my view of myself is always incomplete, somewhat inaccurate, built on bias, and therefore not sufficient for FAITH to be solid.

so, what is faith built on? again, the redemptive acts of God.

We address memory, to address story, to address faith. They start to mess with each other and we realize that our memory cannot be completely trusted.

In the midst of this dilemma, how do we then honor our story?
First, we must remember what we remember and then open our heart to it.
Who am I in this story?
Who am I becoming in this story?
Who am I called to become in this story?

All our stories have something to say to us. A story that's finished has no meaning. Our task is to begin the process of opening the doors to who I am in these stories? Who did I become...? Who am I meant to become...?
Again, the issue of identity.

So, we now see that Faith becomes paradigmatic - I look at the summation of multiple stories and say, "This is my style of how I move through narrative."
Faith is a paradigm for how I look and see myself, others, and God.

Now, it's beginning to get tricky here....

Since our paradigms are based on our inaccurate and biased memories of our stories, our paradigms are also inaccurate. So, I see everything, including God, through the lens of my own self-righteousness - a lens that thinks I see everything clearly and accurately (arrogance at its finest). Also, I see the world through the lens of my own shame and self-contempt.

Therefore, what I call FAITH may actually bind me from seeing well!!!

So, I shake my faith, which may feel like I'm shaking the truth, but in reality, I'm relinquishing my idolatrous lens or paradigm through which I look at life - a paradigm that was never an accurate lens to view myself, others, and God!!!

Now, the dilemma is further intensified...

What do we do with this faith that is built on shaky interpretations of memories of stories?
Nothing. This is why it is FAITH.

No one escapes Faith. We all have Faith in something. This is why the fundamental question is, "What story do I trust?"

The sightless certainty of Faith of a Christian is trusting that the denouements of our stories reveal the redemptive acts of God in our lives.