Places I find truth other than the Bible, attempt number three:
I have a love affair with Judaism. For some reason, the religion has always called to me. The rituals, the rich tradition of ceremony, the emphasis on books and learning, the poetic language of prayer, the importance of the home and of home-based ceremonies, and the emphasis on community and culture are all important to me in my own path. I celebrate the major Jewish holidays (albeit in my own bastardized ways, which may or may not insult some people)--Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover. I love Jewish history, books about the Tanakh and Torah, Jewish commentary on Biblical and current issues. Though I am a Christian and attend a Christian church, Judaism has deepened my spiritual life and colored the way I see the world.
A lot of people would say that this is a variety of "cafeteria Christianity" (a term I despise). These people maintain that a person cannot call him/herself a true Christian unless s/he believes every last item on a certain list of tenets and not a single word otherwise. These people have bumper stickers declaring that a pro-choice person is not a Christian; they practice yoga under another name so as not to leave themselves open to heathenism; they have no room in their spiritual lives for anything that doesn't come directly from the Bible. But I think that there is wisdom to be found in the writings and mythology of people and cultures who have also had experiences with the Divine. Maybe it means I'm gliding through some cosmic cafeteria--but I can't help having the mental capacity to believe some things and not others.*
I find that understanding Judaism deepens my ability to understand Christianity. A basic knowledge of Jewish history, culture, and law explains why the Pharisees and scribes were so freaked out by Jesus and his teachings. Learning the prayers and holiday practices adds dimension to the images of Joseph and Mary dedicating Jesus in the Temple, taking him to Jerusalem for Passover, and to Jesus' later Passover celebrations. It helps add dimension, flavor, and texture to the passages about Jesus teaching and reading in the synagogues. Christians were Jews before they were Christians (and Jesus was a Jew all of his life), and Judaism influenced many aspects of Christian worship.
I'm sure my religious pluralism would be offensive to a lot of people. Many Christians would surely see my belief structure as a diluted Christianity, accuse me of being wishy-washy, and pray for my soul. Many Jews would certainly see me as a dabbler in the easy or trendy parts of Judaism, or see me as another Christian who points out the similarities between our religions in an attempt to convert. Maybe I am a dabbler, a person who skims from other religions instead of getting more deeply involved in my own. But I don't understand my faith that way. I prefer to recognize the similarities and common origins of different religions. And if reading the holy books of other religions helps me to better understand God, where is the wrong in that? I don't skim and I don't flit. I am a Christian and I am faithful to that. But I also see the value in other religious practices and I don't believe it is wrong to use them as vehicles on my path to God.
OK, we'll call this part one. At least I finally managed to stick to my topic.
*To me, "cafeteria Christian" applies to people who decide what parts of Christianity apply to them based on ease of applicability to their current lifestyles rather than a person who, say, reads the Biblical passages about homosexuality and decides, after much thought, research, and prayer, that they don't refer to loving, mutually-affirming, committed relationships. In popular parlance, though, it's thrown around to describe a Christian who supports gay rights or who is divorced or who supports keeping abortion legal (as opposed to simply "supporting abortion", which I've never of heard anyone doing). Very few people follow every single word of the entire Bible, and I find it interesting that we have terms used to describe those who don't follow the parts we ourselves follow as though we were one of those few.
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2 comments:
The historic church has had reasons to worry about syncretism, of course, and there is error in some non-Christian beliefs and practices. But with those caveats, I can agree, for instance, that Christians need to learn more about Judaism to understand Christianity. Mature Christians whose lives are guided by the Holy Spirit can find kernels of God's truth in other religions and other religious practices.
One of the cautions I'd make is with respect to what a young Christian might perceive as s/he watches you. Paul's caution about eating meat sacrificed to idols.
Paul, though, preached to his Greek audiences by acknowledging that they understood some of God's truth already. They had part of the picture but not all, and the missing part had to do with the ministry and redemptive work of Christ. That can be said of many other religions, too.
I have alwaya felt the better I understand the culture in which Jesus and His disciples lived, the better I can understand their teachings. So, yes study and learn all you can about 1st century practices - which is quite difference from the practices of today.
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