He began the lecture by asking the class our favorite scriptures. What verses do we turn to when we think of significant truth? Biblically, what is most important to each of us?
I thought. I thought. I thought some more.
One student gave his input, and then another did the same. Multiple responses followed. They touched on various topics:
Calvinism. Armenianism. The relationship between faith and works. Predestination. Free will. Interpreting scripture. The Old Testament war stories and the New Testament peace teachings. Experiencing God. The fall of Adam and the triumph of Christ. The call of the Christian to die to the self. What does it look like? How is it accomplished? Why is it the call for the redeemed? And on and on and on.
Simply thinking on one of these topics makes my head spin, so you can imagine how hearing all of them mentioned within ten minutes was impacting my brain.
The professor held up his hand for quiet.
Picked up a dry-erase marker.
Drew five lines on the board.
'Many people make scriptural lists of what biblical content is most important. They focus so much on the number one concept that oftentimes every other number on the list is easily neglected'.
Picked up the marker.
Drew five circles, one inside the other.
'This is my preferred diagram'.
Inside the very center circle he wrote, 'The Greatest Commandments'.
'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?'
Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments'. -Matthew 22:36-40One of these days I'm going to write a book titled, 'Throwing Theology Out the Door'.
Many of the theological topics mentioned above could be debated for hours on end. You and I could discuss the ends and outs of each category and what they mean for the Christian life. People devote their lives to studying such biblical areas (oh wait-that's me).
As much as I love theology, there comes a point where I must acknowledge what matters more: love.
If an intense theological concept is at the top of a list of importance, then that means other valuable items and concepts are underneath it. A list means that theology is defining what it means for you to be a Christian. Somehow, I don't think that's what Jesus had in mind when He said, 'Come and follow me'.
Oftentimes we focus so much on theological discussions or concepts that we forget to love God and people. We allow knowledge to consume our very souls.
That's a really scary thought.
Being a Bible major has been the most intriguing adventure of my life thus far (every life experience is an adventure-don't you think?). Every day I find myself figuring this odd balance of what it is to walk the tightrope of the Christian life: on one side, knowledge and on the other, experience. The rope to walk is truth. To fall to either side would be to offset the balance of my soul. I need to grow in my knowledge of Jesus and the Bible in order to see the example of love. However, if I let it stop there, then it is all wasted. Knowledge is nothing without being put into practice. I also need the experience of living as a Christian-not just learning about how to be one.
Studying at a Christian university is so strangely beautiful. Especially being in the Biblical Studies department, I'm constantly fighting this (new) battle of the flesh: being an academic Christian. I daily must choose to be an experiential Christian, too. I want to grow in my knowledge to feed my mind, but I am made to grow in my experience to feed my soul.
More importantly, to actually live out my faith-to experience God-is to feed others' souls.
To love another person is to experience the heart of God.
On the days when I find knowledge is going to my head, in the moments when I realize I have not talked to the Lord in awhile, or during the times when I find myself going through the motions of Christianity, I find I have to put the textbook down, step out the classroom of my mind, and depend on the Spirit.
Teach me to love. Holy Spirit, you are welcome here.
I love theology, but the moment it begins to take the place of what matters most, then I must throw it out the door. The second a discussion turns to a debate, hearts must be checked. The minute an idea or concept takes precedent over a person, priorities must be rearranged.
This is why I think some of the world's greatest philosophers had it wrong. Perhaps not completely, but a lot of them seemed to put so much of themselves into a concept that they took people out of the equation. Some of them had some great philosophies-but did they love people?
We are not living for theology. We aren't living for legalism, or a concept, or a philosophy. We aren't meant to live for knowledge's sake. We are primarily made to love and be loved. Knowledge can only take one so far.
We need God.
Not a textbook. Not a podcast. Not an article or an essay or a sermon. Not even a deep intellectual conversation. Sometimes, it's simpler. Always, it's love.
Sometimes the world doesn't need intelligent minds. More often than not, the world simply needs humble hearts.
Open ears.
Kind words.
Gentle spirits.
Jesus.
If you think about it, if your theology isn't about loving God and people, then your theology probably doesn't work anyway.
The point of the diagram:
God's heart is at the center.
The rest is details.
