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So. My family is more than likely a lot different than yours… Now, I’m not saying that my family is any more dysfunctional than yours, they are just dysfunctional in a certain way… what i mean is, our family brand of dysfunction has a very unique flavor.
Case in point: My family rarely discusses sports and current events, instead, we argue and discuss theology and Biblical studies. This has been the “thorn in my side” for a long while, but recently I’ve begun to (stiffly) embrace it, much like you may embrace your Father’s over-the-top sports fanaticism. So. Instead of discussing Brett Favre’s chances of taking the Vikings to the Superbowl or a point and counter-point as to whom has the best defense in the NFL, or even why the BCS is a dead system… We discuss Biblical theology as it relates to early Judaism, or truth as it relates to modernity versus postmodernity, or the validity of the book of Revelations as prophetic reference for today, et cetera.
I say all this to point out that, while I love my family’s dysfunction, it is sometimes unbalanced, just as your father/brother/uncle might need a counterweight of reality in their fanaticism with sports, my family also needs a re-calibration from time to time.
All in all, I guess I’m grateful that my family leans toward theological debate as opposed to the other, for in our debate about God, we all have progressed in our understanding of truth – specifically how we have seen truth along the timeline of our live’s.
Theological Digression: This idea of progressive truth, which is ultimately a modern concept, has some validity in our postmodern world, as absolute truth may be unattainable to the finite, it does not mean that the finite cannot grasp truth’s inherency as it relates to life as we know it.
Think of it this way… progressive truth is the only form of truth a finite being can grasp – truth seized in the present, dictated by the past, and influenced by the future. In progressive truth we find that our mind can change and the truth of yesterday can be trumped by the reality of today. In moving, maturing, reflecting, and visioning, in growing-up, our understanding of truth also develops – encapsulating the tradition, reason, experience and emotion of our lives and projecting towards the vision of our future.
For example look at Matthew 24-25, used by many (I think wrongly) as a prophetic reference to end-time theology, it says we are to always be ready for the Coming of the Son of Man. Death is at every man’s doorstep, one may collapse in the field and one may be taken while grinding grain in the mill, our call is to be ready at any moment to give account of the truth in our lives, not to predict the time or hour but to be prepared no matter the time or hour. Which is to say, we must strive to be people who act out of our convictions. Jesus didn’t die so that you won’t. He died so that you may fully live – not a life of comfort but a existence of sacrifice.
Progressive truth is following in the footsteps of abandonment unto death… whether death comes at the point of a spear or in the beautiful irony of old age. Truth is incarnational, it ages with us. Truth informs us – even through our doubts, wrong assumptions and biased opinions, it progresses in our lives, which is why the old or those close to death always seem to see truth more clearly… because their progression is at an end. Truth has brought them to and will now see them through the final judgement of death.
And while we may never completely understand the Absolute Truth of life we can know and live out the knowledge that Jesus is truth, and his truth is incarnational, which is to say, it has been given for us to live out – with honest hands and compassionate words to those we come in contact with.
Just my meandering thoughts… what do you think? Is there such a thing as progressive truth?
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I love your family…lol
But the Raiders….next year
I agree. Truth is progressive and not relative. Although it may have many creative and relative application. Truth is progressive formless as there are many applications to truth. A good example of this is like Love. What is Love? Is it sex, romance, feeling sentimental, or is it when you are attracted to someone, or is it when you love your job, is it when you discipline someone because you love them? These are all expressions of love. There are infinite no of ways to express love but yet we don't know what love is. We can say what its like, but we don't know what it is. We may have a sense of its framework and description but we can't define it. Its unconditional. Its a principle. Its like the glory of God. There is no end to it. It goes from glory to glory to glory to glory etc. It also reminds me of when Jesus speaks about the kingdom of heaven/God. He would say stuff like the kingdom of God is LIKE blah blah blah.
can love then be defined as a relationship? In that light, truth then fits in the same category, as a relationship — it is intangible but yet irrefutably impactful.
thx shina for the post… good thoughts.
That is true also because this is what God wants with mankind. The foundation is love. He wants a relationship with man because he loves man who was made in his own image. God's relationship with mankind is like marriage, one with a husband and a wife. He wanted Rulership through a relationship. In fact God refers to his church as his bride and Jesus had parables with this theme. In Genesis we see how he wanted to extend his heavenly Kingdom to a physical territory so earth becomes a reflection of heaven through mankind whom he gave the dominion or authority to. This is the essence of progressive truth. I remember one time Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a woman making bread. She takes a measure of flour and mixes in the yeast until it permeates every part of the dough. Truth like God, may be absolute in principle, but its definitely progressive in the sense that God never does anything the same way.
like it!