Finding the Core

Continuing last week's thoughts sparked by the Curse of Knowledge, let's talk about the Core of being a Christian. If we were to boil down what it means to be a Christian, what would that look like? I had said maybe we should look for the ending point instead of the starting point. I pondered that idea some more while mowing the lawn. I'm not sure that approach is any better. Someone posted some excellent thoughts in response to this dilemma. Be sure to read them.

Anonymous' comments are heading in the same direction that my own thoughts are. As I contemplated what the ending point would be in the pursuit of the Core, I began to think about it terms of a relationship. Many people would say the ending point is heaven itself, where we hope to spend eternity after death and/or the end of the present world, whichever comes first. Heaven is the end destination, but I don't think it's the ending point of the Core.

God is the beginning and end of all things. Therefore, I think being in relationship with him is the beginning AND end of the Core. That's what he wants from us. Deep down, I believe that's what all of us want - we just don't always realize it. It's as simple as that.

For those of you who are burdened by the Curse of Knowledge, you're probably thinking I'm some kind of liberal theologian who believes everyone will be going to heaven, assuming there is one. You're wondering where does sin, the atonement, and Christian living come in? What about the Holy Spirit? Baptism? Those are all important issues, but I don't think they are part of the Core.

The Core is nothing more than God wants to be in relationship with us. When we understand that, we can begin to do just that - live in relationship with him. When we seek to live in relationship with him, we will begin to discover all those other things. We will learn how hard it is without outside help. We will seek that outside help once we discover what it is. The Holy Spirit will reveal to us things like only the selfless sacrifice of Jesus can restore the relationship. We will begin to experience the power of the Holy Spirit as it changes our lives and empowers us to live in that relationship and become more like him.

Realizing the simplicity of the Core will liberate us to live more fully in that relationship with God. When we shed the burden of all the extraneous rules, regulations, and belief systems, there are less barriers between God and us. We can experience true repentance. Click here to read an excellent post by OT professor Brian Russell from Asbury Theological Seminary on what Jesus meant when he said "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near." I think Brian is describing the Core.

Of course, even though relationship is the "end", it doesn't mean "stopping point". More on that later. I pray you can live in the freedom of the Core.

The Curse of Knowledge

On my other blog, I've posted some thoughts on the concept of the Curse of Knowledge as depicted in the book Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. Click here to read those thoughts. The Curse of Knowledge is the inability to remember or imagine what it is like to NOT know something, thereby makig it difficult to communicate that knowledge to an unknowing individual. Here, I'd like to address one other effect of the Curse of Knowledge - the tendency to make simple things complex. The Heath brothers also address this in their book. I want to apply it to our faith.

After two thousand years of Christianity and approximately twenty-five hundred years of organized Judaism before that, we have turned our relationship with God into a pretty complex affair. We have a pretty well thought out system of beliefs. We may not agree on all of them and different groups may emphasize certain nuances, but by and large, there is a set of universally agreed upon beliefs that characterize Orthodox Christianity.

It doesn't take long for the average person to be affected by the Curse of Knowledge once they begin their faith journey. Part of this is the result of being part of the institutional church. Over the last forty-five hundred years, we have reasoned out our theology pretty well. With each new development, we add to the list of requirements necessary to be a church member or even to be a Christian.

I will admit to my impatience and frustration with both the well-meaning person and the self-righteous person who insists on an adherence to a list of requirements in order to be considered a Christian. Over the last two or three years, I have put considerable study, prayer, and thought in boiling down what it means to be a Christian to the most basic core. It has not be an attempt to list the bare minimum for the sake of convenience. It has been an attempt to strip away all the complex baggage so people can be liberated to more fully live in relationship with God.

Many people point to the Apostle's Creed as this core. I'm beginning to wonder if even that is more than is necessary. Jesus said that we need to receive the kingdom of God like a little child. I don't think that meant we needed it to make it more complex.

Here's where the Curse of Knowledge rears its ugly head. As I have tried to identify the core, I always look for the right starting point. I usually start with "God loves us and wants to be in relationship with us." I then begin to identify how the relationship is possible, what impedes it, etc. Soon, it's no longer simple. Maybe the problem is I'm looking for a starting point when I should be looking for an ending point.

I feel myself beginning to get wordy and a well-articulated thesis is trying to escape my brain. So I'll stop here for now. I'll come back and continue later. For now, help me out. What are your thoughts?