““Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.” ”
The above quote from theologian Karl Barth (or at least a simplified variation) has inspired me for decades. My continual pursuit of thought content is driven by the ideal that “all truth is God’s truth” and that followers of Jesus should not be ignorant of the world. Our dedication to Scripture must be the lens through which we view the world around us.
This motivates me to read diverse material. It’s why I continue to publish my Thought Thread. It’s why I view every day as a learning opportunity.
In recent months, as I’ve digested content, I’m sensing a shift. There’s something different going on. Beyond the uncertainty of global politics, volatility in finance, tech, and business are far less predictable as of late. I figured the pandemic would bring this about; you can’t pause the world without repercussions. The wise among us projected that the pandemic was an accelerant, but that was likely too simplistic a prediction.
We’re on the verge of change.
And to be clear: I have no idea what that will be.
To be sure, a prediction like this—one that’s ambiguously prophetic—is typically useless. Does it really matter if something’s coming if we don’t know what it actually is? Yet I’d suggest that in our emergence from COVID, with everyone waiting for the return of normal, this observation is critical. We aren’t returning to once what was. What lies ahead is new and we’ll be forced to adjust or get left behind.
If you have conservative leanings, you might reject this perspective. After all, at its core, conservatism approaches any change with skepticism so change is often cloaked in negativity.
But even if you lean progressive/liberal, you might have concerns. What if the future is actually a dystopian past, à la Handmaid’s Tale?
But we don’t have to face an uncertain future while tethered to our preferences. Even (or especially?) people of faith should be OK. Flexibility and contextualization are concepts fully compatible with Christianity. We can adjust. Even when the times change, our essentials do not.
It’s why I appreciate Barth’s observation above We’re merely called to engage the changing landscape while viewing it through eternal lenses. In times like these, Jesus’ counsel to “watch and pray” is perhaps the best bit of advice. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t respond, but it’s not yet clear what exactly we would be responding to.
A Change is Gonna Come.