liberalI want to get this out of the way at the beginning that this blog is not directed at anyone, just some things I've been thinking about. I'm starting to question my postmodernness. Now I know what you're thinking, "what?! you're not going to go all fundy on me are you?" the answer to all you would be fundy lovers is no, not quite. I think for me the whole post modern thing has been an interesting pendulum. I started off on one side of the extreme (thinking the book 'a new kind of Christian' was heresy) and then swinging to the other side of being completely engulfed in all things postmodern. I think now though, a year after this whole emergent adventure began life is starting to once again return to some semblance of normality.
When you read books like Blue Like Jazz, there is a lot of 'permission' that is associated with it. Whether it be swearing or drinking or voting liberal, it's all chucked in there. To think I've actually toyed with the idea of voting liberal this past year. Wow! Anyway, the thought I'm trying to kind of dump here is that I'm starting to see the post postmodern side a bit, or the gradual return to orthodoxy with some much needed changes. One of the things I like about church movements is that they require the entire church to take a look at themselves, grade themselves against the extreme and then re-evaluate whether or not they agree with some of the ideas and concepts of the new movement and are willing to change or update. We saw it with the pentecostalism and the holiness movement at the beginning of the 20th century, the 'Toronto Blessing' towards the end of the 20th century, and here now we are seeing the emergent movement beginning to pick up steam. I've been in it for a year and here are some of the conclusions I've come up with.
1. I don't need to swear to be postmodern. Cussing pastor tom or whatever his name is in Blue Like Jazz gave many people permission to publicly voice their actual thoughts, or the way they think in their heads. The good thing was that transparency and authenticity were brought back to the forefront of living the Christian life, the downside is that we have a bunch of impressionable young people who think that swearing is a cool part of Christianity. I'm not allowed to swear in a public school or high school so why do I think it's ok to swear at church? I'm not knocking people who do I just think it's like a lot of things, too much of a good thing is often bad for you. I don't think I need to swear to be relevant but I don't think that pretending like I never swear is relevant either. There's some kind of middle ground there that I'm still trying to figure out. Perhaps the bigger issue isn't so much the swearing as it is the reality that we use our words to tear people down instead of building them up (I'm really guilty of this). Maybe cutting back on the swearing is a good way to practice restraint and thinking before I speak so that when it comes to tearing people down with words I'm allowed to use it won't be so natural and will be easier to overcome.
2. I don't need to drink to be postmodern. Wow, as much as I love a good glass of guinness, I don't need to prove myself. When I first got here, the ability to drink was almost like a badge of honor I wore proudly around. It's not that I was going against God or anything but it's kind of like when mom says not to step over the line and so you stand there right up against the line trying to get as close to it as possible without going over. I don't need to do it and in fact perhaps the better example is to find Jesus and stand around his line. Having a drink (or a couple) is one of those things I really enjoy. In a lot of ways it breaks an evangelical mindset that somehow by not doing it I'm better than everyone else, or at least, in my mind I look better. I don't agree with that because I don't think it's real. No one wants to hang out with someone who thinks they are better than them, myself included (even though I am really really ridiculously good looking 
). Being able to go out drinking with my friends is a great way to meet other people and to be an example of Christ wherever I am. Did I mention I like guinness?
3. I don't need to vote liberal to be postmodern. I saw a bumper sticker recently that said Christian Liberal. I laughed and then I shuddered. In Canada at least, there's no reason for me to vote liberal. I don't think like a liberal I don't act like a liberal I just can't do it and now, I'm not ashamed to be a postmodern conservative. Wow, I said it. My boss continually tells me that the NDP was founded by Christian and I can see that. A commitment to social justice is usually not at the forefront of a tory campaign. I guess I just think there's a different way to approach it. I think there are a lot of things the government needs to do better and should do better but I also don't believe the government should be running a 30 billion dollar surplus while canadians bear the second highest income tax rate in the world. Let's try tax cuts and see what happens. If it can work in alberta and ontario, I'm sure it can work in the rest of the country. Ok, the political rant is over, in terms of how it relates to the church, it really doesn't matter. I believe that christian liberals and christian conservatives are motivated (hopefully) by the same thing, a love for Christ and a passion to see a fallen world encounter his Kingdom.
Well, that's my rant for the evening. Perhaps the one good thing that emergence and postmodernism has done for me is help me to jump back into the reality of where my culture is at and to help me bring my fundy evangelical side back into the mainstream without a compromise of the core truths I believe. That in itself I think is something the future will thank them for.
God Bless,
James.
