We must never underestimate our power to be wrong when talking about God, when thinking about God, when imagining God, whether in prose or in poetry. A generous orthodoxy, in contrast to the tense, narrow, or controlling orthodoxies of so much of Christian history, doesn't take itself too seriously. It is humble. It doesn't claim too much. It admits it walks with a limp.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the importance of humility in our understanding of God and suggests that a generous approach to faith allows for human fallibility.
Brian D. McLaren emphasizes that when discussing or thinking about God, we should remain aware of our limitations and the potential for error in our beliefs. Unlike rigid orthodoxies that claim absolute truth, a 'generous orthodoxy' embraces humility and acknowledges that we do not have all the answers. This perspective encourages open-mindedness and compassion within faith discussions, recognizing our shared imperfections as we seek understanding.
In practice
In a discussion about theology at a community gathering.
Jesus doesn’t dominate the other, avoid the other, colonize the other, intimidate the other, demonize the other, or marginalize the other. He incarnates into the other, joins the other in solidarity, protects the other, listens to the other, serves the other, even lays down his life for the other.
At their best, religious and spiritual communities help us discover this pure and naked spiritual encounter. At their worst, they simply make us more ashamed, pressuring us to cover up more, pushing us to further enhance our image with the best designer labels and latest spiritual fads, weighing us down with layer upon layer of heavy, uncomfortable, pretentious, well-starched religiosity.
To be a Christian in a generously orthodox way is not to claim to have the truth captured, stuffed, and mounted on the wall
We’re seeking — imperfectly at every turn, no doubt — an incarnational theology, a theology that brings radical good news of great joy for all the people, good news that God loves the world and didn’t send Jesus to condemn it but to save it, good news that God’s wrath is not merely punitive but restorative, good news that the fire of God’s holiness is not bent on eternal torment but always works to purify and refine, good news that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.
I condemn equally those who choose to praise man, those who choose to condemn him and those who choose to divert themselves, and I can only approve of those who seek with groans.
For the Lord touched all parts of creation, and freed and undeceived them all from every deceit.
A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.
You are the patient one, Mademoiselle,' said Poirot to Miss Debenham. She shrugged her shoulders slightly. 'What else can one do?' You are a philosopher, Mademoiselle.' That implies a detached attitude. I think my attitude is more selfish. I have learned to save myself useless emotion.
For a culture that has such a problem with death, we seem to deal with it in a quite bizarre way. We see people shot, killed and blown up, and we find it funny and sexy and all those things. But, the reality of it is that every day people die, and people are really sad and they grieve and they go through a really difficult process with it.
There is no Final Resting Place of the Mind.
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