Lesson 10: The Love Narrative and Conventional Wisdom

Many of the best Christians I know have been accused of not knowing how the world operates. In truth, every one of them knows all too well how things work. They just think Jesus shows a better way. Conventional wisdom that passes for sophistication nowadays is really pretty cynical and fatalistic. It believes science’s ability to measure and analyze things has proven everything in the universe is completely indifferent to any moral standards. Even more significant, it thinks the theory of evolution indicates survival of the fittest is the pattern written into nature. Few admit, perhaps even to themselves, that they think this way, but I sense these are the primary assumptions undergirding our modern lifestyle, even for those who worship every week. This conventional wisdom has created a climate of fear in which self-defense and win-at-any-cost competition have become our highest priorities. The first stance is justified by pointing to the threat of terrorism and the second by raving about all the wonderful things competition has supposedly made available. Both accept victims as collateral damage in our endless war and our economic system. As I write, it becomes evident that this is just the latest version of the same-old conventional wisdom. You can almost take for granted the Christian message will always be the opposite of the narrative being spoken by the authorities in any society. You can also pretty much assume there will always be an establishment religion that supports the authorities even when they are indecent. No matter how much they use biblical language to cover it, these churches define salvation in the same way that society defines success. Both conventional wisdom and conventional religion call for blind faith in their claims. The first asks people to trust in some invisible hand that builds the common good from the fierce competition resulting from every one fervently seeking their own profit; the second, in a hidden plan in which anything that happens is surely God’s will even though it appears to exploit many people. Neither really believes the biblical lifestyle is relevant, because the love on which it is based is in short supply. A Christian love narrative flies in the face of this convention. It does not accept its wisdom but proclaims a gospel that transforms hearts and society. It describes a better way to overcome the violence that breaks hearts and communities. It offers an honest critique of our political and economic systems. It provides a foundation for human meaning and purpose beyond the efficiency of science and evolutionary theory. And it inspires the courage to share and co-operate in the pursuit of a common good that truly cares for every one. A Christian love narrative has always acknowledged that we live in a penultimate situation in which the Kingdom of God is not fully present. However, this has never served as an excuse for ignoring loving actions but rather as an urgent call for them as they are the way we participate in God’s mission that uses love to overcome evil.