How Do I Deconstruct and Reconstruct Without Flying Off The Rails?
There are thousands of people all around the world who are in a phase of “Deconstruction.” People are realising the limits of evangelical theology and practice, and searching for something more - a way of thinking that matches the beauty of Jesus. Perhaps you are one of them.
However, if you have been questioning different doctrines that were once unquestionable, you’re likely to be a little nervous. After all, a lot of our Churches gather around a set of beliefs that we all believe. The implication then, is if you believe something different you will no longer belong.
Right now I’m hearing people ask, “How do I deconstruct and reconstruct without flying off the rails?” How do we make sure we’re not just following some “sexy trend” as Matt Chandler called it? How do we make sure that we aren’t simply following our own ego, and creating a “new gospel” that simply suits us better?
So, for those who want to be honest in their quest for a more beautiful gospel, one that represents the God of grace we have experienced, but also want to stay committed to the truth and tradition of Jesus Christ, I offer 3 Guidelines that I think are important to keep in mind during our deconstruction/reconstruction journey.
Guideline 1. Make sure it matches Jesus.
The first guideline is quite simply, the person of Jesus. Ghandi said it best, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians!” For many of us, we love Jesus but we’ve been hurt by other believers, or religious systems.
Therefore, let’s allow Jesus to shape our theology. In fact, it is time that our theology submitted to the revelation found in Christ! Jesus said that if you have seen Him you have seen the Father. Paul calls Jesus the image of the invisible God. The author of Hebrews says Jesus is the exact representation of the Father.
“It is time that our theology submitted to the revelation found in Christ!”
Quite simply, Jesus reveals what God is like, has always been like, and always will be like. I call this “The Jesus Test.” In your deconstruction journey, stay close to Jesus. Allow yourself to drop what doesn’t resemble Him, and pick up the things that do. He is the truth to build our life upon.
(Check out my resource “The Jesus Test” to help you get started!)
Guideline 2. Make sure it takes into account the overarching story of Scripture.
The second guideline is to take into account the big story of Scripture. Now this may sound counter-intuitive to someone deconstructing. One of the more common reasons people are deconstructing is because of the violent passages in the Old Testament. I mean who wants to follow a God who condones sexual slavery and genocide?
However, when we take a step back and look at the Scriptures as a whole we can see a bigger picture. The bigger picture is that the Scriptures record what the people of God thought God was like, and what they thought God was doing. Then, when you look at the life of Jesus you see He spent lots of His time correcting previously held views of what people thought God was like, and what they thought He wanted.
Like an early scene in a movie adds depth to the scenes at the end, the Old Testament adds depth to how we understand the story of God. Let’s not write off the Old Testament too fast, instead lets look for that big picture. As you do, I guarantee that you will find that God has always loved humanity and desired a relationship with us.
Guideline 3. Make sure it aligns with Jesus mission for Kingdom come.
As we being to deconstruct from whatever system we have grown up with, we need to replace it with something. The final guideline I give is to reconstruct with an understanding of the good news that Jesus preached, demonstrated and taught.
In evangelicalism we have primarily focussed on a salvation that we get when we die. However, the good news Jesus preached was that the “Kingdom of God” had come now. If we stay near to this truth, that God is wanting to restore all things, not only will we end up with a more beautiful gospel, we will end up with a more “orthodox” and “transformational” faith like the early disciples had.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Those are my three guidelines for how to deconstruct and reconstruct your theology without flying off the rails. I believe that if we keep our theology Christ-Centered, understand the overarching story of the Scriptures, and stay true to Jesus purpose, then we will discover a God who is way more loving, gracious and powerful than we have ever realised.
Bless ya as you wrestle through it all!
