I just picked up a copy of John Caputo’s book, In Search of Radical Theology, and the following passage sort of jumped off the page:
Our quasi-Augustinian confession, confessing that there is no big supernatural or transcendental something or other coming over the hill to save us, is the saving.
It reminded me of something I wrote in my last book, Misfit Faith:
What if faith is not so much about filling voids and plugging God-shaped holes as about getting to that existential place where we embrace the doubt, complexity, and ambiguity of life in this world? What if Christianity — far from reinforcing the “fulfillment narrative” according to which Jesus (rather than worldly things) satisfies us — actually sets us free from the oppressive notion that anything can?
To be completely honest, affirming such an atypical position, namely, that grace not only invites us to step off the hamster wheel of piety but actually obliterates the system responsible for creating hamster wheels in the first place, makes my work of religious trauma coaching and spiritual direction more challenging than they would otherwise be. People want their Five Keys, Seven Habits, or Twelve Steps. To build upon my last post, they want to be told, very clearly, how they can go from Point A to Point B.
But here’s the thing: The Gospel always appears “weak” and “foolish” when contrasted with conventional ways of doing things (and as long as it involves crucifixion and the death of God, it has to). Grace must be a stumbling block and scandal, and if it’s not then you’re doing it wrong.
So to any potential clients, if what you’re looking for is a life hack or cheat code to get that heavenly vending machine to dispense the desired treats, there is no lack of self-help gurus and methods out there. But if you choose to work with me, you’ll be taught to sit with your own questions, doubts, and shortcomings, and you’ll discover that they can be your deepest source of joy (kinda like the cross was for Jesus).
After all (to finish the Misfit Faith quote), “What if sadness is just happiness for deep people?”
