Nisan 28, 5784 / 7 April 2024

“What is evident….is that when we, with Paul arrive at the summit of the book of Romans, it is not the gathering that comes into view. Instead it is the sons and the creation that occupy the field of apostolic vision.”

(p44 CBC)

The delightful Pixar animation film ‘Finding Nemo‘ (2003) beautifully serves as a parable contrasting the church gathered and the immensity of our creation calling. In the film so many of the sea creatures have lived out their days in a small aquarium, located in a dentist’s office just outside Sydney Harbour. This environment is an artificially created and limited container of water. Food is fed to them and the environment perfectly maintained for safety and a risk free existence. Just beyond lies the vast, endless Pacific Ocean with untold opportunities , threats and challenges.

Thwaites argues that the primary reference points for our lives are to be found like the Pacific Ocean for Marlin and his son Nemo, in the great immensity, diverse setting and sound of creation. These are to set the largest context for our llife, relationships and work as followers of Christ. When seen with these spectacles on the book of Romans and Ephesians also emphasize these priorities.

“We have located ourselves in the building, the meeting and the programme and we have not effectively engaged the creation that holds our inheritance.”

(p45)

Thwaites is not arguing against church as gathering. In fact, with a reprioritizing of engaging the creation and all that it holds for us he believes greater fruitfulness will be affect the fellowship in our gatherings.

Immanence or Transcendence?

Where is God to be found? If God is so big why can’t we see him/her? Why doesn’t s/he just appear and tell us who he is? How is God present in this world and manifest himself to us? Does s/he live mostly in heaven and when does visiting the Earth happen? If Almighty, why does God seem so far removed from our daily lives?

These honest questions and many more can constantly be heard in our culture. In fact they and similar questions have been heard throughout history. Two key doctrines relate to these questions:

Transcendence: God’s person as infinite and separate from creation

Immanence: God’s person revealed in a finite way within creation

Thwaites argues that the way we answer and see God in these ways is through the lens of our particular glasses. If we have put on the lens of reason and rationalism we will overly paint God in a clear cut rationally defined way where the truth concept becomes a straight jacket.

“We must not let go of reason applied to the Word. But our approach to truth and knowing must take into account all the dimensions of life. Just as we have become accustomed in the West to going into the truth concept to experience truth, we need to give ourselves permission to go into every God-given facet of life to find the measure of divine reality therein.

(p51)

Stanley Grenz in his book ‘A Primer on Postmodernism’ (1996) calls it the ‘metanarrative’- the story behind, through and over every other story, one that is able to speak life into every facet of life in creation.

Next time we will see how the Hebrew mind set the boundary markers for our vision enabling us to safely sail a course through the channel of God’s transcendence and immanence.

By the way, I would love to interact and discuss on these topics. Please send me a message and let me know what you think.

© Stephen Paul Jacob