The Theory of Emergence

This morning my mind is thinking about a new thing — a new and exciting theory.  

Have you ever heard of the Theory of Emergence?

According, to sources in-the-know, it is a study of the link between religion and science.  

According to Ted Loder it is: the “impulse toward increasing or emerging complexity in the universe…..That seems to me to suggest that science has reintroduced God into the universe and initiated new ways for us to understand both the how and why of God’s involvement in life.”  (p 170 Loaves, Fishes, and Leftovers)

Here is my simple minded explanation of this Theory of Emergence: It the point of truth that what once was a simple easy life has become — emerged — into a complex and complicated and involved world.

Example:

From the beginning of time — Adam and Eve, naked in the Garden, got complicated when they ate the forbidden fruit.

Human life evolved from that quiet peaceful time into todays world.

Think about your own historical experience.  Where, and what, you played as a child; like spending evenings playing hide-n-seek, or kick the can.

Or, lying in front of the radio listening to stories with no picture except you own imagination.

That simple life has evolved from radio to television.  From two or three party phone lines, handle by the operator, to cell phones that are smarter than any of us can imagination.  

That evolve into computer systems of all sizes and shapes.

The Theory of Emergence has also been active in the world of understanding. A  fact that change has even evolved in our thinking, in our theological understanding of how God is ever creating new.  New concepts and biblical interpretations of what is good and acceptable.

What we understood, as true, centuries ago has emerged — evolved — into more, much more.

Example: We now understand that Adam and Eve we’re not just two individuals; but represented the whole of humanity.  

Women are not longer seen as unclean each month when their body cleanses itself of impurities.

People with leprosy — skin sores — are not a threat to society.

And the list goes on.

Life, and life’s understandings, have evolved with time.

And we, chronologically advanced beings, are sometimes found left out of the evolutions of life’s simplest issues.

We are left out because we can’t imagine the possibilities that God has put before us.

The Myths We Think Are True

 

Yesterday I read again Isaiah 56; where we are told an amazing promise:

 

⁶ And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,

   to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,

   and to be his servants,

all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,

   and hold fast my covenant— 

⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain,

   and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices

   will be accepted on my altar;

for my house shall be called a house of prayer

   for all peoples. 

⁸ Thus says the Lord God,

   who gathers the outcasts of Israel,

I will gather others to them

   besides those already gathered. (Is. 56)

And I thought to myself:  God’s, all inclusive plan for the imperfect human creation.

There has been a persistent theme preached in pulpits down through history.  The theme is to be acceptable to God one needs to be perfectly good or        unapproachable.

I will call that a huge myth.

A myth, because no one is perfect and no one is unapproachable.

No secret there.

We all have faults.

We all have acted carelessly, or had impure thoughts.

So the conclusions we make, within our tiny little brains is: we are not worthy of God’s love, mercy or forgiveness. 

Another HUGE myth that we have been conditioned to believe.

So I invite you to think about those people Jesus hung-with the most.  Namely tax collector and sinners — the outcast of society.

Or, think about the mumbling — complaining — Hebrew mob who God was so very patient with; in a tough love kind of way.

for my house shall be called a house of prayer

   for all peoples. 

⁸ Thus says the Lord God,

   who gathers the outcasts of Israel,

I will gather others to them

   besides those already gathered.

That little word ‘all’ often gets left out of discussion on interpretation.

Mulling's On My Mind

 “Be nice”

       be “kind”

            “love”, and “care” for you neighbor.

How many times did you hear such statements in your life time?

How many times have you said that to someone — especially a child?

True story:

I went through a mini-crisis some years ago.  The issues was a hard one, with much pain and conflicting feelings, going through me.  I learned a great deal during those three years.  I grew-up a lot.  I learned to confront the issues that needed confronting.  I had never really been put in a position, quite like that, as a Pastor.

The result?  The situation caused me to question if love truly begets love.

Just because we love, and care, for someone doesn’t mean that the actions and feelings are returned.  Or even appreciated for that matter.

It was a painful experience for this idealistic person.

And, by the way, “speaking the truth in love,” (Eph. 4:15f) doesn’t always end the way you hoped it would.

Those of us who have been raise-up in the ELCA Lutheran tradition  know we are to love, as reconciling people, by the grace of God as modeled by Jesus.

Think about that a minute. — a long minute.

You and I are to be people who love with the love of Christ — even in the rock-hard places of life.

Think about how difficult it is to put yourself in the position of attempting to heal a breach — whether between individuals or a groups.

Reconciliation is no where near an easy task.

The question:  “…I know reconciliation doesn’t mean winning, but what does it actually mean?”

Answer:  “….there are three essential steps in reconciliation.  Maybe more but certainly these three:  First, reconciliation involves honestly facing the differences and what constitutes the breach between parties.  Second, it involves the recognition and admission of our  limitations, distortions, and responsibilities in the cause of the breach — hopefully on both sides.  Third, it involves the need, the longing, on at least one parties part, to be reconciled to the other.  Someone needs to risk taking the initiative, which pride makes it hard for us to do.  (P. 140 Loaves, Fishes, and leftovers.)

As I was mulling over all of these thoughts, this past week, the word ‘humility’ kept popping into my mind.

Neil Diamond sings these words:  “Pride is the chief cause of the decline of husband and wife.”

So I am thinking that to be a person, who desires to live as Jesus asks, we need to be willing to put pride aside and eat a little humble pie.

And that my friends is no easy task.

However, when you really think about the alternative we might realize humble pie could give us back the treasure we temporarily lost.

Then the question came into the conversation:

“Earlier you said reconciliation is not easy, and it doesn’t come naturally.  Why is it the so many of the things that matter, and the God seems to want us to be, don’t seem to come naturally?”

Good question isn’t it?