How do we become who we are? I remember a small group question that asked what our families told us about their hopes for us before we were born. A co-worker, who is now a hospital chaplain, said that his mother dreamed that he would be a man who would lead people to God.
The first stage of faith development, according to several theories, is learning who we are. Are we safe? Are we loved? Are we a Smith, or a Jackson, or a Robison? What does it mean to be a member of that family? Does our family have hopes and dreams for us?
Three stories have run through my mind today. One is that of a blogger friend who told about the stories she grew up with about a dad who was her hero, until she found out at seventeen that they were lies he'd told to make himself look good. He had been in trouble with the law, rather than the bold, adventurous, entrapreneurial spirit she'd learned to love. Her own life had taken on those same positive traits.
The second story is about a man who was in a group I mentored. He had previously belonged to a fundamental sect and believed the Bible to be factually true and the inerrant word of God. As we studied Hebrew Scripture, the Old Testament, he was appalled to read that seminaries teach that Adam and Eve were not two particular, real people, and that Moses didn't really write the first five books of the OT. He said that he felt like an orphan, that all the old Bible characters had been like family to him and he'd just found out he was adopted. It was truly a painful experience for him, but one that was necessary in order to grow spiritually.
The third story is about a baby who was born in Seattle a few years ago. She had a congenital condition of the brain that meant she would not survive, would not ever progress beyond infancy; in fact she was had not been expected to even be born alive, but she lived for six months.
The family had previously been a part of a fundamentalist church, but they had moved and had not made any connection locally. The other children in the family made friends, and the parents of those friends heard about the situation. They offered help, compassion, emotional and spiritual support, and the family joined their church, a different sect entirely. When the baby died, the family had found a sense of meaning in this tragedy: the baby's mission, from God, was to convert this family to this religion.
Here's the question: are any of these people worse off for believing something that was not, or may not be, true?
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3 comments:
Since I've been far to deeply engaged in a discussion about truth on my own blog, I will limit my comment to the observation that facts and truth are two different things, and that facts are often very unreliable indicators of truth.
CP
With the stories you've told, it seems that the girl told the lies, although feeling orphaned and betrayed developed her own identity based upon the best ideas her father could present to her - so, in reality it would seem that his stories developed a better citizen/person - even though he knew he was telling lies to her.
The man being disappointed with an explanation of the bible he had never heard - still had enough strength to overcome his early biblical naivete and in the end grew spiritually. Able to overcome his grade school education of the bible with an adult understanding that advanced his faith. (The persons who perpetuate the word for word bible stories, may or may not be forgiven for their own naivete. They believe they are telling and teaching the truth. It is hard to think about too harsh a judgment on them if they're never given an alternate opportunity.)
And the family, who continued to love the baby that was "to have never been born,or to live" learned of their own immense capability for love and in turn learned of the God's gifts from strangers in their new surroundings.
So, it seems, all 3 cases of believing something or NOT believing something, whether fact or fiction gave these persons a chance to grow into something greater than themselves.
Do I get a grade for effort here?:)
xoxo
Thanks so much, CP and SS, for stopping by and for commenting.
CP, I have been following your orthodoxy/truth discussion with interest. (I started to say "orthodoxy versus truth," but that doesn't seem quite right.)
Thanks for your distinction between facts and truth. Truth is a larger picture, and is infused with meaning; facts, on the other hand, like statistics, can be used quite effectively to lie.
SS, you certainly do get a 'A' for effort. That was the same conclusion I reached, that somehow each person grew as a result of the stories they'd been told, whether or not the stories were factual. God leads us into all truth.
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