As a man begins to draw his mud map
there a few obvious lines to draw in the dirt if he
intends to relate his map to the Christian faith.
One is our present experience.
We can mark a line for the ridge, or indeed, the
swamp, where we now are! If our experience cannot be
part of the map, then the map is no good.
Working out a map for living may not
be easy. We may need to confront difficult and
complicated issues of ethics or philosophy. but if
these cannot be translated into a mindscape of our
own words and experiences, then the map we try to
draw will always be foreign ground, and not serve us
well.
A second line is our attitude
to scripture. Imagine reading an article critical of
the Prime Minister or President. I will labour this
point, for it is extremely important for the drawing
of mud maps.
As we read about Mr Howard (Australia
1998) we undertake, almost unconsciously, a
complicated critique and appraisal of the text. Are
we reading a newspaper, or an election pamphlet from
an opposition party? Almost without thinking we
adjust our appraisal of the text.
If it is a newspaper, are we reading
the Adelaide Advertiser (a tabloid), The
Australian (national broadsheet), or the paper of
Resistance (the socialist youth organisation)?
Is the author a prominent member of the Opposition, a
hack journalist, a leading political commentator whom
we respect, or a rebel government MP? Is the article
"damning with faint praise." overall
favourable with constructive criticism, or calling
for the PM to be sacked immediately? Where does the
issue at hand fit in the current political agendas?
Unless we are disinterested, bigoted,
or simply naïve, we will consider many of these
things, along with our own experiences and attitudes.
When reading an advertisement, or
listening to the radio news, receiving instructions
from our employer, or even copping a blast from our
partner!, we undertake similar complicated critiques
and interpretation of the information we are
receiving. Then we act and form opinions etc.
I labour this point to contrast what
we do in the normal course of events with our lack of
interpretative critique of scripture. ( Critique does
not necessarily mean to decry.) To apply common
critical thinking is often seen as "disbelief"
or "disrespect", or lack of faith, in many
parts of the Christian tradition. For example,
because it says in one place in the bible "women
should keep silent," the reader may be told to
simply apply that to the present situation.
How ridiculous when we think about it!
Who said that about women? Why? When? What was the
situation? Were they making a general statement, or
one which was specific to the situation they were
writing to?
Somehow we are afraid of the
questions we would almost automatically ask of any
other text. Perhaps we are afraid God will disappear
if we ask such questions. I contend that God will not
be seen if God is not able to hand honest questions.
Not only must we question the text.
We must question ourselves. What baggage do I as a
white 43 year old middle class Australian bring to
the text when I read? Does the text really say what I
think, or am I unconsciously overlaying the words
with an inheritance from St Augustine, or Martin
Luther? What prejudice am I bringing? Would my
understanding be recognised by the author? How would
my tribal grandmother hear these same words?
I will mostly address these questions
throughout these pages, rather than write a specific
page on interpretation.
There is one more fairly
obvious line we can draw as we start the journey. If
we wish to map from a Christian perspective, Jesus is
the key line on the map. "Orthodoxy" is not
about believing particular theological dogma. If
there is such a thing as orthodoxy, it is in
interpreting our life experience in the light of the
man Jesus, and then ordering the way we live as a
result. All kinds of theological insights may help us,
but at its roots CHRISTianity is about finding and
relating to God as revealed to us by the person Jesus.
Map drawing exercises
1. Re-read a newspaper article which stirred you
emotionally. Try and remember your responses,
questions criticisms, scepticism, agreements, anger,
fear, scorn, laughter…. Become aware of the
complexity of your response to, and your interaction
with, a text.
2. If you have a bible, read a section and again
analyse your responses. Do you find you are self
censoring? Why? Where do any different types of
response come from?
3. If you follow Christ in some way, think about how
you act out and live out your faith. Don't
concentrate on what you believe in theory, but upon
what moves you. How much is it based around the
figure of Jesus? How much do you actually know about him,
as opposed to theological ideas and church teachings?
