“There is nothing new under the sun.” As we explore so many “new” ideas- new interpretations of the Bible and of Jesus message, new ways of being the church, new ways of transforming the culture, it’s easy to lose some perspective. Just like I get caught up in the latest fashion or the latest trend in t.v. shows (LOST had me on the edge of my seat last night!), I get caught up in the narrow, even superior, mindset that this generation, these ideas are “it.”
According to N.T. Wright, when Jesus asked people to repent, he was asking them to repent of what they thought it meant to be the people of God and believe in his interpretation of it. Throughout history the church, and various branches within, have gone through this process- redefining, reframing what it means to be God’s people. Every movement, every new denomination to a certain degree has had this at their heart- Who does God call us to be and what does that mean for our theology, our practices?
Just like Jesus de-stabilized the social structure in Israel, there is an undercurrent of de-stabilization happening to the social structure within the church today, like a network of cracks moving through its foundation. Emerging churches are an example of that. The “new” look at Jesus and his kingdom message have also shaken the foundation of what it means to be the church.I find comfort in knowing this is not a new cycle. I think we sometimes get so focused on our own cultural situation, our own time period, that we miss out on some perspective. God hasn’t changed. Even though we are re-interpreting it, Jesus message hasn’t changed either. And it’s guaranteed that years after we are gone, New Testament scholars will come along and re-interpret it again. These words in the Bible do seem to be alive, “living and breathing” through the pages of time.
