| Almost every time we unload groceries, the same thought sprouts in my mind. It’s either, “This apple is huge!” or “Why is this orange so big?” In one form or another, we have a long history of genetically modifying foods. We haven’t always known about genetics and its possibilities (or dangers) when it comes to food. But we have used selective breeding for thousands of years. This is a process whereby we combine desired traits to breed a better version. A better version of what? Well, almost anything. This comes to mind when I see that dog food commercial. It tells us its product can bring out the inner wolf of your dog. How did dogs go from being wolves to man’s best friend? Selective breeding. Also, when you learn about selective breeding you always learn about corn. The corn we know today would a-maize our ancestors. We also see this with music, art and communication. Take a little bit of this and that from here and there to create something new. It even happens in faith. Just think about how many Christian denominations there are. There’s another process more of us are learning about: Deconstruction. It isn’t an exact parallel to selective breeding. But the effects can be quite similar. Deconstruction is nothing new, of course. Someone, though, learned the word. It picked up steam when celebrities and other influential people started using it. They did so, more often, to describe a faith exploration. Here’s my go-to illustration to describe how I see deconstruction. I like to think of reading a manual for building a model car, backward. You start with the finished product and make your way to how it all began. Deconstructing faith allows us to do the same thing. What is it we truly believe? What are the fundamental elements of our faith in and walk with God? After we answer these questions, we’ll often find we want to leave some things behind. Some people leave their entire faith behind after this process. Those of us who have not, though, discern what elements we will continue to carry. It’s a sort of selective breeding. Don’t think that is a contemporary compulsion. It’s something people of faith have always done. While many Christians find this to be a dangerous process, I find it almost necessary. It deepens your convictions. Maybe that’s why a lot of people don’t want anything to do with it. God’s church needs stronger convictions, don’t we? How else will we bear the fruit for God the Lord expects? We don’t need bigger or better fruit that we recreate or design. I’m convinced God’s not as impressed with our budgets and buildings as we are. What can refocus our mission? Change our hearts? The simple we-belong-to-God fruit that comes from living for Christ. Stay blessed…john |
John Fletcher
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