We believe certain things about our world. We may not be able to say why we think some acts are immoral, but we know or thoroughly believe that they are wrong. When someone steals a child from their home, we know that that is wrong. When a husband is unfaithful to his wife, or visa-versa, we believe that that is wrong. When our children rebel or disobey, we know that that is wrong. We reach these conclusions somehow.

    Do we just intuitively know or believe that some acts are evil or bad? Some might say that we know right and wrong because of the training that we have received in our families, in our schools, in our social contexts that has convinced us to follow a particular moral code. However, where did our families learn, and our teachers, and our social groups?

    The truth is that there is an underlying story. There is a shared understanding about the Big picture that gets communicated in one way or another. Matter of fact, there are probably competing underlying stories or narratives that define the landscape of our lives. Most people, if George Barna is correct, believe in God. God, we say, is the prime author of the story that defines us. Have you ever tried to tell the story? Probably, if you are a Christian, you have felt some responsibility for being evangelistic. To be evangelistic is the share the story that shapes your life. Can you do it? Nicolas Wright helps us tell the story through asking four questions, whose answers frame our view of the world.

    The first question is “Who are we?”

    We are living beings formed in the image of God. What does it means to be human? If the Creator gave us flesh and said, “It is good,” then it must be a good thing to have a body, to enjoy food and comfort, and the beauty of creation. However, we are more than a body. We are, according to the Story of Scripture, made in the image of God. What does that mean? I suppose that it means that God made us for love, for self sacrifice, for creativity and for responsibility. If this is true, then we are not essentially bound by the accidents of race, gender, social class, or other contexts for our personal story. We can be male or female, slave or free, rich or poor, eastern or western and still love and sacrifice, create, and be held responsible for our acts. Every one who finds themselves in one of these categories is also made in the image of God, even the people we count as enemies. Being made in the image of God also implies that we have some freedom of will and the ability to impact our world and our destiny. Who are we? We are sensual responsible creative loving beings. We are inherently valuable, too.

    The second question is, “Where are we?”

    We are in a world that requires relational skill. We are in a world that is beautiful in its diversity and complexity. The world is a cultural place where our habitation matters. The world, in this sense is not the enemy of God, but the created context for humanity and the rest of life on earth. The fleshly material world must matter to God, since he has created it. God is seen in nature, even if we cannot adequately or fully see God in a fallen cosmos, or through fallen eyes (Romans 1:20).

    The third question is, “What is wrong?”

    If the ideal human being is Jesus, when we look at ourselves, we find that we are less than he. Humanity has chosen not to yield to the sovereignty, to the rule and reign of God. The narrative of the Old Testament describes the faithfulness of God and the steadfast unfaithfulness of the People of God. God seeks to establish and maintain covenant with his people. Joseph Allen provides us with some useful description of the nature of this covenant of love.

God is the prime author of the story that defines us.

    He says that God’s covenant love is inclusive. As we live in rebellion to the plan of God we are champions at disinclusion. When we want to be the center of attention, someone is disincluded. When we draw national boundaries, someone is disincluded. When we speak insider language and jargon, someone is potentially disincluded. God seeks the outsiders. God’s covenant love is steadfast. We have strong tendencies to love in self-interested modes. We give up on ourselves, sometimes rather easily. We give up on other people when we are wounded once. We have strong tendencies to run away. God pursues steadfastly. God’s covenant love is reconciling. We allow for barriers to persist between us. We hold grudges. We refuse to forgive. We dehumanize our enemies. We usually refuse to meet someone else’s interests unless it also meet our own. We would rather fight than negotiate. God’s covenant love meets the needs of members of the community. We have a strong tendency to meet our own needs, even exclusively, when push comes to shove. God’s covenant love affirms the worth of the individual. We know our inner being well enough to doubt our worth and the worth of others. We are fallen. Even after we declare our faith, this is still our story. Even with the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, my covenanting ability is mostly flawed. This is what is wrong.

    The final question is, “What is the solution?”

    God pursues us. This is the story that was begun in Genesis 3:9, with God seeking Adam, asking, “Where are you?” God has been practicing his faithfulness all along. Ultimately he sent Jesus to be our prime example and source for mercy. God is acting in such a way that all of creation will be redeemed and will function to bear witness to the majesty of God. We may cooperate with the solution through patience and persistence in faith and imitation. We are to live in community as the People of God, people who look to God for the patterns of our lives. Christianity is the purposeful practice of the ethic of Jesus in the world.

    This is how we really know the difference between right and wrong. When we are unfaithful to the pattern of God’s covenant love, we are doing what is wrong. When we imitate the covenant love of God, we are doing right. This story, this good news story, is not only a useful lens to help us clearly see the course we should take with our lives, but it is also the good news that we invite people into. We are not just trying to baptize people. We are not just trying to get them to say the sinner’s prayer. We are trying to invite them into this story, to meet this God, and to join us in the bigger picture!

    What is the story that defines your life?

 

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Title: "Confessing the Bigger Picture"
Author: Michael Harbour
Publication Date: April 26, 2003