In less than 500 years since the Scientific Revolution we have come a long way. We rightly celebrate modern medicine, space travel, instantaneous global communication, and many other marvels; but there are disconcerting elements as well. Before the Scientific Revolution, it was easier to understand Jesus as the center of history, Earth at the center of the universe, and our egos as the center of ourselves -- as well as to maintain a much more stable conception of space and time. At the beginning of the 21st century, we find ourselves knowing much less for certain than was previously reasonable to claim. Some have responded by becoming religious fundamentalists: clinging fearfully to traditional notions that are no longer tenable in the face of scientific evidence. There are also scientific fundamentalists, who insist that the scientific method is the only valid means of obtaining knowledge. However, neither the existence of God, nor the reality of personal, subjective religious experience can fully be addressed by the scientific method alone.
To share with you some of where I am personally in regard to the reality of all these de-centerings, I am not a relativist: it would be senseless to argue that just any way of doing things is equal to every other way. Some ways of being in the world obviously form people to be cruel and selfish -- and should be avoided and discouraged. Instead, I would describe myself as a pluralist. Looking at the wide diversity in the world, it seems self-evident that there is not just one, singular way to end up with healthy, compassionate human beings. Instead, there are clearly many different cultures and religions which produce kind, well-adjusted, smart, funny, competent humans. Of course, fundamentalists would assert that all those kind, well-adjusted, smart, funny, competent human beings are going straight to hell unless they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. To address the traditional Christian concern about eternal salvation, I would invite you to consider progressivism, the second theme that emerged as I reflected on the occasion of my tenth year of theological education.
Progressivism
Historical Jesus scholar Marcus Borg is one of the most articulate and popular expositors of what it means to be a progressive Christian. Progressive Christians interpret their faith through-- not only inherited tradition and external authorities -- but also personal experience. In his 2003 book The Heart of Christianity, Borg contrasts what he calls the "Earlier Paradigm" of Christianity with the "Emerging Paradigm," which is emerging precisely in response to the de-centerings produced by the Scientific Revolution. I encourage you to read Borg's writing for yourself, but, in particular, I would like to highlight the way Borg contrasts a focus among some Christians on the next world -- that is on "An afterlife and what to believe or do to be saved" -- with the increasing focus of progressive Christians on this world -- that is, "Transformation in this life through relationship with God."
I am not saying that heaven is unimportant; rather, for too long, too many Christians have been overly focused on the next world, resulting in a neglect - and often abuse -- of this world. Importantly, the idea that the Christian life should center on transformation in this life is not new. Remember our Gospel Lesson this morning from the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, which was the first of the canonical Gospels to be written. Beginning with the fourteenth verse we read, "After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.'" Growing up as a Southern Baptist, I was taught that the "good news" is that if you accept that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, then you will go to heaven. The bad news, of course, was that anyone who did not accept this fact would go to hell. But that logic does not correlate with this morning's Gospel reading. Listen again: "After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.'" Jesus is not proclaiming the good news of his impending crucifixion so that his death may be an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus did not come to die. Instead, Jesus is proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, which he would proceed to embody through his life in this world.
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