For the
last four years I have been writing, rather inconsistently, under the blog
godisadork.blogspot.com where I have chronicled my some of my unique and varied
interactions with God and where I see him all around me. This has included my
reflections on interactions with people, events at church, the movies and more.
Reflecting on the fact that I started the blog as an 18 year old who imagined
that he knew something, I see some of the inherent immaturity in the blog
posts. Additionally, while the title of the blog was intentionally chosen and I
am not embarrassed of it, I do feel that it is time for a new title and a new
approach in my reflections on faith and the pursuit of truth. Additionally, the
fact that I am attending seminary now means that I am paying lots of money to
study the various expressions of faith and spend lots of time reflecting
critically upon them, so hopefully I learn how to reflect on my faith a little
better along the way.
My blog is
now called “Polyphonic Truth.” The reasons why I have chosen this title may be
apparent, but if not I would like to lay them out for you. I believe, like a
modernist, that there is such a thing as absolute truth. I also believe, like a
postmodernist, that the truth can be accessed in many ways and, equally
important, expressed in many ways, hence polyphonic or "many voices/sounds." I see it in movies, in music, in people, in
nature and in theology. I am also keenly
aware that as a twenty-two year old, white, male, urban, semi-Pentecostal,
graduate student from an upper-middle class background I see truth in a
particular way and the way I see it might not be the way you see it.
Additionally, you and I may express truth very differently; I primarily use
reflections on faith, you might use abstract art, ballet, or sculpting, none of
which I understand very well.
Because the
truth is, admittedly, very hard to know, I have to try to take every expression
of it seriously. I don’t want the tainted “Kendrick Barnes Translation” of the
truth, I want the actual truth, which means that I want to hear about the truth
from people who do not think, look, or act like me. As one of my theology
professors Rob Wall said, “I must try to listen to other interpreters,
believing that true objectivity emerges out of a community of subjectivities.”
So here is
my expression of truth, I am also very interested in yours.
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