God Does Not Dictate: Hearing the Word of God on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11

“There’s a rabbi on the sign at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, but he’s not Jesus,” I announced to my parishioners.  He is Rabbi Micah Greenstein from Temple Israel in Memphis, whom we advertised on our sign because he was our guest in the Sunday Rector’s Forum during Lent this year.  His lectures on a Jewish understanding of the New Testament are available online (www.gracestlukes.org/news/rabbi-micah-greenstein/). This forum was a feast for the mind as we learned about the Hebrew scriptures as well as about how Christianity is, in my view, dependent upon the theology and history of Judaism.  From the theme of creation to Jesus’ parables (and I could go on and on), the Gospel only “makes sense” within this larger religious worldview and culture.

Listening to Rabbi Greenstein reminds me of one of my favorite theologians, Keith Ward.  I first read Ward in the spring of 2001 while at General Seminary in NYC.  He writes eloquently about comparative theology, arguing that his own tradition (Anglican Christianity) needs to be willing to listen to and even learn from other religions.  Ward also notes in his Religion and Revelation that the Reform tradition of Judaism (to which Temple Israel belongs) and the Anglican or Episcopal tradition have similar views of scripture, recognizing as they do that God speaks in and through historical consciousness.  Specifically, God does not dictate God’s word; rather, God guides and inspires human minds that are limited to some degree by their cultural assumptions and philosophies.  When it comes to believing and living God’s word, our minds are also limited for another reason, perhaps the biggest reason of all:  God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and God’s ways are not our ways.  God is God, and we are not.

The realization that God does not dictate God’s word is really helpful, explaining why the Bible can contain within itself so many contradictions (some theological, some factual).  And this realization also means that each and every religion - including Christianity - needs to be able to admit that its own vision of the truth and of reality is limited, unlike God’s vision.

This year we mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11, when one form of religious fundamentalism struck our country with horrific violence.  Some terrorists believed that God dictated this kind of violence.  And since that day, many thoughtful people have rightly wondered if faith is simply a facade for certainty and self-righteousness.

Looking back, it is ironic to me that at the time I was reading the theologian Ward less than a mile from what would become Ground Zero.  Ward’s books prophetically anticipate the countless friendships and enlightening conversations that have occurred among religions since 9/11.  We need more thoughtful dialogue in addition to shared community service, especially as globalization and technology connect diverse cultures and religions like never before.  One does not have to be a fundamentalist in order to believe passionately in God and spiritual values.  God gave us minds for a reason.  My hope and prayer is that 9/11 will continue to inspire religion that is not only faithful, but reasonable.