Teaching and Preaching by Analogy
As you might remember from elsewhere, I am in the process of becoming a teacher. This means that I go to class, read scads and scads of books and articles, and write even more than I read (so much so that I have so few words for here).
One of them, To Teach: the journey of a teacher, was written by William Ayers. I can’t recall who he is; I’m sure it’s in my notes, if I could just read my pre-morning coffee writing. As a writer, I found it a pretty easy read and not as academic (and dry) as other pieces. Actually, I recommend you check it out. But I digress.
In it, he draws an extended analogy between teaching and living in a city. This is based on the work of some other person (again not sure of the reason for importance), Adrienne Rich.
Adrienne argues that there are three types of city dwellers: paranoiac, solipsistic, and love relationship.
With paranoiac, you are armed with mace and a concealed carry weapon. You lock up behind three levels of deadbolts and have barred windows. You look no one in the eye. Everyone is to be feared. (Okay, so I extended her description for my taller tale.)
With solipsistic, you create your own little fantasy world. The city is a rare classroom with rich and unusual resources. No one really goes to the city, so there are very few of you. Your streets are always clean, and the hookers, druggies, and dealers are invisible. You ride everywhere in pristine taxis. Anywhere in the city you would not visit is deplorable due to pollution, violence, and immigrants, and you are immune to all their evils. (Again, I’m guilty of extension for taller tales.)
The third view, the love relationship, is about neither blind romance nor informed hatred. It’s about authentic love mixed with frustration and respectful awe. The streets hold both possibility and degradation. You know that the darkness exists, but you love the light and see the shadows as an outflow of the light and darkness together. It’s a more balanced view.
While Ayers takes Rich’s analogy and applies it to us as citizens of a world community as well as us as teachers or future teachers, I wonder deep down how this analogy would look if we applied it to church.
What would paranoiac church goers look like? Church would be their least favorite place. They would come for worship but not have time for Sunday school or bible study. Their schedules would always be dreadfully busy, booked full of other things. They might not fill out the attendance sheet completely, and they would avert their eyes whenever the collection plate gets passed.
And how about solipsistic church goers? We all have that one Christian in our heads that is solipsistic. Church is the perfect haven away from heaven. They’re all sinners saved by the grace of God here (but some are more saved than others), and there is no room for heathen. They congregate together in the same pews any time the church door is open. There’s no room for anyone new or different. Every aspect of proper church etiquette and behavior is on display for all to see to ensure everyone knows it. There is always a Bible study, but it’s usually run and coordinated by another solipsistic. Hell continues to burn, but the solipsistic is happy in their little church bubble immune from all the dirt and sin of the world.
Love relationship Christians are probably more mature. They’ve selected their church based not on location or ministries but on how it aligns with the word of God and the will of God for their lives. They are well balanced. They come when they feel up to it, and they stay home when they need to rest. They have a balance of ministries they support, and they navigate in and out ministries based on season of life and call of God. They don’t hold solipsistics responsible for damage to sinners and paranoiacs. They are loving and praying for sinners, paranoiacs, and anyone else not quite connecting properly. They admit that even the saved make mistakes and sin, and yet they find they enjoy the company of both saved and unsaved; their cadre of saved includes individuals from other churches and multiple denominations.
Which of the three am I? I am definitely not solipsistic; as a matter of fact, solipsistics drive me to the brink of going back to what I was before Christ.
I think, because of all I’ve seen in terms of damage by solipsistics, I’ve been paranoiac for huge portions of my life. However, I see the love relationship Christians in my friend list, and I do try to emulate what I see in them because I want to grow.
It is just a most difficult balancing act.
