Where Faith, Science, Doubt & philosophy Meet

By Terry Mattson

 Rough Draft, Reflections on Teaching Mark


As always: Comment or add your own thoughts

I've never entirely understood the opposition to Post-Modernism from within parts of my own evangelical tradition. 

I get the initial hesitation we all feel when anything or anyone places in doubt the paradigms in logic or philosophy upon which our faith (worldview) rests. I certainly understand that my belief in theism of the Christian sort is the most incredible of Narratives. I so want it to be. Worse, I have no desire to live in any universe where God is, in heart and character, other than whom Jesus of Nazareth pictures God to be. Even so, with all said, a larger truth must be admitted or the very foundation of Christendom is lost.  It is: We have to admit we could be wrong..

We who are In Christ believe the most radical of ideas. It is first written in the opening of Mark's Story, just out of the rodeo gate and tested in the first thirty years in the up and downs, rugged turns to the left and right as the scandal of Jesus life confronts the bull that is Rome. "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” ‭‭(Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬). That Word, gospel, according to Pope Benedict XVI was reserved to the Emperor alone. Gospel literally meant the news that changed everything. It was considered "Good" because its source was the final Word upon which all Rome rested. If the Emperor declared a city destroyed it remained "good news" for all. 

So Mark is challenging Rome itself and with a God that didn't obey any of the rules of governance; Especially the one that sees power as ultimate, in all. Mark's good news surrounds One killed by Rome for sedition, crucified between two thieves, as Gospel. In his writing he went out of his way to show just how vulnerable Jesus followers were, fleeing even the Sanhedrin's guards in Gethsemane, at least one who escaped naked. The last line of Mark's early manuscripts reads: “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid" 1 (‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬). So began his invitation to see in the weakness of Jesus and his followers the Word that changes everything.

Mark was not afraid of weakness or doubt. In his God's gospel the essential about truth is that it rests in a Person, not even an idea. So much the better if that Person flys upside down to Rome's reality. It was not enough to believe, for we will all--at some point in our journey fail--running away naked and ashamed as did the disciple at Jesus arrest. It is not even enough that Jesus is visited in resurrection. Other explanations can be found. What mattered was a willingness to look at truth straight on, through the eyes of The Son and place all at risk, doubts included, for the reality that the only News that matters has come!  He is the very one declared by the scandal ridden Baptist whose mission was to ask the Jewish Nation to humble themselves and like unconverted pagans, be baptized. 'To wit,' "the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River" (Mark 1: 5 NIV).



 [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.]”



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