In a time and place where the religion of Christianity no longer enjoys unrivaled social privilege and power, a lot of people are questioning fundamental Christian beliefs—including Christians. Many are calling this “deconstruction” and it has caused some to fear that Christian faith is under attack.
However, deconstruction doesn’t have to feel threatening, because not all deconstruction entails rejection. Some deconstruction is a precursor to rejuvenation.
For example, Good Bones is a show in the fixer-upper genre. It follows a mother and daughter house-flipping team in Indianapolis who call themselves “Two Chicks and a Hammer.” In a single episode, the viewer is taken from “Ewww, look at this house with all this trash piled up in the living room, broken toilet, foundation has a huge crack in it, snakes in the vents, etc. etc.” to the big reveal with new potential buyers touring the house and saying, “Wow! Look at these marble countertops!” But, in order to take a house from dilapidated eye sore to a safe and beautiful home, you have to go through “Demo Day”! Usually a house on Good Bones will have to be stripped down to bare studs and a few walls taken out before the reconstruction process can begin. Sometimes the foundation even needs repair and correction. But there’s no getting to the new hardwood floors and open-concept living room without exposing all the hidden damage that’s underneath the surface. What’s the shape of the electrical? What about the pipes?
That’s what “deconstruction” in our faith journeys is all about. We need to get to the bottom of what we mean when we talk about subjects like “Jesus,” “the Bible,” “Heaven and Hell,” and whole host of others.
Jesus said the Kingdom of God was like a treasure hidden in a field. When someone found that treasure, they hid it again, and then in their joy they went and sold all they had to buy that field (cf. Matthew 13.44-46). Not only are we rediscovering the beauty of the Way of Jesus and his Kingdom, but we’re also gaining far more than we’re giving up. In this series we not only want to re-find the roots of our faith, but we also want them to be refined.
Join us the next eight weeks for ReFind: Rediscovering the Jesus Way After Deconstruction.