Religion without imagination is dead. Doctrines are anchors that help keep us from idolatry, but if they stifle creativity in the religious life altogether, then they themselves become idols, and kill the Spirit. Ephesians 6:10-17 is a famous passage where a writer, purported to be Paul, talks about putting on the 'full armor of God'. Many Biblical scholars doubt that it was Paul that actually wrote the letter, most suspect one of his disciples wrote it about a decade or so after he had passed. The reasons for this are interesting, and I'll probably touch upon them in another post. I only mention it because I like to be clear when it comes to whom I am talking about.
The full armor of God is, in my view an imaginative endeavor on the writer's part. Seems obvious to me (though as Hilary Putnam says, "it ain't obvious what's obvious"). The writer is probably in jail or under house arrest himself, and is using the most colorful description of warfare of the day, that of the Roman soldier. He is literally writing what he is seeing. But I think it wrong to believe that the description of the armor is a one-to-one correlate with some heavenly reality. It is an imaginative undertaking, a way to speak poetically and in an empowering way about the simple fact that life is spiritual warfare, that the Combat Motif points to something real, something outside of the human mind. It also reminds us that we are not without weapons or significance in that war. We have a place to play in the battle, and we have power, real power given from God with which we face down the evil spiritual forces that threaten and oppress God's world. And to that idea I say unequivocally, "Amen".
Yes, life is veiled, and behind the veil there is indeed a war going on. And we have power in that war. I experience this almost daily and nightly. Throwing myself into that war with reckless abandon has made me a happier, and a morally better, person. I find myself able to see what is coming with more accuracy, I am able to predict better.
But my symbols I think are richer and more exciting than Pseudo-Paul's. If I want to get people excited, to make them feel empowered, I have to use different imaginative language to make that happen. I feel like I have better fuel for the fire, and I use it. That is part of the reason I embrace comics, movies, nerd-dom in general. It allows me to get more fired up for the Lord.
So here is my own imaginative re-interpretation of "the full armor of God". When faced with the dark spiritual forces that oppress us, we should stand fast with the telekinetic powers of truth, surrounded by the energy shield of righteousness so we can deflect our enemies' attacks. Our feet will be shod with the Iron Man rocket boots of the gospel of peace with which we fly circles around them. In all circumstances we hold faith as Captain America's shield, to quench all the bullets of the evil one. And we take magic infinity gem of faith upon our brow, and the light saber of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
See, when my God equips me, He doesn't chintz out on the latest technology ;-)
Your explanations, verbage, and direction are all great weapons of war. I feel more confident when discussing, not only religion, but a number of subjects that I would never have approached before your studies, Josh. Thank you for all your hard work!
ReplyDelete