My mind went to Phyllis Tickle’s The Great Emergence, in which she sees some new emphases approximately every 500 years, with the possibility of new ones emerging in the years ahead.
Let me share three concepts in theology I would like to see emphasized in the 21st century — part of a whole in theology, not a substitute for it.
Live in the majesty and purpose of God. The world of nature left the psalmist in Psalm 8 to stand in awe of God’s created world. Modern equipment enables scientists to see myriads of stars moving in their orbits without collision, many of them so far away that that distance has to be measured in “light years,” with light moving at the rate of 186,000 miles per second. In the microscopic world, the atom was long regarded as the smallest element in the universe. It has now been split to release tremendous power. Computer technology, coming late in history, has revolutionized both communication and knowledge. Modern medicine uses formerly unknown drugs and skilled surgery to extend and improve the earthly life of individuals.
God continues every day to work creatively through the universe he has made. And what are human beings, the final act of creation, doing with all these things?
The modern attitude is to take all of these, and the God who created them, for granted. Let us affirm that we as human beings are made in the image of God and for God’s purpose in our world. We are not our own. We are bought at a price. That price should awaken in us an overwhelming desire to fulfill God’s purpose in and through us today!
Emphasize a more complete understanding of the redemptive work of God through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Son, who, according to John’s Gospel, was the cooperative agent in creation, came to earth with a mission to re-create human beings into his own likeness. Through the union of the Holy Spirit and the virgin, Mary, the Son became incarnate in human flesh. His life and teachings demonstrated the kind of humanity he sought to produce. His sacrificial death on the cross to provide forgiveness for human sin was not an isolated event, (properly emphasized as a central event in redemption), but was integrally related to the resurrection, which brought new life to believers. The New Testament declares that we are not only saved from the old life but also to the new.
This fuller understanding is very much needed today. Becoming a Christian is not a reformation, but a re-creation. Baptism underlines the death to the old life and being raised to the new. The union of the Holy Spirit and the believer creates a little Christ (the meaning of the word Christian.)
The new life of God in the believer, motivated, guided, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, enables him/her to show the world what it means to be a Christian. The church fosters, encourages, and helps to guide the believer in the community of faith. This faith at work is not easy. Bonhoeffer was correct in describing God’s abundant grace as nothing cheap. It requires the same kind of prayer life and obedience to God’s will that was demonstrated by Jesus Christ on earth. The redemptive work of God in his Son continues throughout one’s earthly life, and perhaps into eternity. It is always much more than forgiveness for past sins. Let us make sure we understand as we live out our life on earth.
Clearly understand and practice the reality that every Christian is a partner with God — created, guided, and enabled by the Holy Spirit to do God’s work in our world. God could do it without us, but has chosen to do his work through us.
The Holy Spirit is not given for our entertainment, but for our service as the children of God. We work for understanding, love, justice, and peace as partners with God to accomplish his purpose. A clearly defined code of ethics is not a burdening obligation, but a way of living abundantly in the will of God. Social justice does not begin in Washington, but in the heart of a dedicated believer, joining with others who serve the same God. Different believers have different gifts, but all can be used to accomplish God’s purpose. For that purpose Christians often join with the established order to do God’s work. God’s will needs to be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven. It is accomplished by God’s people, who give themselves to the task on a daily basis.
These are my suggestions; others may propose better emphases for the present century. We learn from one another. Let us listen and live — not for our purpose or glory but for the God who provides his life for us through his beloved Son!
Joseph M. Gettys is professor emeritus of religion at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. He celebrated his 102nd birthday in April 2009.
