The Joy of Ethical Ambiguity

Everything is permissible- but not everything is beneficial.  Everything is permissible- but not everything is constructive.  Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others…So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God.   

 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, 31

I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring Ms. Fiona Brown for the last three years.  Over mochas and Time Market raspberry muffins we dive in to existential talks of The Future, the potentiality of prospective suitors (aka: how fine such and such boy is), and Who Is God and How Do We Relate to Him.  The topic of yesterday’s discussion, however, particularly made me think.  We discussed ethical ambiguity- how the Bible rarely gives hard fast rules, but rather teaches in parables and often communicates seemingly contradictory ideas.  Fiona and I brainstormed just a few of these issues that are imbued with tension:

1. Faith without works is dead AND it is by grace we have been saved, not by works
2. God created us to be fleshy people who want to have sex and who enjoy sex AND we are also to have control over our bodies and not lust
3. We are to be in community and fellowship with one another AND in quietness is our strength
4. We are called to submit to one another AND we are called to hold each other accountable
5. Jesus turned water into wine at the end of the party for all the wedding guests AND we are not to be drunk
6. We should be good workers and at peace with everyone as far as it depends on us AND our priority is to serve God, not people

Rob Bell addresses this issue in his book Sex God.  He reflects on how difficult it is to live in a place of tension, of having to wrestle through each decision and figure out what is best for THAT particular time and place.  As humans, we much prefer to draw lines and say, It’s always this or It’s always that.  Tension is uncomfortable.  Drawing lines is easier.  Dietrich Bonheoffer says something similar when it comes to the discipline of silence.  It’s much easier to determine I am just going to be silent rather than having to intentionally sift through and decide when to speak and when to shut up.  One is forced to constantly engage and constantly think and be in constant communication with God when issues are ambiguous.

 I suppose He did it on purpose.

I suppose He did it on purpose so that we always remember that ushering in the kingdom is a conversation, is talking and living and breathing and thinking.  That if we think we know The Rules, we should probably look again.