I have been reflecting the last couple days on two comments on the post Ambiguity and Karen Armstrong. I really appreciated Eric's comments on Christology and Jeff's thoughts reinforce that I really use Tillich at work camp, even though his writing will never make MTV.
Eric is right. Tillich's Christology is thin. Just look at his Systematic Theology. Volume 2, Existence and The Christ is much smaller than volume 3, Life and The Spirit. And Eric is right that it is about existence and essence. That is why Tillich divides his volume on Christology into two parts.
The first part is Existence and the Quest for The Christ. What Tillich is describing as existence, is in summary Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Our existence is in the reality of sin. Original sin and our own sin. This existence in sin causes real harm and real hurt. Sin makes death, guilt, suffering, loneliness, doubt, meaninglessness, despair, and suicide a reality in our lives.
Youth know this. They know it deep in their hearts. 3 million youth this year will contract sexually transmitted diseases. They go to school and have to think about Virginia Tech and Columbine. Many come home to broken homes, abuse, and isolation. When we first moved to DuBois there were 5 teen suicides that year. They know the effect even if they don't have theological word or ontological word that describes the cause.
Tillich points out that this existence in the reality of sin and this existence puts us on the road as seekers, seekers for salvation. It puts us on the quest to find Christ, the one who saves. Tillich then describes a lot of false ways of self-salvation: legalism, ascetic, mystical, sacramental/doctrinal, and emotional.
Youth know all about these ways too. Go to the book store and you will find all kinds of new age, witchcraft, and spell books on the shelves. Ask the clerk who buys most of them and its young people who are seeking. Some will seek salvation in a certain kind of dress (can be the latest fashion or goth) or moral code & community (sports or drug culture). But all of these ways will ultimately fail and their search will continue until they find Christ.
Our culture lives in denial of the reality of sin. That is also suppressed in our church. When was the last time you talked about the reality of original sin in church, Sunday School material, Bible Study or seminary? I have been told by many that sin is a hurtful word and talk about sin is hurtful. Yet, as Tillich points out, the reality of sin continues it's assault on life even in denial. Even if we want to be left alone in undisturbed silence and imagine our commercial, legalistic or other ways of self-salvation can ultimately numb the pain of our existence, the reality of sin still breaks through.
Youth want you to say yes to their contrived ways of salvation just like adults. But they keep looking deeper as well until they find Christ. That is what is so wonderful about work camp or mission discovery or any long period with youth or adults. It gives you time to answer, life to life, the denial of the reality of sin, our contrived ways of salvation, and point the true Christ. And Tillich helps give me the frame work to do that. More about that next time in part two.
Until next time...Grace & Peace