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There Is No Word For Coincidence In Hebrew

Posted Mar 28 2011 by Jonathan Brink in  with 6 Comments

One of my students in my Exploring A Postmodern Gospel class wrote the following two posts.  We’re working through my book Discovering The God Imagination. I wanted to share them.

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Jonathan,
As I sat in a local Taco shop finishing chapter 4 last week, I experienced a significant amount of hope and desire to worship as I have while reading only a few other books (The Challenge of Jesus and Simply Christian by NT Wright, The Heart of Christianity by Borg and a few others). I felt a swelling inside my chest as my head raced through to one version of where the story was going.

I got the feeling you were saying at the end of discussing the atonement theories (page 82) that, possibly, what God did was let humans create the rules (either by accident or by choice, for better or worse). Then, because he loves us so much did, does, and will do whatever it takes to prove that love and to reconcile and redeem us-even if that meant that he had to play by the rules we had internalized as necessary… and become our perfect sacrifice.

I choked back tears of amazement and felt like it would have been appropriate to drop to my knees in worship of a love so free. I am looking forward to following the details that seem to indicate a story I want to believe, and do at some level already.

Thanks for this.

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Okay, so here goes. Sorry for the length.

As I mentioned, or tried to previously, one of the things that has given me the freedom to proceed with a deconstruction and beginning of reconstruction of my faith was a belief that I wasn’t doing it alone. I began to “find” evidence able to overcome my preconceptions. More specifically I have had the sensation that the creator of the universe was communicating to me in ways that I was able to understand, ways that would encourage me to keep going and to trust more. I told a friend, my counselor, and my wife about this and even blogged about it in a very general way. In the past and in stories of others I have heard people say that they had a certain coincidence or thing happen or believed God to be speaking to them, and I was always a bit skeptical, even when I felt it and said it. Was I making it up? Fabricating? Practicing confirmation bias?

Somehow in the past several months I have been able to suspend judgment on this and allow it to “take me where it will”. One of the ways that I experienced what I called “a voice”, was through events and specifically music, which I constantly listen too. I have always been a huge fan of U2. But in the past 24-36 months, I cannot help but hear God speaking to me at specific times, saying specific things, that make me as sure as I can be that He was the one speaking. This has been followed by a similar experience with the music of Switchfoot, Snow Patrol, and Mat Kearney.

Most recently however, and currently, the music of The Killers has been the means by which I feel able to hear Him speak. Now, I had never been a fan of the Killers until 4 months ago when I read this tweet from Rob Bell:

I get the sense that Brandon Flowers knows exactly what he’s doing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBENjCPS8LI

So I watched the video and loved it. I began listening to everything Brandon Flowers and the Killers (the band he fronts) have recorded, and have felt at times, not too often, just enough to keep me open, that God continues to speak. The Killers Live has been the DVD we listen to in the van every day for the last month. Now, I believe he has spoken in many, many other ways as well. He speaks through friends, my boys, Holly, my counselor, scripture, books, sermons,etc. But I have gained a great deal of willingness to walk forward from this specific way he speaks to me. I now believe he very likely “speaks” to others in different ways, ways they specifically relate to. It isn’t necessarily His giving some specific advice or guidance, though at times it is. I guess I can best describe it as His subtle, or not so subtle, whispering to me that He is still here and He loves me.

So now… As mentioned above I am in a Taco shop reading chapter four last week and am filled with hope and write this across the bottom of page 82-83: “If God became a man…He would do whatever he saw was necessary to rescue humanity. He would give his life even if it was to convince us once and for all that we were loved, accepted and good…Jesus. He allows us to “make up the rules” and then willingly plays by them to get the outcome we all want… Only God would or could do that.”

So as I write this I am tearing up, and trying to keep my composure, and my alarm goes off telling me it’s time to get my boys from school.
Before I get up, I glance at the epigraph at the top of page 83 and see this quote, “I need direction to perfection, no, no, no, no. Help me out.” – Brandon Flowers. I couldn’t keep the tears back, knowing He is with me still on this journey.

I share this now because I just finished page 120 and it was so helpful. Even with these episodes I still had these feeling I was making it up, or reading things into coincidence and “normal” life. That was my preconceived assumption. Was I giving significance to insignificant things. My gut feeling, the deepest sense in me says I’m not making it up. That is why I have been following it these past few years. But I didn’t have words to explain it (which is important to me) until I read the last two paragraphs on page 120:

“To do this, he simply takes the risk to discover who God really is. He walks with God. He puts it all on the line and approaches God with the courage to challenge the prevailing assumption that God would crush him. This is faith on display. It’s not making something true by our actions. It’s aligning our internal image of reality to what is already true.

Faith is simply opening the door to possibility, to hope, and to a transcendent life. It’s taking the risk to challenge the preconceived assumptions and embedded captivating stories. And because of this risk, he sees what is true. He transcends his own perceptions and subjective judgements. He overcomes.”

I am sorry to quote your own words back to you, Jonathan. But the hope I am filled with that God may be able to help me transcend my own perceptions and subjective judgements, is news so good it is worth repeating.

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About the Author

Jonathan BrinkI am an business development and communications consultant. I am also the senior editor and publisher for Civitas Press. I recently published, Discovering The God Imagination: Reconstructing A Whole, New Christianity. (Civitas, 2011)View all posts by Jonathan Brink →

  • http://paradigmshift-jmac.blogspot.com Jmachuta2

    Interesting…. yes, I feel that God has communicated to me through many different things including music. I will date myself but, Hotel California in my view, is all about the bondage of institutional Christianity… “at the masters table, we gathered for the feast… we stabbed it with our steely knives but we just can’t kill the beast.”…. “we are programmed to receive, you can checkout any time you like but, you can never leave!” Many others also some more subtle… I love learn to be still.nnGod speaks to my wife with advertisements like “obey your thirst” Those thirsting for righteousness… He speaks with leaves and the wind and in my view…. NO! there are no coincidents.

  • Lynch Gerard

    I am about to be unmerciful, which i really feel is quite merciful. A number of readers will take my comments as judgmental, dualistic, or legalistic. This is true, if you are not free.nn “I felt a swelling inside my chest as my head raced through to one version of where the story was going.” This “swelling,” given the conditions u described, was vanity. nn”…felt like it would have been appropriate to drop to my knees in worship of a love so free.” Naturally the question is after all this reading and quoting of chapters that u did, Did you fall to ur knees?nIn my personal experience and of those I know for the last 25years, “would have been appropriate” is not how we come to our knees: we are dropped to our knees. You had a Carnal Mind approximation of humility. Sorry. The Carnal Mind is so brilliant at being “holy.”nnGod did not allow us to make up the rules. We were given specific rules, and the point of those was that we could not obey them. This is the main point of the Old Testament. We introduced to God what we wanted as far as governement, in Judges. He strongly discouraged us, yet when we persisted He allowed it. Sure, we create our own reality, meaning, and purpose but that is our Original Sin. The fact we are granted the freedom by God to create these things that wound and burden us does not mean He approved of these fabrications. What man creates eventually displays the frailities of man.nn”But I have gained a great deal of willingness to walk forward from this specific way he speaks to me.” nnu201cTo do this, he simply takes the risk to discover who God really is. He walks with God. He puts it all on the line and approaches God with the courage to challenge the prevailing assumption that God would crush him. This is faith on display. Itu2019s not making something true by our actions. Itu2019s aligning our internal image of reality to what is already true.nn”Faith is simply opening the door to possibility, to hope, and to a transcendent life. Itu2019s taking the risk to challenge the preconceived assumptions and embedded captivating stories. And because of this risk, he sees what is true. He transcends his own perceptions and subjective judgements. He overcomes.u201dnnThere are several things wrong with the above two paragraphs, although nothing at all is wrong with the above two paragraphs. Sanctification is a process, and in that process statements as those above are both true and untrue. If I were a fairly new Christian, those two paragraphs would be inspiring. To be holy takes “courage” and purposely “aligning our internal image of reality to what truly is.” Yes, I can do that! And I can “take the risk to challenge preconceived assuptions.” And we head out on that road and many obstacles fall. We feel freer than ever before. Hallelujah, we got it! We become a pillar of society. And totally miss The Mark.nThere is no courage to faith, if faith is true. Just as when we say “faith without works is dead,” the person of true faith need pay no heed to such advice. Such advice is only to shame the false. There is no effort to align or not align our internal image to anything: this is all up to God working within us. Humility, not courage or effort, fulfills the Scriptures.nIn the end, there is no risk. This is truly bothersome to the Carnal Mind. Risk entices us, and God will initially use a dare as a lure, but risk is Carnal.nnHmmm, curious. The responder seems unknown or i missed it. Regardless, he says that “Faith is simply opening the door to possibility, to hope, and to a transcendent life. Itu2019s taking the risk to challenge the preconceived assumptions and embedded captivating stories.” Lovely sentiments, except that everything he says before and after speaks of a devotion to what limits, biases, and captures.nI have had many unbelievable spriitual experiences, and I know today such experiences are not worth anything. There is no lesson to learn, no data to capture. God wastes nothing for our redemption. Grace – not music, not pain, not reason, not knowledge, not works, not morality – gives us Christ.nI love the Adagio In G Minor by Albinoni. I could argue, subjectively and forcefully, that this composition and this composition alone truly speaks to the heart of life, both for the unsaved and the saved. And you can tell me its Snoop Dog. nThe question of a “postmodern Gospel” is preposterious: it is stuffed with untoward presuppositions, stifled with Isms. It cannot even begin to approach Truth. To start from there is to begin from the dark and advance to blindness. Such ridiculous manmade terms are at the root of divisiveness, and the basis of that is the Carnal Mind.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Gerard, as you say, you are being unmerciful.

  • Raelene Roth

    I love what your student posted. I had similar experiences when reading your book. nnOn a side note: Lynch was “unmerciful” indeed, but aside from the harsh comments, he stated, “If I were a fairly new Christian, those two paragraphs would be inspiring.” That got me thinking. I recognize, I love the beauty and simplicity of a “new” Christian’s heart; their thirst for more and the feeling of awakening, so deeply embedded, that they want to tell the world. I read comments from those who are not “new” Christians and it saddens me to see people spend so much time wanting to make a point, simply to point out where they think someone missed it. We each have an individual experience with God, and he uniquely communicates with us in the way that he knows we will hear Him. nnAs I read what your student said, I get a sense of life–the birth of a deep awareness of love and freedom. New Christian or not, it’s inspiring to see/read how others are inspired.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Thanks Raelene. A lot of the students are having a similar rebirth experience after reading it. And what is interesting is that most are from a long term church background. Their experience is one of joy and awakening.

    • Karieemerson

      Thank you for showing the true spirit of Yeshua (Jesus). He loves us all,died for us all, but he did reveal his true character when he gathered the unlearned,poor and the children, what the world would consider poor choices. These are the ones HE gave HIS WORD to, not to the bible scholars that “knew” the word. To the so called educated ones, HE critisized them. They did indeed have the formal education, but they lacked the wisdom it takes to show mercy!
      God bless all that seek HIM, and know that HE does speak to us all in different ways. HE can do that because HE created us all and relates to us individually. Any experience with GOD reveals HIS love for us, and that can never be bad.

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