I’m reading a lot of Lesslie Newbigin these days in preparation for an upcoming course on contemporary theologians next fall. He had spent most of us life as a missionary in India and was shocked at the level of cultural accommodation that he saw in the British church upon his return. As such he had a fairly critical view of Western culture and was sometimes criticized for not taking seriously the Christian calling to affirm and contribute to their cultural setting.
One of Newbigin’s interpreters, seeking to defend Newbigin from this charge, argues that when the situation is desperate you need to speak more vehemently. When the church is asleep you need to wake it up. But here’s the most vivid illustration I’ve read so far this spring:
When a fat man is sitting on one side of a seesaw it is necessary to jump very hard on the other end.
Somehow this struck me as a metaphor that may have some enduring significance.
Gil…you know we’d both be dang excited to be in that class. Quite a phenomenal quote. Might not reach the elderly well, but if you use it in class it’s bound to stick. Hope that all is going well with you, Shelley and the girls.
Sabrina & Kendall
Gil,
Stumbled upon your blog. It makes me want to read more!
When I read the quote of the fat man on the see-saw, I couldn’t help but think: if one jumps too hard the fat man may fall off and seriously injure himself, but if one doesn’t jump with any force he won’t move at all.
… is there a lesser of these two problems? Maybe we should add physics to the Bethany course list.
maybe in addition to jumping hard a little extra weight could help.
This might be where I come in…
Could I be your fat man on the other end?
isn’t there a little “fat man” inside us all?
moat of us ae just waiting for someone to jump on the other side.
ok Gil…you are running wiht me everyday 10:30am this summer will fix everything…
Can I have some more squares?
….”and was sometimes criticized for not taking seriously the Christian calling to affirm and contribute to their cultural setting”….
“This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines. You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”
Mark 7:6-8