“Good orthodoxy leads to good orthopraxy” is a common aphorism wielded among conservative evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. It’s frequently worded in a more aggressive manner: “without proper orthodoxy, there can be no proper Christian discipleship.”
I'm tired of people making assumptions every time I say I'm a Christian. I feel like I have to say “not that kind of Christian” every time. Do you have another suggestion for what I could use or call myself?
Dear Jessica,
This is a problem that I've been struggling with as well. I actually have been for quite some time. I can't say that I have THE answer, but I do have AN answer – at least for now.
In terms of the Christian liturgical calendar, we've just come out of the season of Epiphany. It is a time when we remember the story of the Magi. As I read through the story, as it is written in Matthew, there was this "thing" that kept standing out for me: everybody was looking for something. At some point, the thought struck me, "according to this story, Christians should be seekers." It's in our ancestral DNA.
Mary and Joseph are seeking a place to give birth to their first child. Sometime later, the magi would set out seeking a new “king” – one foretold by the stars in the night sky. Along the way, as they searched him out, as they followed the bright star in the sky, they would run into a different King who was also seeking – he was searching for this foretold king who would threaten his power. Sometime later, Jesus and his family will flee all that they know in search of a safe place to live.
The Jewish and Christian religious stories are stories underlined with the constant reality of seeking out something, searching for something. Adam and Eve seek out knowledge. Noah seeks shelter from the storm. Abraham and Sarah seek out the unknown land God sends them to. Joseph seeks to understand the king's dreams and bring his family back together. Moses seeks to bring his people to the promised land. David seeks to become the leader God clearly believes he is. The prophets seek to bring the people of God back to God's ways. Jesus seeks to show us what love looks like. Paul seeks to grow the church in the ways of God.
We are seekers. It is our story. We cannot escape it. We should not try. We Christians are seekers. Always have been. Always will be. It's in our ancestral DNA.
I can't help but wonder if that might be a worthy goal for many of us: to be seekers. Not believers. Not Christians. Not church-goers. Not Spiritual But Not Religious. Just: Seekers.
For now, that's going to be my answer when someone asks about my spirituality, “I'm a seeker.” As a matter of fact, always have been and, hopefully, always will be.
~ Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin
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