Ed’s book Coffeehouse Theology has been a good reminder to me about the dangers and blessings of the post-modern age. Lately I have been concerned about one of the blessing turned curse that post-modernity has brought us, I have seen it in my community, Circle of Hope and in myself. Modernity’s failure to provide adequate answers to the questions that are at the heart of our being has left us a very suspicious culture. I think Elvis gets it when he sings:

We can’t go on together
With suspicious minds
And we can’t build our dreams
On suspicious minds

The blessing of suspicion is that many things do need to be called into question. The church has for too long (lets say, since 313) been co-opted by power and we’ve done a poor job establishing the Kingdom of God, we’ve let the State become the City on a Hill, that God intends the Church to be. So yes, lets call into question the State, redemptive violence, apathy towards the poor, etc. Post-modernity has created a space for us do this; of course it should have been happening all along.The curse is that this suspicion has bled over to all areas of life. It is hard in our culture to believe that there is enough love to go around, that God will be faithful, and that we are to live in the promise of Resurrection; which has led to us looking out for ourselves at the expense of others, doubting that God will provide, and using violence in order to protect ourselves. When we don’t trust in anything we begin to trust in ourselves, but even then we find ourselves to be quite untrustworthy and we are left with nothing to believe in.

This is my struggle too, so I begin to deconstruct, its what I do; this the tool post-modernity has given me. Understanding my culture and the culture that birthed it has been vital to me not falling into some kind of nihilism. Ed’s book has been a very useful tool for me to help understand the modern post-modern shift, and while I have wrestled with these issues for years now, Ed’s writing style has brought new clarity to the discussion. The language and simple illustrations walk the fine line between both cultures and invites the two worldviews to the same table; a table that is a safe place for everyone.

Maybe its time to begin reconstructing. We have to build on something and that cornerstone will always require faith (and the accompanying doubt) whether it is in nothingness, yourself, capitalism, nation-states, etc… the list goes on. I am building on the narrative of God’s redeeming work, first through Israel and then through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.