Creativity, Imagination, Culture, etc.

Yesterday I had the distinct privillege of having lunch with a kind New Testament scholar named Ron Hermes, who coincidentally just started teaching at my old school, Mars Hill. My friends and I were able to pick his brain as we prepare for our retreat teaching on Revelation (see last post on how I feel about it). Ron was very gracious and helpful, and brought up what I was already talking about, yet fearful of at the same time. If we are going to explore Revelation, we have to get into creativity and imagination, do some cultural exegesis, then let people go wild.

Scholars from Eugene Peterson to Walter Brueggemann to N.T. Wright are exploring the role of imagination when dealing with scripture, and I honestly appreciate it and am glad for it. The hard part is to deal with it on a pastoral level. Some people don't want to use their imagination, or don't think they are creative, or just don't see how any of it has to do with the Bible. They "just read the Bible and do what it says." You can't go very far in a study of Revelation before you realize how much John understood his culture (at a much deeper level than most "culturally relevant" church-people do today), and how creative he was in bringing the imaginative, apocalyptic literature of his day into a dialogue with Old Testament writings and his brilliant cultural exegesis.

I think we can do something very similar today to what John did. In fact, I think it's needed sorely. But who should do it? Many of us would gladly stand and say "here am I, send me," but our willingness is not the same as a calling from God. As I ponder inviting high school students into a space where they get to test their own prophetic voices as they wrestle with their dialogue with culture and how to bring creativity and imagination to it, I walk with a great amount of trepidation. Who has the right? Who has the authority? All of us? Few to none of us?

I'm getting closer to what I've always dreamed of doing with high school students, yet am becoming more confused and fearful than ever. It's a fine line, but one that obviously needs to be looked at from time to time. It does sound like a beautiful thought; high school students taking up a prophetic voice and speaking to the followers of the way in Whatcom County, calling them to a new way of life that honors God where they live. Awesome. Scary.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Peace,
Matt

Currently Reading: Simulacra and Simulation by Jean O Baudrillard. It's fascinating, and I have no doubt that I'll be blogging some stuff about it quite soon, especially as I continue to attempt my own deep reading of culture.