Borg: You will not be assimilated.

On "God and Jesus", Marcus Borg

As a very logic minded person, Borg's theology is very tempting, and it frankly frightens me a little bit. It would make things so much easier, to put God into a smaller box, but the implications of that box would mean no salvation in my eyes, so I must run for the hills.

Borg's box does not include much of the mystery of Jesus and God. He really wants to be able to rationalize it, as do I. But we are simple humans, and I am willing to accept on faith that there is more to God that I can understand. I feel that Borg combines some of the early church heresies by claiming that Jesus was not devine (or fully man) before he died, and then either became divine after death, or not at all. He is the anti-Gnostic, denying ALL mystery of God!

He says "I want to emphasize that as a Christian, I think these affirmations about Jesus are true. But they are true as metaphors. The recognition that this metaphorical language is crucial. When we do not see this, we take the language literally. Unfortunately, this has often happened within the Christian tradition. Very early on, we metaphorized our history, and since then we have often historicized our metaphors, with their rich resonances of meaning."

Poor Borg. While he thinks we have boxed up God taking what Jesus said seriously, he thinks we are missing out on beautiful metaphors. This is very eloquent and nice to think about, until you realize the limits you are putting on God. If what Jesus says is taken literally, the mystery of God becomes so much more beautiful.

Faith is hard to have. For some more than others. I have faith that Jesus said what he meant, and meant what he said. It is when we water it down that we begin to struggle as a church.