Pastor John
John Darlington is pastor of Joyce and Simpson United Methodist Churches in South Minneapolis. He is committed to social justice and is involved in ending poverty and homelessness, equality efforts for the L.G.B.T. community, and seeking self-determination for the Palestinians. Pastor John is involved in the neighborhood, serving on the C.A.R.A.G. Board of Directors and the Uptown Association Board.
When I tried out my new definition of the word atheist on Al and Bill, (my two long-time friends), they just scowled at me.
“You don’t get it, do you?” said Bill. “We have no inkling of your God, no use for anybody’s God, and no desire whatsoever to conceive of an altogether exaggerated being.”
Al nodded.
“Wait a minute,” I interjected. “What if the God I’m speaking of isn’t ‘exaggerated?’”
“Are you quite through?” Bill responded. (Al pretended to be snoring. At least I think he was pretending).
Now here’s the thing about Bill and Al – they are two of the kindest persons I’ve ever known. When they acquire some new possession, they waste no time sharing it or giving it away. They are better friends to me than I am to them. At the risk of alienating them for good, I’ll go so far as to say that they are two of the most “Christ-like” individuals in my life.
Alas! Here is my new definition of the word atheist:
“One who rejects the “theistic” definition of God.
Theism , quite apart from mere belief, is a world-view in which God engages creation not from up-close but from afar. Created beings must pray in order to attract this God’s attention. God resides in heaven, and earthlings can only hope that when He does intervene in our realm, His intention is to be kind. The theistic God is known to make bad things happen on earth either to punish or to prove a point. The theistic God is believed by orthodox Christians to have “saved the world from destruction and hell” by substituting his Son Jesus for us on the cross. The institution of Christianity, (as opposed to the practice of imitating Christ), was and is largely formed around the theistic conception of God.
Given that the prefix “a” denotes the word without, an a-theist is therefore one without theism, meaning that I am, for all intents and purposes, an atheist.
If only Al and Bill could buy it… They think I’m a “Christ-loving fanatic. (I guess maybe I am).
If this makes sense to you, perhaps you will have better luck convincing your friends that God is not the capricious villain organized religion has made Him out to be. The thing is, Bill and Al already reject organized religion – what they don’t know is that the prevailing view of God at the Uptown Church of Joy is of One who is inherently present and intimately involved in creation and its affairs, defined by love, governed by love, and known wherever love is found.
You are invited to learn more about this intensely loving God by joining us at 11 a.m. this Sunday or any Sunday at Joyce Church. You will be cordially welcomed.
You may even have the rare pleasure of running into Bill and Al on their first day in church.
(Don’t bet the kitchen sink on it, though).
Blessings of the spring to you and yours,
John Darlington
Pastor