At the conclusion of his report on behalf of the U.S. Board of Faith and Life, Dave Loewen gave these comments. Loewen concluded his tenure at the National Convention, having served the maximum of two four-year terms on BFL.
As chair of the U.S. Conference Board of Faith and Life, I wish to share a bit of advice for the new people that will assume leadership in the conference.
I have observed an increasing change in rhetoric in my past eight years of service on the board. I have become more aware of increasing talk about theological drift and the use of a metaphor to describe it. I believe that theological drift should always be a concern. We need to be watchful that we remain faithful in our beliefs and in our practices regarding the teachings of Scripture.
However, there is a metaphor to describe this drift that I believe is unhelpful, and it has the potential for creating a mindset that is unhealthy. This metaphor is “going off the rails.” So, allow me to “rail” on it a bit.
This railroad metaphor creates mental pictures of a train wreck and is often used to describe anyone who doesn’t quite agree with one’s own nuanced theology. In other words, it is the attitude that says, “If you don’t agree with everything I believe in, you are headed for a train wreck.” The problem is that this makes it difficult to effectively discuss differences and then come to agreement on important issues.
Another problem with the metaphor is that it quickly breaks down in that trains hardly ever go off the rails unless the rails are faulty. Trains never have steering wheels; the track absolutely guides the direction of the train.
I would like to suggest that we replace this metaphor with a different one that is widely used in both the Old and New Testaments. It is the metaphor of “the way” and literally means a path, road or highway and metaphorically describes the manner of faith and life upon which God calls his people to live. It is the way of the Torah in the Old Testament and the way of a disciple of Jesus in the New Testament.
The Pharisaic laws developed between Old and New Testament times perverted this pathway. The Pharisees strayed from the path by trying to more narrowly define the path. The way of the Torah described boundaries for this pathway as defined by laws. Crossing the boundaries of the law resulted in disobedience to God and involved a trespass of the boundaries that God had set. It was sin. The Pharisees sought to more narrowly define the boundaries by building a hedge inside the boundaries of the path, supposedly to keep people from getting too near the boundaries and to keep them out of the danger of transgressing the law. The goal was becoming even more holy than what the law required. This was referred to as a “hedge around the law.” Sounds like a good idea, but it was flawed.
This boundary, designed to narrow the path prescribed by God, in reality was used as an excuse to conveniently trespass the weightier matters of the law. For example, Jesus accused the Pharisees of using their laws to keep them from performing acts of mercy on the Sabbath. He also admonished them for pronouncing some of their money as “corban” (committed to being used only for God’s purposes) so that they would not have to use it to care for aging parents, thus disobeying the commandment to honor their father and mother. They used their hedge as an excuse to trespass the very laws that they sought to protect themselves from breaking.
They had muddied the pathway, the manner of life, God had desired them to live. Their hedge became confusing and misleading. When Thomas, out of his own confusion, approached Jesus about not knowing the way, Jesus responded that Thomas already knew the way. Jesus told Thomas in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” The reason Thomas knew the way was that he was already a disciple of Jesus.
So, what is the way of a disciple of Jesus? It is the way of a follower of Jesus. It is the way of a servant of Jesus. And, it is the way of a student of Jesus. You see, Jesus perfectly followed his Father’s prescribed pathway or manner of life as found in the Torah.
I therefore suggest that we get rid of the rails imagery when it comes to correct belief and practice. Instead of train wrecks, let’s talk about trespasses, forgiveness, correction, hope and turning or returning to the way of Jesus. We’ve got a world of hurt people that need the loving and caring correction of Jesus’ truth.
Instead of looking down on people who’ve jumped our rails or broken through our pharisaic hedges, we need to look up to Jesus and call people to faithfulness out of love. With our whole hearts we need to see things the way our Lord Jesus of the Bible sees things, discussing what we see with other believers who also seek the Jesus of the Bible, discerning together what these things mean. Jesus walked the path perfectly.
There are no hurtful attitudes toward those who disagree with us about matters of interpretation, but instead we seek God’s way together. No hurtful attitudes toward the lost, only compassion, truth, a call to repentance and the offer of a real life in the way of Jesus. In the end it is only Jesus who will judge the unrepentant sinner whose life is a wreck.
Allow me now to end with a camp song that the Lord brought to mind as I was preparing to share with you.
Happiness is to know the Savior
Living a life within his favor
Having a change in my behavior
Happiness is the Lord!
Happiness is a new creation
Jesus and me in close relation
Having a part in his salvation
Happiness is the Lord!
Real joy is mine
No matter if tear drops start,
I’ve found the secret,
It’s Jesus in my heart!
Happiness is to be forgiven
Living a life that’s worth the living
Taking a trip that leads to heaven
Happiness is the Lord,
Happiness is the Lord,
Happiness is the Lord!
Yea!
David A. Loewen is a part-time visitation pastor at Parkview MB Church, Hillsboro, Kansas, and will complete his term as chair of the USMB Board of Faith and Life in July 2024. Loewen is a graduate of MB Biblical Seminary, now Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. He taught at Christian high schools in Oklahoma and Kansas before joining the faculty of Tabor College in the Teacher Education Department.
