In his book "Art And The Bible", Francis Schaeffer talks about two themes in the Christian worldview: a major theme and a minor one.
The minor theme expresses the bent and shattered side of humanity as well as creation. That we've deviated from our original purpose and don't know how to fix ourselves. It also has to do with the truth that regardless of someone's profession of faith, their lives are still affected by darkness and live at times in a defeated existence. It reminds us that total and complete victory is a desire of our hearts but unfortunately left unfulfilled while living in a broken world.
The major theme stands opposed to the minor one, and lures us from hopelessness by reminding us that God is (he exists), and we are made in his image. It highlights the truths that in this life, hope and love can be found, that we can free where we were bound, that we can find resurrection where we've known only death. It reminds us that God's kingdom is advancing in the here and now, and that one day he will return and justice will be served. Love will win. Hate, disease, and sin will be exterminated.
Each of us usually have a particular bent towards one of these two. If the bent is toward the minor theme, we might call ourselves realists (while others might label them pessimists). If the bent is towards the major theme, we might call ourselves idealists (while others might say we live in a fantasy world detached from true human existence). How do we account for both in our lives, for both are evident around us (at certain times, one feels stronger than the other)? If we major on the minor and minor on the major, then we lose sight of our truest destiny and give greater weight to something that deserves less weight. This doesn't mean we're not horrified but the cruelty and injustices happening right now in the world, but rather the major theme fuels a response in the here and now. We can approach minor themes without a sense of desperation because we know God will win and overcome in the end (regardless of appearances).
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Hey Joel, I was listening to John Eldredge's summary of Francis Shaeffer's major and minor themes of the Gospel and how we need to keep them both, but the major theme must be major and the minor theme minor. If we just focus on the minor theme we will just get overwhelmed with the brokenness and darkness. If we just focus on the major theme our worship we be empty and hollow. The minor theme of suffering, brokenness, the cross, darkness must always be seen the the light of the major theme of hope, love, life, freedom,and resurrection. Jesus said, "I have come the your might have life to the full" something I'm personally trying to live out in my life.
ReplyDeletethanks for the thoughts!! totally agree.
ReplyDeletei think i touched on that a bit towards the end as i mentioned if we major on the minor and minor on the major, there's an unhelpful off-balanced perception of "reality", when in fact there is something "truer".
similar to schaeffer's major and minor themes, a friend of mine talked about the tension between honesty and truth in the psalms... both exist, but truth helps us understand and transform our honesty (even though we still live in a bent world). whether we admit it or not, we filter things through our brokenness. slowly God is giving us new eyes and new hearts to understand and look at the pain differently.