thinking theologically with miroslav about freezing on my bike

teri weber, a blog reader who graciously sends me notes on a regular basis, suggested that i might be a bit too dour. and of course she is right. i'm a bit too drawn to dour almost saints like tertullian that i ought to. but i do have teachers in my life trying to show me that abundant life is not only reserved for heaven.

teri encouraged me to read something inspirational about gratitude. okay, teri. i'm not going to read something, but i was thinking about gratitude this morning as i rode my bike through the cold bright december air on the way to work.

ever since the faith as a way of life project's national working group met in october, i've been wanting to try out miroslav volf's outline for theological reflection. i realized this morning, riding my bike to work, that i do it out of joy, gratitude, and just a bit of sinful desire for moral superiority. but mainly joy and gratitude. so let me do a quick run through to see if i can say theologically why i ride my bike, even in december.

god.
who is god. creator of heaven and earth. creator of me.
what is god doing in the world. reconciling, healing, making whole.
how is god achieving this. through christ, turning lives from destruction toward life

us.
who are we. free creatures, tempted to seek our own pleasure, turned by grace towards god's pleasure
where are we going. from the empty pursuit of fulfillment to fulness of life given freely
how are we supposed to get there. it comes to us.

connecting the two.
what should we ultimately trust. that our good is given to us for the welfare of others, and we give it away.
how should we order our trusts, provisional and ultimate. here the wide reflection becomes narrow. my riding my bike allows me to respond to the gift of creation with a gratitude that serves my neighbor in creating less pollution, that serves my neighbor by making a healthier and fit man to work on my neighbor's behalf.

so i ride my bike even when it is really freezing out of gratitude for a world of spectacular beauty and fragility, as one called by god to tend its well-being.

am i getting at it? that is, thinking theologically about gratitude and biking?

what about drinking stout? maybe that is next for the theological reflection mill.

anon, and +peace

Comments

[tony]

Now that's beautiful, Chris. No more moral superiority about not having cell phones or blackboards over powerpoint. Let's think about EVERYTHING theologically. Let's agree that all human action is THEOLOGY-LADEN (and, as practical theologians, I'm sure we can agree on that!), then reflect and act accordingly.

Let's all raise a toast to the hermeneutical circle!

[Richard Sudworth]

Found your blog through your comments on Hopeful Amphibian...great stuff! I thoroughly enjoyed the DJH book too.

[Michael]

Christian:

I love your post. I like the way it gets me to think about my actions as a response to God's grace rather than my actions as moral obligation. For freedom Christ has set us free! Keep up the great work!