Little Moves Against Destructiveness

I had a professor while at Garrett who is a liberation, feminist, Baptist, post-Pentecostal theologian (yes, you read that string of adjectives right). Dr. Nancy Bedford often taught about praxis, the liberation theology-inspired concept that asserts that it is only in practicing, or acting out our faith, can we see its full form and can God truly touch the church. While it’s an over-simplification, Pietism’s emphasis on faithful living from ‘true believers’ has a similar feel to me as liberation theology’s call to praxis. Bedford talked a lot about making small moves, taking small actions, that helped us become more faithful and more Christ-like. An article that she wrote explains this better then I ever could; but the short explanation of what she is pointing toward, and what I got out of this concept, is good for me to remember.

“If we remember those times and places -and there are so many- where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us,is itself a marvelous victory.” –Howard Zinn

Acting, even if imperfectly, changes things. If nothing else, it changes us. Faith has more to do with trying, with starting in some direction, with listening and forgiving and trusting and taking the first step - then it does with always being right.  

Acting is not meant to be the end all – or reduce our life to being practical instead of thoughtful. But maybe it is a good balance for all of us who have ever over-thought, over-analyzed, or perfectionistically waited for … something more. Little moves against brokenness – little moves toward Christ.

I like that.