Depth is Not Optional
I was at a conference and I was bothered. I couldn’t really put my finger on what was bothering me so much. There were some obvious things, but I could tell that my frustration pushed beyond these. This was not a superficial angst, but a deeper and more abiding worry.
As I sat through the various talks it hit me: The emphases being established assumed that depth in the Christian life was optional.
I don’t want to get into the details of this specific conference, but I see this show up in a variety of ways. There is an assumption, I think, among some, that as long as we are passionate, or at long as we are evangelistic, or as long as we are missional, then depth is optional.
Don’t get me wrong. Those things are good, and not everyone who emphasizes those things thinks this way. I can think of many counter-narratives. But I also think it would be naive to assume that what I saw at this conference is a minority report.
At bottom, in evangelicalism broadly, and certainly beyond, there is too often a presupposed pragmatism that reigns unhindered in the assumptions about ministry and the Christian life. This is exacerbated by the tendency to push towards the lowest common denominator. We have a tendency to assume that the more popular, the more accessible, and the more broadly available, the better.
When we mix pragmatism, which is a kind of practical atheism (or, if nothing else, deism) with the value of reaching the masses, we end up eroding anything distinctively Christian from Christianity.
What I want to push on is that one of the problems we have is that depth ends up feeling both unnecessary and, importantly, unproductive.
I use the word feeling here because I am not suggesting anyone would say, “Depth is optional.” Rather, with the pressures of ministry, the worldly values of success, and the vision of meaningfulness we have imbibed in our day lead us to a way of life that does not produce depth. Instead, it even feels more faithful to avoid it, keep our heads down, and keep pressing forward.
Against the backdrop of this cultural climate we need frequent reminders that the kingdom of God is not this kind of thing. The kingdom of God is not a place where pragmatism works. Pragmatism might “work” in a certain way. It might even have “the appearance of wisdom” (Col. 2:23) as Paul says about worldly spirituality.
But while pragmatism might build up an organization, it won’t build up the body of Christ. Pragmatism might achieve marketing numbers, but it won’t bear the fruit of the crucified Lord of glory.
Organizations cannot simply assume that this won’t be a temptation as long as they have the right explicit values, because these things don’t often function explicitly, but implicitly within us. It would also be naive to assume that the main problem is “out there” and not within us.
I see this same sort of pragmatism reigning in the academy, where sheer productivity is often used to determine “academic success,” rather than depth. It is a lot easier, it turns out, to produce a lot of books, articles, and talks than it is to become a person who, when pierced, bleeds wisdom, love, and the values of the kingdom.
The call of the kingdom is not, of course, being unproductive.
The call of the kingdom is not against “getting things done.”
But the kingdom is against wielding the flesh - in all of its autonomous and self-achieving power - instead of knowing God’s power in our weakness.
After a decade of speaking about power and weakness in the church, at conferences, and in writing, I have become convinced that evangelicalism has collectively decided that Jesus was being hyperbolic when he said that God’s power is found in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). We don’t buy it. It just doesn’t seem like it will work [That last sentence is, in fact, a direct quote from a former elder of an evangelical church who told me this about God’s power being found in weakness. He knew the Bible said it, but he also “knew” it wouldn’t work].
The reason why pragmatism is a kind of practical atheism or deism is that it is a way of life that rejects Christ’s direct teaching about the kind of depth we are called to. This is not a minor issue, but it is one reason why we are a sick tree producing diseased fruit. There is, in fact, a deeper way, but it will be the way of losing our lives, ministries, and value-systems to find them.
When our vision is pragmatic, performative, and aimed at raw production, depth can only ever be irrelevant. But if our call is to become weighty people, and to live in wisdom and love, then we must embrace a different way.
For my paid subscribers I’m starting to add some more video reflections on my posts. I hope this helps to engage in a deeper way, and I would love to hear your thoughts!