“The cultural context of postmodernity and its hermeneutic of suspicion offer us a reminder of the Christian virtue of humility, of listening, and of self-sacrificing love for one’s neighbor that is free from the need to colonize or co-opt. To give the gift of oneself, of authenticity amid a world consumed by façade, is a necessity and a demonstration of the nature of the God revealed in Jesus Christ. If hypocrisy is the cardinal sin in a postmodern context, then authenticity is the cardinal virtue. Unfortunately Christians who have been consumed with the “truth” are at times less concerned with honesty and authenticity. While it seems that these ideas would exist seamlessly together, most of the time they do not. But where authenticity and honesty exist in people and communities, such postures go a long way in communicating to those around us a willingness to serve and not simply exploit for the realization of our own vision.”
From Intuitive Leadership by Tim Keel
I think that authenticity is a key value in the postmodern world. For many of us, the modern world trained us to trust no one. Even the modern church instilled in us a culture where you couldn’t be real. The modern church made it clear that to fit in you had to agree with the beliefs and agenda of the church. Any questions were quickly answered with “the” answer. Doubts, fears, and mistakes weren’t tolerated. The modern church became an “unsafe” place for many. Even the contemporary worship service is viewed as slick, orchestrated, and contrived.
Authenticity is a discipline that must be re-learned. It will require courage. It will also require trust. I believe that the only place that real authenticity can flourish is in the safety of a trusted community of fellow travelers. We earn the right to authenticity when we prove we’re trustworthy. We prove our trustworthiness when we listen to others with empathy, when we refuse to condemn or preach, when we maintain confidences and when we handle other peoples “stuff” maturely. I’ll talk more about creating a “safe place” in another blog post. For now let me just say that I long for a community where I feel that I can be authentic - I long to be around other authentic people. I’m so grateful for the Wellspring community – because they are that safe place for me. I love to quote my wife Becky who describes Wellspring as “the most ‘real’ thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
So that’s what I think, what do you think?
Once again good stuff. In the Faithwalking community we believe that there are two gateways to transformation. One is authenticity. The other is integrity.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if or how you see the interplay of integrity with authenticity?
Not a lot to add here other than words of agreement. Personal experience has shown me that – at least in my spiritual circles – 1) the “Sunday smile” is a requirement for believers no matter what is going on inside, 2) authenticity/openness/realness shown by those in ministry positions, although received well by some, is viewed by others as a liability that needs to be dealt with or a weakness to be exploited, 3) when members of the community bring a heavy load to church services with them looking for help they are quickly ushered somewhere else because “the show must go on” instead of allowing the body to work toward “healing itself.” I understand the issues related to the number of people present but that’s part of the problem with our worship of “explosive growth” – we are forced to kick our wounded to the side (Along with Paul’s words about the body being connected and each part necessary for the other to find wholeness) to fend for themselves as best they can.
ReplyDeleteMany in my circle of friends have come to Christ and found HIm attractive but when they come to His "church" and the way they behave they have found it lacking. Thus the need for more "trusted communities of fellow travelers."
There is a children's book called The Velveteen Rabbit that I think about whenever the subject of being real comes up. There are few places that I have experienced where "authentic" people are accepted. It is refreshing to know that a place does exist where you feel safe to be yourself. There can be no peer pressure or masks in such a place. Just the safety of knowing that we are fellow travelers in this life.
ReplyDeleteAs with all things, there is a positive and a negative side of authenticity. The positive is being able to express needs and truth in a safe place where you will be loved and nurtured. The negative side is taking license to be openly rebellious and calling that being real. Seems like a fine line sometimes. Telling the truth about the modern church can look like rebellion. How can I be sure that what I am experiencing is authenticity? A wise man once related, "If you are going to tell me something 'in love', I better feel loved when you are through." Feeling safe and loved are essential to being in a place where I can risk letting you know me.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteI see authentictiy and integrity as very related. To me, being authentic is about being honest about who I am. I'm willing to be transparent about what I really believe and think. Integrity is being honest about how I live. I live congruent to what I claim I believe. The more I can live out my beliefs and the more honest I can be about my struggles, doubts, and fears - the more healthy I will be.