Light and Dark: Uneasy Theological Reflections

As a part of yesterday’s gathering we read the article “The Light in the Darkness” by Marcus Borg, a Christian Century article from 1998, as a beginning point for discussion on just how historical the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth are or are not. Even before our gathering there was appropriately animated discussion on this article among our leadership about the challenging nature of the article’s title. As we consider what it means to be called to anti-racism and pro-reconciliation in community life, which includes being aware, sensitive, and responsive to the many ways in which our society has been complicit in perpetuating stereotypes and paradigms that have harmed people, we must be willing to examine our use of words and metaphors for our experiences so that one person’s revelation does not come at the expense of another person’s humanity.

As a faith community that values robust theological learning in community that moves us toward a more just and loving world, we recognize the reality of theology’s evolution. As we and theology evolve over time, we have a responsibility to overtly and intentionally engage both theology’s intended and unintended teachings, and to note what we have learned over time. Twenty-seven years ago when that article was published, it was still all-too-common to use problematic dark/light imagery. Biblical authors themselves characterized Jesus as a light in the darkness, the implications of which we must continue to wrestle with. Joelle Kidd writes about the challenges of this language in a 2021 Anglican Review article, “Rethinking darkness and light,”: “Of course, some of this troubling language appears in our translations of the Bible itself, [Adele] Halliday says. The goal is not to shy away from the language that’s there, but to talk more deeply about it, she adds. One way to do this is by engaging intentionally with passages through an anti-racist or racial justice lens.

‘One thing that we don’t always talk about is [that] the Biblical writers themselves had their own biases…. The Bible is the inspired word of God; the people who wrote it were people who were fallible and were shaped by the context of their time, who had their own biases. So can we talk about that?’”

We note that the work of historical Jesus scholarship and the paths it has taken to get to where it currently is have been fraught with many of the same challenges of unhelpful language and metaphors that have pervaded our culture at large, and we must continue to wrestle with those as well.

In our ongoing life journey as people of faith, we are consistently called to be open to the promptings of Spirit, which can come in a wide variety of formats - the Bible, biblical and theological scholars, our living in this world, and what comes forth within us as we walk with each other. God, who consistently calls us toward loving Them, our neighbors as ourselves, and our enemies, in doing so calls us to the work of love and justice. As God’s people we are called to live out love with all we encounter and all the ways in which we encounter them - including this continued wrestling with imperfect and imprecise language and metaphors as we strive to best express that love. As we do this, my hope is that we continue to engage with challenging texts and histories, evolving scholarship that calls us to examine our understandings and how we formed them, and to be willing to integrate new information and adopt new understandings as we live into the kindom of God, giving respect and dignity to the earth and all of God’s beloved in the particular beauty of who we are.

- Rev. Rebecca

What’s Next

Dec 14-20	Daily Bible Reading Genesis 35-36 - 47-48
Sun, Dec 14, 6pmonline	T+P+A Advent Series: A Weary World: Embracing ParadoxREGISTER
Sun, Dec 21, 6pmonline	T+P+A Advent Series: A Weary World: Borrowing HopeREGISTER
Sat, Dec 27, 12:30pm2723 S Jefferson Ave, StL	T+P+A Gatheringlunch, worship, activity in community
Sun, Jan 11, 5-6:30pmAmen House, 4111 Connecticut St, StL	Youth Group KickoffPizza and time to get acquainted for grades 6-12
Sun, Jan 25, 5-6:30pm	Youth Group MeetingSnacks and fun for grades 6-12

South City Youth Group Kickoff

Do you know that Think+Pray+Act is part of the South City Youth Group with Compton Heights Christian Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and Oak Hill Presbyterian Church? Our official 2026 kickoff for the group is on Sunday, January 11 at Amen House (next to Oak Hill Presbyterian Church at 4111 Connecticut St, StL, 63116. Come by for some pizza and fun! Also, we’ll be looking for adult volunteers for youth group meetings, so stay tuned for opportunities for volunteers to get the required Safe Sanctuaries training and background check soon!

TPA Online Advent Series: “A Weary World”

Need a moment to breathe in community during Advent?

TPA presents An Online Advent Series "A Weary World," produced by The Work of the People, and based on Kathy Escobar’s book A Weary World: Reflections for a Blue Christmas. Rev. Rebecca Klemme Eliceiri and Rev. Regan Saoirse will facilitate discussion on the difficulties of complex grief, of loved ones, and of the state of the world during the holiday season. We will meet by Zoom on Sundays at 6pm CST beginning November 30th. Please SHARE SHARE SHARE!

You can join us at any time during the series as you like. Register at https://forms.gle/AYJDS9dwaQ3MyxRB9 and view the preview video at https://www.theworkofthepeople.com/film-series/a-weary-world

Helpful Links

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

MCU - Metropolitan Congregations United

Mid-America Disciples

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