Should Faith Grow?

McAfee School of Theology on its founding day planted an acorn outside of its main theology building. This was to symbolize the spiritual growth the students at McAfee were to endure. An acorn is planted into the ground and when nurtured properly grows into a mighty oak tree.

What seems to start as such humble and meek beginnings is actually the start of something much bigger. When a seminary student enrolls then it is presumed that they are like the acorn. They have a ton of potential and need a place to plant their roots. When nurtured, they grow into a mighty oak that can bear the joys and frustrations of life, ministry and Christianity.

But is that all? Does the acorn symbolize anything else?

I think it does. I think it symbolizes how our faith grows. Our Church History professor, Dr. Loyd Allen, lectures on two different types of growth: inorganic and organic. Inorganic growth is when something grows more of the same. Money in the bank when drawing interest is an inorganic growth of money. More money is added.

This is how most people see faith. They want to live a life that generates more of the same. This is the traditional Baptist worldview. You should never question why you believe what you believe but should simply recreate that which you have always believed and been taught. This is not necessarily bad; it just stunts your spiritual growth and keeps your spirituality on a basic level. In short, it keeps an acorn an acorn.

But an acorn can do so much more. It has more potential inside it. It just needs to be rooted in good soil. I submit that faith should be seen as organic growth. This is when a physical change occurs in something. The acorn sprouts from the earth. Our bodies experience this growth, our minds experience this growth, our reasoning experience this growth, so why don’t we let our spirituality? Maybe it’s because we have never thought to do so.

Our spirituality must continue to grow as we get older. This growth demands paying attention to your presuppositions. What does your worldview tell you about life? What did your church family tell you to believe about life? How does this affect your decisions? How do you see Christ? What does faith mean to you? How do you read scripture? How does what you believe compare to what others believe?

I would love to see people express their faith as if they were on a journey. Admitting that you do not have all the answers but are striving to discern and learn as you walk through life is the decision to plant the acorn and begin the process of maturing. This language invites people to see that Christianity is not about answers to unanswerable questions and arguments with particular theological jargon but rather a mystery that is attempting to be lived out. We live by faith and not by sight.

By letting your spirituality have an organic growth then you are embracing the journey. Seminary allows you to take your beliefs and examine the “ready-made” answer your church and community give you and replace them with a deep, informed theological opinion. This means you will have to listen to your life and discern. It also means you will realize what you have always been taught might not work for you anymore. It might mean you begin to see yourself changing from the acorn and blooming into an oak.

Why would you not want to know why you believe that which you believe? Why would you not want to grow spiritually? Isn’t the goal to become fully alive? Doesn’t that invoke a certain change? Shouldn’t faith grow?

On my journey to becoming fully human I have learned some things that mean a great deal to me:
  1. Unquestioned answers are more dangerous than unanswered questions
  2. Not knowing is not little faith
  3. I know more but understand less and as a result love Jesus that much more

Comments

Doug P. Baker said…
Your three maxims at the end are excellent! "Not knowing is not little faith." Right on!
November 17, 2008 at 10:44 PM
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