Our Liberation Narratives

During the recent presidential campaign, the idea of liberation theology received a lot of negative publicity because of its association with the radical views of Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I have been thinking about the topic again, however, based upon a recent article I have read on the ministry of Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan. It seems that Bell has departed from the traditional pastoral styles as taught in his previous college, Wheaton, and seminary, Fuller. He particularly wants to engage popular culture and move young adults beyond the controversial topics of the past fifteen years or so--gay marriage, abortion, and embryonic research. He wants them instead to broaden their thinking to include the poor, those infected with HIV, the environment, and the immigrants.

In an interview, Bell stated an interesting truth that I had not considered, "Our redemption experience is deeply tied to extending our redemption experiences to others." In other words, he says, God knows how forgetful we are as human beings, so much so that unless we connect our own personal salvation to "acts of justice, compassion and mercy," our faith is essentially dead.

God has given us stories that we need to share with others as our lives progress. The idea is not a new one to me, having been raised as a Southern Baptist. As members of that denomination, we were always encouraged to be able to share our "testimonies" or personal salvation experiences with others. The goal was to bring others into the fold of Christianity. As one who now attends an Episcopalian church, it seems a natural extension of the faith to be concerned with others who need our friendship, time, and love. James says in the New Testament that faith without works is not viable. We have an obligation to become involved in issues of social justice that will help liberate others--just as we ourselves have been liberated.