6. By calling ourselves progressive, we mean that we are Christians who find more grace in the search for understanding than we do in dogmatic certainty – more value in questioning than in absolutes…
There is a cliché phrase that I still believe is very true and important; I just almost laugh now at how much I hear it: It’s about the journey, not the destination. Yah, I’ve heard way too many people use that phrase, but…while that makes it a cliché (and thus, not something I necessarily want to use myself), it’s still true. For so many things in life, it’s not about the destination – it is about the journey.
This kind of reminds me of the fact that Emergent [and don’t read any implied connection between Emergent and The Center for Progressive Christianity] is not really interested in laying out a very intricate statement of beliefs; a doctrinal statement. From my understanding, they are much more interested in the conversation, the community, the relationality of joining others on the journey of theological understanding.
I think in this age, many would acknowledge the fact that these ideals (searching, questioning, etc) are where many people are at, and in fact, where I would hope that everyone would remain in their lives. We should always be constantly searching, constantly questioning our assumptions, what we have been taught, etc. I always feel a bit leery about those who come across like they are done with any searching and questioning, that they have all the answers, etc.
Let us be Christians who are content with being on the journey, with asking questions and not receiving answers, with living in the truth tensions of paradoxes and the ambiguity of following a God of mystery.
