Furthermore. . .

Today's post will be a further reflection on faith. I'd wanted to step deeper into the Nicene Creed. But there's an observatiion I'd want to make about the Creed.

Note that the first word in both segments we've looked at so far is "we": "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty"; "We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ." The third section also starts with "we": "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life." Always "we". In the Hebrew Scriptures the relationship with God was a relationship of community. It was Judah to whom God spoke. God spoke through prophets, but God usually spoke through the prophets to the community, to the nation. (Also - the prophetic word was almost always aimed at those inside the community. That word rarely was aimed at anyone outside the community.) Where God offered some level of salvation to an individual, it usually came to no good. Hezekiah had been a good and righteous king. When he was told that he was about to die, he pled with God for an extension. God gave Hezekiah fifteen more years - then spent those 15 years wondering why he'd bothered.

"We". Community, always community. I pointed this out to a couple of friends, that in the Old Testament salvation was always a communal business. To one steeped in American concepts of "individualism" (yes, Ayn Rand was a proponent of such individualism and Ayn Rand was an atheist -  not just coincidence) - to one whose spirituality has a strong tint of "You and me, God", this idea that God deals with communities as communities is really a disruptive concept. So, they asked, "So this emphasis on community changed in the New Testament?" NO - it didn't change. "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common" (Acts 4:32). And Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, was quite articulate in stating that every part of the community needs every other part of the community (see esp. 1 Cor. 12:12-31. Then, if you really want to see what it's all about, go on through 1 Cor. 13. 1 Cor. 13 is all about love - but what's love if not shared in community?)
Paul assumes the existence of the church - community. Later, St. Cyprian of Carthage said, "Outside the Church" - outside of Christian community - "there is no salvation." Roman Catholics would assert this. Eastern Orthodox would assert this. Both Luther and Calvin affirmed this.
"We." We just can't overlook the cruciality of community in the Christian life.

Back to the Creed next week, I think. Thanks again for hanging out, and I'd love your reactions.