Revolution letdown
This is a comment in response to this post that got way too long and became it’s own post.
2 qualifiers: First, I understand and appreciate and relate to Nick’s disappointment, so anything I say is from that place. Second, in the interests of full disclosure, I’m one of the 24 who met in DC recently to try to hear the future for Emergent Village.
MANY people are expressing feelings of profound letdown when it comes to emerging, Emergent Village, etc. Nick is certainly not the only one. On the flip side, many “traditionalists” are jumping up and down saying “look at me look at me, I predicted the demise of this heretical movement - I WON!” I assure you, the emergence is alive and well and as active as ever … the problem is, too many people have had a narrow view of the Christian Emergence as just “Emergent Village”. Please, if you hear anything I say today - STOP THAT! And I mean that in the nicest way possible. The Christian Emergence needs to be seen for the bigger, broader, more profound thing that it is - to limit it to Emergent Village is just…well…it’s sad.
Essentially, I think that if “Emergent” (Brian, Doug and Tony did not christen themselves the voice of the coming Christian Emergence so to ID them as such is the fault of those who did it) failed at all, it was in not being adamant enough about pointing out that this isn’t about making things happen overnight. Ultimately, EV did not set itself up as the source of the next reformation or make promises- it just found itself as PART of the Emergence and the most provocative and visible one. It had VERY humble beginnings and continues to work to maintain that simple grassroots humility.
A big thing that psychologists work on (at lease those who I know) is identifying what’s REALLY going on. When I notice I’m disappointed, I always ask myself, what were your expectations? Followed by, why did you adopt those expectations? And usually concluded by “Why are you blaming someone else for your disappointment?”
I think we ALL have had certain expectations as we have left behind certain expressions of our faith, but I don’t think it’s right to “blame” anyone when those expectations aren’t realized (and I’m not saying Nick is blaming anyone, his genuine expression of disappointment was beautifully honest and I’m glad he shared it, I’m not defending EV against him or anyone). In fact, ultimately, we end up shooting ourselves in the foot when we do that and our disappointment turns into self fulfilling prophecy. (we feel disappointed and by disengaging or laying blame, we end up creating a scenario that disappoints).
No one promised ME anything regarding Emergent. It’s really unfair for me to point fingers at Emergent when my hopes for christianity aren’t realized in my time frame - that’s deflecting responsibility for my own emotions and ultimately not very helpful.
THE CHURCH is US, Emergent is US, the Christian Emergence is US - what am *I* doing about it?
If you’re tired of talking, then stop talking. If you want action, then provoke action. I guarantee you that Emergent or Sojourners or the Ooze or Missional will tell your story - if you do something missional or expressive of the Christ ideology, there are curators everywhere who want to share and preserve that story…and it is those stories that will fuel the revolution.
