Discuss the metaphor "staring at the sun" as a description of doing theology? What is helpful about the metaphor? Why? What is problematic? Cite examples from pp. 55-140 in support of your argument.
In the book, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N.T. Wright, brings up new innovative ways to study the religion of Christianity. In the section called "Staring at the Sun" some hard issues emerge and makes the reader question what is the true meaning behind the title of the section dealing with Christianity. The main question is: what does "Staring at the sun" really mean in the context of this book? Well, God said: 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expense of the sky to give light on the Earth.' And it was so. God made two great lights- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night (Genesis 1:14-16)." Since the start of the world, according to the Bible, the sun has always been present it is one of God's creations. In the section "Staring at the Sun" the analogy that Wright is making is that God is around us all the time, just like the sun is. The sun is always around us, just like God, and Jesus; no matter where believers go, the presence of God is always there. But when you stare at it, sometimes you can be blinded. This is reflected how God takes over a believers' life and then can be blinded about what is actually going on. The believer is trying to be strong, but is so blindsided that they end up doing more harm. It could be categorized as being everyday life, or whatever is taking over the said person's heart. This is one of the reasons why it is in the book Simply Christian; it questions the idea of the sun.
Throughout this section, the reader is taken on a journey of Christianity, starting with Jesus and his beliefs, to the basic principles of Christianity as the world knows it. This section provides an overview of what Christians really think and some questions that are posed to encourage more of a learning process. "Nobody tells us what Jesus looked like or what he ate for breakfast. Nobody, more important, tells us how he read the scriptures or-except for brief flashes-the complicated and dangerous world of the Middle East in the first century-that we can make historical , personal and theological sense of what he was trying to do, what he believed he was called to accomplish " (pp. 94). Through this thought, the sun shines of Christianity, and when someone stares to long, well, it hinders their sight which takes them farther from God.
Not only does "Staring at the Sun" bring out the positive aspects of Christianity, it also brings up some trying questions to believers. Through staring at an object, in any case scenario, it is not always comfortable for eyes. Therefore, this tests the ability of a person to being able to stay strong in a time of pain. This can be compared to what Christians believe in. After staring at something for a moment, it is a hard thing to stay focused on that. When it comes to religion, staying focus can be hard, especially in today's society. With many Christians, in order to become stronger in their faith, they need to be trialed. That's exactly what this section brings out. Wright says "A great many arguments about God- God's existence, God's nature, God's actions in the world-run the risk of being like pointing a flashlight toward the sky to see if the sun is shining" (69). These are just few concepts that borderline Christians tend to deal with and causes a lack of faith. What the Bible says about this can be found in James 1: 2-4, "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a change to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. With this concept, when staring at the sun, all the bad aspects of life come out, a sin. The sinner get's tantalized in the sunshine, but when they really realize it, it's easier to look away, and then the end result will create a stronger faith then before. As C.S. Lewis says "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because I see everything by it (Buzzle).
Secondly, does Wright's work invite you to consider Christian theology more
deeply? Why or why not?
Wright's book, Simply Christian, definitely brings the reader to think about faith and life. Through the way the book is set up, in three different sections, each one brings up a unique outlook on Christianity. Some of these ways include, the history of it, basic knowledge about Christianity, and also, putting it into practice. In each subsection, Wright brings up questions, in which spark the readers mind, to start examining their basic beliefs. Through this, the reader is able to come up with their own idea, and believe in Christianity that much more, because after a test of religion, one can only get stronger. Wright says "It is all because of Jesus that we find ourselves called to live the way we do. More particularly, it is through Jesus that we are summoned to become more truly human, to reflect the image of God into the world" (pp. 140). Christianity is a complex religion but through Simply Christian, Wright is able to create an organized approach to question and eventually solving the big issues within the religion.
Buzzle.
2008. 11 September 2008
<http://www.buzzle.com/articles/christian-quotes.html>.
Holy Bible. Tyndale Charitable Trust, 2004.
