Is life a series of random events or is there a deeper thread of meaning and purpose? Does believing that 'God has a plan' for your life mean believing in a deity who cruelly inflicts pain and suffering on us as part of that plan? Glennis Johnston, a Christian church minister, searches for answers.
Whilst Initiatives of Change has always emphasized the practice of how one lives over and above any statements of belief, there are critical convictions that drive our fellowship, conferences and hopes for personal and global change. Although IofC is now proudly multi-faith, its roots lie in traditional Christianity. Understandably, some of the bedrock beliefs of the earlier days of Moral Re-Armament (as IofC was previously known) had a distinctly doctrinal flavour. However, in recent years ‘Emerging Christianity’ around the world has moved away from doctrinal statements about ‘God’ towards a greater emphasis upon spirituality. Perhaps it is time for us in IofC also to reframe some of our convictions so as to be truly inclusive, whilst holding onto the core experiences of inner listening and the potent force of confronting positive values.
One of the most commonly quoted beliefs since those early days is ‘God has a plan for your life’. As a doctrinal statement, that might be a good place to begin reframing our public message. Still popular in some forms of Christianity, the implication of this teaching is that our lives are all planned out by God and it is up to us to discover that plan or else we may miss out on God’s will for us. The companion teaching is that everything that happens is intended (and therefore caused) by God to lead us to a conscious awareness of this will. MRA/IofC‘s contribution to this traditional conviction has been quite positive, linking God’s plan for our lives to a creative plan for remaking the world. It has also led to an affirming vision for the people we meet, who, after all, each have a unique part to play in God’s overarching plan if they are able to discover it.
Unfortunately, such a seemingly affirming and hope-giving statement is also problematic. Many people of various faith traditions do not assent to such a view of ‘God’ and some of those in our Western societies who have lost interest in traditional forms of religion find such a public claim a stumbling block to full participation in our teamwork. One response could be to drop all talk of a ‘divine plan’ in our gatherings. Another is to reframe the conviction so as to reflect a less doctrinal conviction about the nature of the spiritual adventure in which we are called to participate.
Speaking personally, it is the deterministic view of ‘God’ and human life that is unattractive. The ‘plan’ theology can unintentionally lead to a lack of personal and group responsibility, while strengthening a low self-esteem in those for whom ‘God’s plan’ has included abuse or loss and grief. I, for one, cannot accept that God deliberately places painful events or suffering in our path to build our character or test our faith. Like many people of faith these days, I do not see evidence that our lives are fully panned out by God or anyone or anything else. However, I would want to affirm that neither are our lives completely random. I am grateful that out of painful experiences can come a deeper awareness of the brokenness of the world and a growth of compassion for others. As a song by David Mills says, ‘Those who have suffered have so much to give.’
Rather than being pre-planned by God, or by our genes, our family of origin, our culture or environment, there appears to be a wonderful openness about the course of our lives. In any given moment, that which I prefer to call ‘God’ seems to weave together persons and possibilities to create a world of beauty and meaning.
As many in Initiatives of Change have found, there is profound inspiration to be found in the practice of inner listening. Whether it be the ‘still small voice’ within the true self, or the ‘divine impulse’ or simply ‘God’, the wonder of our shared journey as a fellowship is that any of us - or indeed any ‘not of us’ - can learn to trust this mysterious prompting to lead and guide our journey. Spiritual growth seems to me to be less about unalterable purposes and more about living at the tempo that best reflects my own encounters with God’s dream for this moment and this world. Encouragingly, it appears to be that even if others don’t name this encounter as ‘God’ it is still as real and transforming.
I’d like to suggest that the spiritual adventure that begins when we pay attention to the compassionate and creative thoughts that come through quietness and listening is like one of those children’s ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books. The ending depends upon our own choices and decisions.
So, as a first attempt to reframe a doctrinal statement that we tend to quote in Initiatives of Change, rather than saying ‘God has a plan for your life’, I find myself saying something like this: Our lives evolve moment by moment and creative transformation is a process that happens as we attend to the ever-present divine promptings within. That divine lure towards truth, beauty, compassion and healing invites us to be partners with ‘God’ and others in transforming a broken and hurting world. Spiritual growth and global healing are the possibilities that await us at every turn, depending upon the choices we make. The outcome is undetermined, the adventure unfinished and the journey open-ended.
Glennis Johnston is a Uniting Church minister working with Initiatives of Change in Melbourne, Australia.
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