Thursday, April 30, 2009
Unconditional Love
Justin Taylor recently linked to both John Piper and David Powlison on the question, "Is God's Love Unconditional?" Both men give very conditional answers to the question, and yes that is a purposeful pun.
I agree with the perspective of both men, but am intrigued by the approach. Both point out that there is a common understanding of the term and then a "biblical" understanding and that they are quite different. Of course the popular understanding amounts to cheap grace. But my intrigue lies in the communications strategies here.
When a term gets co-opted by a greater cultural misunderstanding, why do we work so hard to recover its "true" meaning? Consider the follow two algebraic equations:
Do they have different solutions by virtue of a different term for the variable? I don't think so - 5 is five is V. And so it is with the "biblical" concept of unconditional love. It is the concept that matters not the word. If the word has been co-opted, let's find a new one, because again, it is the concept that matters. Indeed, the new one may be less elegant - wordier - but elegance is not the aim - allowing people to experience Christ's love is the aim.
I agree, "unconditional love" has become a hack phrase used but pseudo-psychological hacks to justify otherwise unacceptable behavior. But why argue over it? Christ's love and forgiveness is not changed by what we call it. Heck, our understanding of that love is unimportant - He is the only one that has to understand it.
We just need to receive it.
I agree with the perspective of both men, but am intrigued by the approach. Both point out that there is a common understanding of the term and then a "biblical" understanding and that they are quite different. Of course the popular understanding amounts to cheap grace. But my intrigue lies in the communications strategies here.
When a term gets co-opted by a greater cultural misunderstanding, why do we work so hard to recover its "true" meaning? Consider the follow two algebraic equations:
3x - 15 = 0
3a - 15 = 0
Do they have different solutions by virtue of a different term for the variable? I don't think so - 5 is five is V. And so it is with the "biblical" concept of unconditional love. It is the concept that matters not the word. If the word has been co-opted, let's find a new one, because again, it is the concept that matters. Indeed, the new one may be less elegant - wordier - but elegance is not the aim - allowing people to experience Christ's love is the aim.
I agree, "unconditional love" has become a hack phrase used but pseudo-psychological hacks to justify otherwise unacceptable behavior. But why argue over it? Christ's love and forgiveness is not changed by what we call it. Heck, our understanding of that love is unimportant - He is the only one that has to understand it.
We just need to receive it.
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