DECONSTRUCTION

Christians - mostly Millennials - mean three different things when they say the word “deconstruction” related to their faith journey. It would help a LOT if we had three different names. But to different people, deconstruction can mean...

1. Faithfulness. Evaluating the peculiarities of my church upbringing, sorting out what was Biblical and what was not so that I can follow Jesus more faithfully. Every mature believer must do this.

2. Politics. Becoming convinced of the secular, progressive political worldview and reimagining Christianity fit my new views. This was first called Liberal Christianity, then the Social Gospel, and now Progressive Christianity.

3. Apostasy. Abandoning the faith altogether but calling it ‘deconstruction’ in public to convince others to leave Christianity as well. This includes a few prominent Christian celebrities and musicians using their platform to persuade others to leave the historic faith.

If your “deconstruction” leads you to accept the prevailing views of Hollywood or Washington DC, then you’re just becoming more secular, not more Christian.

Interestingly, nobody who deconstructs AWAY from historic Christianity adopts views that are UNPOPULAR in the dominant culture. Authentic Christianity will always be counter-cultural, not swept along by cultural tides. And suppose deconstruction causes you to reject historic & essential doctrines like repentance for sin, hell, the exclusiveness of Jesus, Biblical sexuality, or the authority of Scripture. In that case, you are moving toward apostasy, not authentic Christianity.

People’s reasons for leaving the faith are complicated & vary greatly. Sometimes, it’s driven by philosophical questions. However, satisfying answers to complex questions about faith are out there. Really! But it takes a little work and an actual desire to pursue Jesus to find them. Disappointment also drives people to question and reshape their spiritual beliefs. And it’s true - sometimes the church hurts people, and spiritual leaders misbehave. This is tragic. But there are countless examples of old saints who persevered in love & faithfulness. And there’s Jesus!

Often, however, people are just disappointed with life. And then, they don’t have the theological resources to cope, and they blame the church. A shortcoming of the typical church is that we don’t teach a rich & beautiful theology of suffering. But our Scripture & heritage is packed with resources to understand suffering & disappointment. So people face disappointment and think Christianity has failed because of our shallow discipleship. I’ve also watched many 30-somethings leave the faith and blame “the church,” but I know they were showered with extravagant love & support from their church all along. Finally, sometimes worldliness drives deconstruction; people simply adopt the secular world’s values & priorities, and a Christian worldview just won work for them anymore.

If you’re in the midst of a deconstruction journey, here are some humble suggestions.

1. Check your heart. Are you seeking truth and seeking Jesus, or are you pursuing worldliness?

2. Read the BEST that Christianity has to offer. Your youth pastor wasn’t as well-equipped to tackle the problem of suffering or evil as, say, C.S. Lewis. Don’t reject historic Christianity because you were exposed to a shallow rendition. Find the best proponents & let them help guide your journey.

3. Humbly invite a couple of older, mature Christians into your journey. You’ll probably find that they struggled with many of the same questions and emotions that you are.

4. Pray. I don’t say this to sound trite. But God is real, and he answers prayer. Don’t be afraid to say, “God, show me that you’re real. Show me the truth. Humble my heart so I can see past my pride. I want you in my life.”