James warns teaching wannabees how large ships “… are steered by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot wants to go …” [Bible:NT:James3]
My understanding of ‘what God is like’ shapes my personal faith, as well as my role in the corporate church, and also my responsibilities in wider society. This understanding, in turn, is defined partly by my own experiences but mostly by the message that I receive from my teachers.
So James’ ship metaphor is significant. It reflects the sad truth that, even so soon after Jesus’ resurrection, the early church was riddled with the desire for power by the control of the message.
Today we have different problems. The thirst to dominate and control the message is perhaps less common (though not extinct). And yet, even though we live post enlightenment and teachings by the likes of Martin Luther are broadly accepted, our dependency on being 'spoon fed' doctrine is frightening.
Maybe it is because the time-consuming commercial pressures and family responsibilities associated with living in a global capitalist society leave most of us without the time or capacity to challenge and filter sound teaching from the plethora of information bombarded at us. Or perhaps a celebrity-style standard set by charismatic speakers leaves us with unbelief that a small word or behaviour from the backbenches could yield considerable prophetic impact.
The difficulty is that, under the ship metaphor, it is impossible to have common direction in ‘our journey together’, but for a Pilot At The Helm.
But this week my thinking experienced a Copernican-style revolution. And it was by a more organic metaphor of ‘doing the journey together’.
Like when a shoal of fish becomes a school of fish.
It’s amazing. How do they do it ?
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