I currently own the urls for WildTheology. I was excited to find that they had not been taken, and were available. Now, I know that the mashup of these two words may evoke fear, or critical questioning on the part of the average theologian, or astute and religiously inclined person, but that is perhaps exactly what drives me to find interest in the term “Wild Theology.”
1. Average thinking is not something I am interested in being a part of. I fear living n inconsequential life. That fear may be among the most driving forces in my life, and disappearing into the warp and woof of our culture does not seem to mesh with the activity of the Christ I follow. Not adding color to that fabric is not an option either. And so, it seems that many mission models I have traditionally been provided are too tame.
2. The theological descriptions of God, of this world, and of the interaction between the two seem far tamer than my experience would suggest. Few theological frameworks provide a wild enough grace, a wild enough freedom, a wild enough interaction with the living God than I have discovered to be active in my own life. So, I wonder, has our theology tamed our faith – tamed our church life – tamed our mission, and subjected it to a box of experience unrecognizable to the apostles of the book of Acts?
I am not sure how WildTheology.com/org/net will develop yet. They still await my commands to bring them into life, but I am hoping there are at least a few other adventurists willing to follow join this adventure that is life and mission with Christ.
Not everyone is a radical thinker – while I think outside of the box, I’m aware that for others it’s a difficult undertaking. I would endeavor to nudge people from their comfort zones, and suggest entertaining a new perspective or idea. And what I deem as “wild” may viewed as tame by another’s point of reference. Who has the capacity to literally follow a theology as wild as that of Jesus? That’s a pretty tall order.
But isn’t the demand of the Christian to follow that tall order? It seems that attempting to do anything less is not following Him at all?
I think our efforts can only be attempts, because we have an inherent brokenness that Jesus did not possess – his brokenness came through sacrifice on our behalf. And sometimes, the seemingly ordinary ways we
might follow Jesus are more wild and radical than they appear on the surface.
So, how do you navigate the demand for joining Him in that wildness, with the inherent brokenness? The line between saying we are unable to do it, and not surrendering to the wildness is a fine line.
I am an adventurist. I am willing. I am radical. I am wildly in love with Christ.
Chris, You are already one of the wilder dudes I know. Wild, willing, and wonderful.