The Allure of Deconstructionism
If you’ve spent any time around church culture the past few years you’re probably aware of the deconstruction movement that has been sweeping through. The bent towards knowing and believing what is actually true is a noble and right one to pursue. But with so many people falling away from the faith, it’s important to ask why now, and what’s causing this?
We live in an age with the near entirety of all worldly knowledge sitting at the tips of our fingers via the internet. You can find multiple competing “truths” on any topic at any time of day. It’s no wonder we’re left with the uncomfortable response of, “OK, then what is actually true?”
Information is one way to address this question and personal experience is another variable to consider. The stories of people leaving the church because of broken experiences with broken people who claimed to know Jesus is endless. If you’ve called yourself a believer for any amount of time, you probably have your own stories to add to the bunch. Also, life is hard, and circumstances become challenging. It’s an unfortunate reality as we live in a broken world.
In a day when the access to all “knowledge” is producing more questions than answers and peoples’ experiences give them understandable grounds to question the intentions and ethics of those who claim to be believers, it’s no wonder there is such a falling away.
What I’ve been finding interesting in my own experience is that as soon as I begin to re-engage with the Lord it’s like one of those old slide projectors is playing in my mind. The slide gets switched back that person and moment that caused so much pain and I reel back. To you who may be questioning your faith, let me be the first to say – I get it.
But now what? There’s a line from Dallas Willard I’d like to share, “I’ll either allow my view of evil to determine my view of God and cut Him down accordingly, or I’ll allow my view of God to determine my view of evil and elevate Him accordingly.” If we assess God from the lens of our broken experiences, we will be vastly disappointed. But there is a freedom to be found and a fuller perspective to wield by viewing our broken experiences through the lens of God.
Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus is where truth is. We find that through the reading and understanding of His Word – the Bible. It’s not found on your go-to news source, or google, or social media – these produce confusion.
Our experiences with broken people do not determine the character and nature of God either. If this is our expectation, then God’s character is broken, defiled and ever-changing. Again, the words of Jesus, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous but those who know they are sinners and need to repent” (Luke 5:31-32).
Church was never meant to be a place for perfect people. It’s a place filled with people who understand their brokenness and need of a Savior. So, of course there will be hurt along the way, but it’s a product of the broken people not a reflection of the perfection of God.
There are endless books being written on this topic and I doubt you want to read one on this blog today, so, where’s the takeaway? Continue. Continue on, friend. Pursue the truth through the Word of God. The broken experiences you have that feel like an anchor, look back and forgive. Turn to those people, even if just in your mind, and love them rather than hate.
God will teach you how to navigate brokenness with peace. Don’t let the allure of deconstructionism leave you with a house destroyed, remember that the purpose of deconstruction is reconstruction not destruction – let’s together, in faith, build our house on the Rock.
