I realize that most of my time here in seminary I have made a claim for the God whose agency is determinative of the unfolding story of salvation. I do not contend that we are puppets, and I depart significantly from Calvin's view of providence as I think storytelling is a far better tool for speaking of God than "omni"-words. What I do believe though is that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. I have encountered far too many people who have made themselves righteous through a "personal decision" that they made. Surely they would say that Jesus laid the groundwork, but in the end, he only set up the pins so they could knock them all down. Jesus might have died for them, but they had to accept him for that reality to penetrate theirs. Thus, they are the true actors. Such an obsession with personal agency and self-determination is hard to name because it is what our culture embraces and glorifies; it is all around us. You can become whatever you want. You can pick yourself up by the bootstraps. You can make something out of yourself. You can be all you can be. You can choose your destiny. What if that weren't true? If it weren't true, the modern way of being in the world is a sham. I figure this prism is pretty accurate in the kingdoms of America, capitalism, academia, and the army, but it doesn't hold up so well in the stories that Jesus tells about the kingdom of God. The God we hear about in the Bible leaves the 99 sheep behind to go get the one that wandered off. This God throws a party when a lost coin is found. This God goes and get the poor and the lame and brings them to the banquet without even asking them if that is ok first. This God goes to town and gets all of the unemployed people and puts them to work in his vineyard before paying the lazy people the same amount as the hardworkers. This God runs out to the field to greet the prodigal son and cuts him off before he can even explain and apologize. This God is the Samaritan who is the last person we ever wanted to save us even when we are bloody, beaten, and on death's door. But this God does not respect our personal right of autonomy. This God offends such modern sensibilities and takes us unto God-self. You might even say it is coercive. This God surely does not knock and wait. This God brings salvation to those who are awake and to those who are asleep. This kingdom sounds a lot different. This Jesus loves to save sinners.
