evolutionary and positive. See, for example, Jesus’s many parables of the
Kingdom, which lean heavily on the language of growth and development. His
common metaphors for growth are the seed, the growing ear of corn, weeds and
wheat growing together, and the rising of yeast. His parables of the “Reign of
God” are almost always about finding, discovering, being surprised,
experiencing reversals of expectations, changing roles and status. None of these
notions are static; they are always about something new and good coming into
being.
Why do I think this is so important? Frankly, because without it we become
very impatient with ourselves and others, particularly in the setbacks. Humans
and history both grow slowly. We expect people to show up at our doors fully
transformed and holy before they can be welcomed in. But growth language
says it is appropriate to wait, trusting that metanoeite, or change of
consciousness, can only come with time—and this patience ends up being the
very shape of love. Without it, church becomes the mere enforcing of laws and
requirements. “Pastors,” instead of serving as caretakers of God’s lambs and
sheep, are told they should be guards, word police, and dealers in holy antiques.
Without an evolutionary worldview, Christianity does not really understand,
much less foster, growth or change. Nor does it know how to respect and
support where history is heading.