γενήσομαι «ge-ney-soh-mey : i am becoming»

Can I tell you a story?

It's not a long story or an elaborate one, but it might be of interest to some of you.

I named my blog many many years ago as a reference to a quote in the movie Star Trek First Contact. In the particular scene, Data is having a back-and-forth with the Borg Queen who is explaining her version of the Borg's ambition for conquest through assimilation—that the Borg, according to her, are attempting to evolve from a flawed and weak state into perfection. In fact, she says they have attained perfection.

Data responds to this with the line, 'Believing oneself to be perfect is often the sign of a delusional mind.'

I think for me the reference came with at least two layers. On one hand, was I believing my thoughts to be perfect as I presented my theological and philosophical musings? Were my written ramblings the result of an evolution from flawed and weak thinking into perfected understanding?

I don't think I ever in fact believed my thoughts were perfect, but I think I felt I was at least attempting to attain perfection.

And that is a sort of delusion. For who can reach perfection? Who can fully understand and know?

On the other hand, however, I think I always felt my personal ramblings and analyses and presentations were somewhat inconsequential, perhaps controversial, and likely all wrong (read: not good enough), and therefore my thoughts were nothing more than daydreams and deceptions—just little theological fantasies I told myself in hopes of making sense of something I could only grasp at.

But the more I read and the more I think and the more I study, the more I realise that for me these sorts of thought processes are important. They are more than merely delusions. They are the ways by which I see and navigate through the world. And they are the ways by which I perceive and participate in God's Kingdom—a worldview and ethics that have always been a part of my identity. Theology is in reality less of a delusion for me and more a characteristic of my being.

A runner-up name for my blog back in the day was γενήσομαι. It's a Koine Greek word¹ that can be translated as 'I am becoming.' For me, this word might better capture the trajectory of what I'm trying to do here.

I began this blog with the same intent that I continue it: as a space where I work out my theology—a space where I attempt to formulate a theology grounded in an accurate narrative-historical and an open theist biblical interpretation that intimately intersects with culture, identity, and ethics. It is a space where I write out my theological journey—a space to communicate to myself and therefore to you where that journey is leading.

Indeed, this blog is a reflection of a theological process—and it is a process that is ongoing, a process that is ever unfolding. A process that not only reflects what I believe is forward motion but also reflects that I am evolving and how I am changing.

How I am becoming.

And so I have decided to make a slight 're-brand' by changing the name of this blog. That isn't to say my thoughts aren't perhaps in some ways delusions of grandeur—because surely they are—but the change is more to highlight motion. I am moving because I am learning—and I am moving because that learning is affecting me.

I am becoming. γενήσομαι.

The Lookout

Let me take a minute just to let you know what might be coming one day. I have been working on some things, slowly but surely, so here are a few of them in no particular order.

•   I'm currently finishing a post about my feelings toward worship music.
•   I'm also working on a post about doubt.
•   I've been thinking a lot about our interpretations of salvation and what it might mean in a narrative-historical context.
•   Relatedly, I've been pondering what the kingdom is and how it all ties in with 'church' and things like baptism and communion.
•   I have an outline in my mind for a post or two (or more?) about apologetics.
•   I've been toying with the idea of making an ongoing series of posts where I write some theological reflections around certain movies that touch on biblical themes and theological concepts. I have a few movies in mind already.
•   My goal for the coming new year² is to read through all my Paul Tillich books (as of right now I have 5) so that may kick off another potential ongoing series I've been thinking about that reflects on books I'm reading and how they inform and interact with my theology.
•   I'd like to continue exploring suffering as an open theist, and see what other threads that pulls.

These are just a handful of my ideas for the future—some are much more fleshed out in my mind then others. But we'll see where my thoughts end up.

And as always, I hope you can find something that lights a spark in your mind. Something that makes you stop and think. Something that helps you too become. ✤

1. It's the future middle deponent form of γίνομαι, for all you Greek nerds.
2. 2022 is only 64 days away!

❲ posted by ericjordan at 2019 hrs ❳
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