Deconstruction

When it comes to Christianity, one of the most upsetting words, especially recently, is “deconstruction”. That word is packed with thoughts of leaving the faith, atheism, being un-Godly, etc. Christians hear “deconstruction”and they assume it means the tearing apart or breaking down or demolishing of someone’s faith.

I suppose, for all intents and purposes, that is what’s happening.

But why is that such a bad thing? If, as Christians, we are so deeply rooted and grounded in our faith, what’s the harm in tearing at it and breaking it open? If it’s as strong and solid as we believe it is, surely it will hold up no matter how much we examine it. 

To me, deconstruction is a necessary part of being a Christian, or of holding any kind of belief, really. Rather, it’s a necessary part of any kind of DEEP belief in something. To blindly accept something, to parrot words and actions, to leming around without individual motivation, is shallow and untrustworthy.

I started going to church when I was 15. Prior to that, I had very little exposure to what it meant to be a Christian. At church, I was eager to learn, but I never felt encouraged to ask questions, so I didn’t.  I also didn’t want to seem ignorant or like a bad Christian, or like I was doing something wrong by asking. While, over the years, I gained more information about my faith, my understanding was shallow. And I coasted on that shallowness for years….like, 15 years. I read the Bible and went to church and prayed and did all the things, but I didn’t grow. 

Then something changed about 10 years ago. I don’t know what the catalyst was, exactly, but I realized I hadn’t come to many truths on my own. I’d been told certain things were the way they were, and that was that. I hadn’t pondered, wondered, sought. I’d heard things, believed them, and then stopped moving forward.

Throughout the Bible, God calls us to seek him, cry aloud for him, learn about him, and search for him like silver or hidden treasure. The words he uses are present tense, and they indicate action, progression, and continuity – not stagnation. The journey of gaining God’s wisdom, insight, knowledge, and understanding doesn’t have an end point – it should go on as long as we have the blessing to learn and grow. One of the best ways to remain active in that journey is by reflecting on what you believe to be true about your faith and deconstructing those truths. Why do you believe those things? How much time have you spent meditating on those ideas? Did you hear them and say “Okay!”, or did you struggle with them, wrestle with them, get frustrated by them? While it might be scary to dig further into certain topics, it’s vital to rooting yourself deeply in your faith and to growing in confidence. 

During his time on Earth, Jesus asked over 300 questions, which was obviously done with intent and purpose. By asking questions, he nurtured critical thinking, invited human connection, enabled all voices to be heard, and promoted self reflection and introspection. All of those things lead to deeper understanding, and if we are meant to emulate the character of Jesus, shouldn’t we also ask questions to deeper understanding? Shouldn’t we investigate to really know why we believe what we believe? Even if those investigations don’t lead to direct answers (because, let’s be honest, not all of our questions do), the adventure of truth seeking, of God seeking, will result in wisdom and growth nonetheless, whether it’s in ourselves, God’s people, his word, or his son. God will see our profound desire to know him better, even if we’re deconstructing in the process. He will see that we are putting in effort and energy because we sincerely believe his truth is our treasure.

To hear something and immediately take it as fact is akin to standing on concrete and expecting roots to grow. We need to move beyond the surface and seek out the soil in which to plant ourselves. It’s here where we can stand firm and upright, knowing we will be nurtured.