Decades ago I wrote an article titled, “Faith Without Works is Dead, but Faith Without Doctrine is Alive and Well.” The idea for the article came about after visiting a church where the pastor gave a theologically scattered sermon. He was all over the map.
Despite this, the church was thriving. It was remarkably generous, kind, hospitable, and loving. There was a lot of doing, not doubting. The faith of the people in the church was strong despite the lack of any coherent doctrine.
My article is long lost from dozens of computer crashes, failed backups, and quirky updates. Plus, sadly, the demise of the magazine that published the article. But the sentiment has been with me for decades.
Though, with apologies to Peter Drucker, I might re-title it, “Orthopraxy Eats Orthodoxy for Breakfast.”
Orthopraxy is doing it right. Orthodoxy is thinking it right. That’s a wild generalization, but for the sake of this post (and knowing how smart my readers are) it will do nicely as a working definition.
A lot of folks in the junkyard did things right. There were some surly characters, but most people were honest, reliable, and fair. Of course what people thought was all over the map (just like that pastor). There were conspiracy theorists, survivalists, anarchists, and extremists on just about any topic. Arguments could have lasted for days.
But the arguments would have been about what we thought. Not about what we did. Most people, most of the time, did the right thing.
Which brings me to my concern. There are too many topics we followers of Jesus spend a lot of energy arguing about. In the last few decades these arguments have spawned culture warriors who want to fight all kinds of ideas. Perhaps the ugliest outgrowth of these arguments are Christian nationalists and their tribe. But fighting about ideas is common on even petty things in the church.
And remember, the world is watching (and clearly unimpressed).
That’s why I think we need to resurrect a long dormant commitment to orthopraxy. Let’s do the right thing, even if we might disagree on the right thinking. I know the two are connected and it’s not really an either/or decision. But the focus on “belief” has pushed the pendulum so far toward thinking the right things that we are ignoring the importance of doing the right things. Let’s push the pendulum back to something less toxic.
Two quick examples of how much Jesus valued orthopraxy. First, he was clear in the book of John that we are to be known by our love. Not our beliefs. Not our theology. Not our doctrine. Not our politics. We are to be known by our love. And remember, love is an action. Love does, as my friend Bob likes to say.
Second, in Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus tells the parable of the two sons. One son says he’s going to do the wrong thing, but does the right thing. The other son says he will do the right thing, but does the wrong thing. Which son, Jesus asks rhetorically, did what his father wanted? The first one, obviously. It’s about what the son does.
I’m sure there are many other examples, but you get the idea.
Let’s recommit ourselves to orthopraxy. Let’s be known for what we do more than for what we think.
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