“Temperance, tolerance, and moderation” has been a catch phrase emerging from over three centuries of denominational DNA. Though unable to pinpoint the exact moment it was coined, the embodiment of its ideals is deeply engrained in low church theologies of Anabaptism and Pietism, both owing much to the Radical Reformation gaining a toe-hold in Western Europe. As literal ‘re-baptizers,’ Anabaptists and Pietists were often subjected to torture and sometimes death for practicing believer’s (adult) baptism and for having the audacity to study scripture in their own homes, something highly frowned upon by high church authorities.

It all makes for a nice historical review, but the bottom line is that positioning oneself theologically is far less challenging than having to actually accomplish something toward such aims. Some suggest that the Bible is our primary earthly authority and a doorway to all things divine, a guide containing all that we need to make sense of our faith. While that might be comforting to some, it can be extremely discomforting to others, particularly when we hand out Bibles indiscriminately without an owner’s manual so to speak. What to make of this strange, confusing, and conflicted document if you have never encountered it before? The varied genres alone are startling.

What results from it all is a very human simplification of the meanings and nuances of ancient writings, and thus the formation of catchphrases previously mentioned. That’s not good or bad in itself. Rather, it is our good-hearted good-faith attempt to place scripture into action in ways that make sense for who we are, let alone those who wrote it thousands of years ago. At its best, scripture is remarkably relevant for today’s culture and our dysfunctionally performing society. Unfortunately, it continues to also be used to harm others and to be used in uninformed and hurtful ways. The weaponization of scripture is nothing new in the context of world religion, our own included. A quick review of the unseemly ways it supported power, want and destruction in the New World makes for a sobering read and sheds new light on God’s direct influence or indifference in the formation of this country.

So, we are left with a distillation and reduction of what we believe faith to embody. Too nuanced, we drive people from the faith. Too simplified, we lose respect and authority for the deep commitments of our forebears in drawing important significant conclusions, religiously and existentially. Each person must decide for themselves the import of their own faith, spirituality, and relationship with the Divine. Are we up for it or do we prefer over simplifications in our efforts to achieve a life worth living? Who decides? Those that write, teach, preach, lend aid, parent, lift spirits, and spare a dime. “Temperance, tolerance and moderation” is only the tip of the iceberg, but it’s not a bad start either. God meets us where we are. Are we able to say the same?

“Faith is taking the first step, even when we don’t see the entire staircase.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.