Hi Bessy,
I missed this discussion (work again!) but I understand your frustration. I have tried in the past to put the whole issue in a different perspective, but it begins where Ned and Ucc. began, namely with the fact that only God is good. However, what does it mean to be “good� In Aramaic, the vernacular of Jesus, we are talking about something which is ripe or mature, fully grown or developed. This is true of many statements where the word “good†is used.
In this sense, humankind is “unripeâ€, “immatureâ€, “green†and “undeveloped†– which doesn’t contradict my experience of humankind at all. It also explains my own failings adequately. In another statement, Jesus says that his followers should be “perfectâ€, as their heavenly Father is perfect. In the Greek and in the Aramaic, the word literally means “complete†or “wholeâ€. I think that this does give the discussion a new feeling.
We have many problems with the divine up-bringing, since we continually have the feeling that we can decide things on our own, but if we are Christians, then we are children. Towards God we must humbly accept this and not try to pretend that we have reached “goodness†or “adulthood†– even though on human standards we may have. In fact, this is where our measure becomes unclear, since we like to judge by human standards, although we are told that it isn’t wise to judge at all.
The aim of God then, according to our tradition, is to help his children attain “wholenessâ€, so that they can enter into communion with himself. The first step is rather like being given a prop to overcome our one-sidedness, or being given an eye to overcome our neglect of those things we do not see. In modern language, God compensates for what we are lacking for as long as this is possible. By all accounts, there is a time when the time for this compensation is up. However, it isn’t by our “wholeness†or “ripeness†that we are judged, but in the way we have treated our fellow beings – which may seem to contradict, but it is humility and authenticity which is looked for.
Right, and according to the parable of the talents, we are all given talents to be used. I find it comforting that it is a minority that buries its talents, saying that God is a strict judge who wants the fruits of the seed he hasn’t sown – but this statement seems to sound a lot like some “believers†I have known …
Shalom