‘THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM. RIGHT-HANDED AND LEFT-HANDED POWER such theologians should be asked. Presumably, they are ‘mere “uh-huh” to him personally. It does not necessarily thinking of the beginning of his public ministry or perhaps | nwolve any particular theological structure or formulation; of those first words of his at age twelve when he told his itdoes not entail any particular degree of emotional fervor, pareats he had to be “about his Father's business.” But those and above all, it does noe depend on any specific repertoire ae plainly not beginnings enough. ‘of good works — physical, mental, or moral. Ie’ just, “Yes, Back at the real beginning of his carthly ministry — at _ Jesus” till we die — just letting the power of his resurrection the annunciation, say, or in the stable at Bethlehem — how do, in our deaths, what it has already done in his. much did he know about anything? Not only was he ig- ‘oran, inthe only human mind he had, of Chinese and French; he didn’t even know Aramaic. Thar knowledge, since he was truly human, would come only in the way it came to all the other truly human litle boys born at the same time: by the fatural proceses of human development ‘More to the point, a8 a baby he was equally ignorant not only of the implausible, left-handed style of exercising power, but even ofthe simple, more logical, right-handed ‘one. Truly orthodox, classical Christian theology does not require us to posit for Jesus a human mind that works by ficakish stunts. We may posi al the influences ofthe Holy Spirit upon him that we care to, but cis simply against the rules to turn that mind into a third something-orother that is neither divine nor Inuman. Jesus has ‘wo unconfused, ‘unchanged, undivided, unseparated natures in one Person. He is nor a metaphysical scrambled epg. “This chapter, however, is running the danger of becom- ing nothing but a series of long, slow curves, so let me end i with one pitch right to the strike zone. The last four paragraphs have been about theology — an enterprise that, Aespite the oftcatimes homicical urgency Christians attach to It has yer to save anybody. What saves us is Jesus, and the way ue lay hold of that salvation is by feb. And faith is something that, throughout this book, T shall resolutely refiwe to let mean anything other than fastng eau, I is simply saying yes to him rather than no. Tes, ais root, a ‘My purpose in saying is so strongly, however, is not simply t alee you to some litle band of intellectuals called theologians who may try to talk you into thinking otherwise. Such types exis, of course, but they are usually such bores that al they do is alk you ont of wanting even to breathe. No, the reason for my vehemence is that all of us are theologians, very one of us would rather choose the right handed log “ls of thology over se leanded meth Any y of the week — and twice on Sundays, often enough — ‘ve wil labor with mig and main to take the only thing that ‘eansave anyone and reduce itt ase of theological chub rules designed to exclude almost everyone. Christian theology, however, never is and never can be anything more than the thoughts chat Christians have (alone "or with others) afer they have said yes to Jesus. Sue, it ean bbea thrilling subject. Of course, i is something you can do ‘well or badly — or even gee right or wrong. And nararally fit is one of the great fun things to do on weekends when {our kidney stones aren't acting up. Actually itis almost ‘exactly like another important human subject that meets all ‘he same criteria: wind-sucfing. Everybody admires it, and Bnry of people uy i. Bu he numberof people who can Ao it well is even smaller than the number who can do ic ‘without making fools of themselves. {Trust Jesus, then. After that, theologize all you. want. Just don't lose your sense of humor if your theological surfboard deposits you unceremoniously inthe drink. 26 7