“Of making many books there is no end. . . “Ecclesiastes 12:12 NRSV
If Jesus Isn’t the Answer. . . He Sure Asks the Right Questions
by J. Daniel Day (Macon, GA Smyth and Helwys, 2015, 126 pp.)
Reviewed by Walter B. Shurden
Faithful readers of CHRISTIAN ETHICS TODAY will find this book by Dan Day theologically provocative, spiritually challenging and relevant to every day Christian ethics. Dan Day lived in the Baptist trenches for over 40 years as pastor of 7 Baptist churches. He stands in the great tradition of “scholarly preachers” who creatively broker the biblical vision and theological concepts for the plumber on the third row. I marveled at his insights, delighted in his nuances, laughed at lines that maybe only long time Baptists will find funny, envied his writing, and chided him for not writing more good stuff for us.
So what does he say? He says that the number of answers offered by the church are more than the answers authorized by the gospel. He says that in the New Testament Jesus is more “the Way” than he is “the Answer,” that those two images lead in very different directions, that “the Way” implies a journey while “the Answer” proclaims a destination reached, that “the Way” suggests a guide while “the Answer” announces a winner. He says that the church transformed “the Way” into “the Loop,” and made the open-endedness of “the Way” into “a fortress to be defended, a circle within which to fight, a noose used to choke the spirit’s breath” (121). He says that Jesus was never “pushy,” never boring, never easily silenced and that he is often more a “problem” for us than he is an “answer.”
Day deals with eleven questions that Jesus asked. Here they are, along with Day’s understanding of what is at the heart of the question.
· “Are you not of more value than they?” A question about VALUE.
· “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own? A question about SELF-UNDERSTANDING.
· “If you love those who love you, what reward do you have?” A question of RELATIONSHIPS.
· “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” A question about FAITH.
· “What did Moses command you?” “What then does this text mean? A question about AUTHORITY
· “Why are you afraid?” A question about FEAR.
· “If the salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?” A question about INTEGRITY
· “Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth?” A question about WAR AND PEACE.
· “Whose head is this and whose title?” A question about GOVERNMENT.
· “But who do you say that I am?” A question about JESUS AND YOU.
· “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? A question about GOD.
Here is cautious, careful language, respect for the believing, unbelieving, and once-believing, a Bible that is not flat, and a theological mind that writes “for the living of these days.” Day civilizes theological barbarism with a quiet faith that seeps clearly through every doubt he raises. This is a call for the church to open the door and let questioning, doubting, struggling half-believers come out of the closet.
I can think of many uses for this book, not the least of which is a meditative reading once a day for 13 days to cover the 13 chapters. It would make superb Sunday School curriculum or seminar study. Thoughtful preachers will find a model here for thoughtful preaching. Many lay people could get set free by a careful reading. And think me not cavalier when I suggest that it would be a smart tool for evangelism, if given gently and kindly in the spirit in which it is written, especially to the Nones (those who have nothing for the church) and the Dones (those who have had enough of the church).
So far, this is my favorite book for 2015. See if you agree.
Walter B. Shurden is Minister at Large at Mercer University.
