Spirituality and the DaVinci Code

Get ready to hear more about Dan Brown's bestselling book, The DaVinci Code, in the next few months. The film version, starring Tom Hanks, will be released May 19. It is expected to be even more popular than the book.

Amazingly, we continue to see multiple copies of The DaVinci Code every time we get on an airplane. What has made it so popular? Dan Brown tells a good story. Everyone enjoys being let in on a secret. But the book is much more than a rivetting bit of revisionist history. It gives legitimacy to what a lot of people have been thinking--that religion is mostly about power, that the church has suppressed authentic spirituality, and that the real Jesus must have had something different in mind.

People are ready to take Jesus with them to another religion

Many books have been written in response to DaVinci. Most react to Brown's historical reconstructions. They argue that he doesn't have the story right. Fair enough. We need such critical responses. But many readers, perhaps even most, do not care whether the author has all his facts straight or not. They like what the book has to say. They are convinced that spirituality must be more personal, more dynamic, and less oppressive than what they have experienced in church. They believe the book--not because they have studied art history or delved into ancient manuscripts, but because they are ready to take Jesus with them to another religion.

Two years ago, as part of a series on DaVinci, we did a presentation at our church called "Spirituality Unplugged." The audio file from that presentation is available here. We addressed how the practice of life with God has been unplugged or disengaged from Christian tradition. We talked about the perceived differences between spirituality and religion and the widespread desire for our own personal Jesus.

Some of the LifeSpace concepts relate directly to these concerns. How should we approach life with God? What does it mean to truly delight in His glory? Why has Christian spirituality felt so confining?

Whether you liked the book or not, The DaVinci Code had people talking about life with God. The upcoming movie should do the same thing. As you discuss it with friends, remember: the question may not be whether the story is true, but why it rings true to them.

--Joni and Bob

p.s.--If you are interested, additional presentations on DaVinci are available here: http://www.nbctexas.org/equip/januaryseries.htm.

EMPTY CHAIR

Laughter and jesting started immediately when we left the hotel. Through chilly streets of downtown Philadelphia, past Independence Park, during questioning for directions, finally into the City Tavern. A group of five in the November night, perched on the cusp of this year's holiday season. Friends: some very old...a few quite new. Hot toddies for all. Signature pot pie for most. Waxed candlelight flickering on our faces. The conversation turned more serious. Words swirled around the debate of theology, the agonies of being church, the details of kids and parents and being sandwiched in between.

Our individual glances rested for stolen moments on the empty chair at the end of the table. The absence of a human form was not planned for that chair. It happened when the waiter did the seating dance with us. Providential emptiness for that chair had been strangely ordained. On another night this past February, Stan Grenz occupied the chair. Change the locale to balmy San Diego. Different restaurant. We laughed at Stan's notoriously corny jokes. We drank a voluminous red wine. We talked of Stan's sweet Edna and her upcoming doctoral status. Goodbyes were waved late into the darkness. See you in Philadelphia!

People say, "Stan died suddenly." Would that not be true for everyone? There is a moment when you are alive. There is the next moment when you are not. There is a moment when your chair is occupied. There is the next moment when it is empty. The suddenness of death relates to those of us who sit at dinner in Philadelphia or Vancouver or any other earthly place. We expect to groan at Stan's jokes one more time. We expect to bask in the presence of Stan Grenz, gentleman and scholar extraordinaire, one more evening. Suddenly, a group of six has only five members.

The candles at the City Tavern burned down to nubs. We could put it off no longer. Corporately we turned to the empty chair. We raised our glasses to Stan Grenz. For all that was and all that will be. For eternal life without death's intrusion. For angels that are required to laugh at corny jokes. We raised a glass, finally, for those of us who are left behind...with empty chairs.

Joni and Bob