syncretism

Main Entry: syn·cre·tism Pronunciation: 'si[ng]-kr&-"ti-z&m, 'sin-Function: nounEtymology: New Latin syncretismus, from Greek synkrEtismos federation of Cretan cities, from syn- + KrEt-, KrEs Cretan1 : the combination of different forms of belief or practice2 : the fusion of two or more orig. different inflectional forms


You tell me to trust, yet instruct me to invest
You say to live by the spirit, but to always plan ahead

How does this work? Recently I have been thinking about what ‘Trust’ means and more importantly what it looks like to trust in the one who we clam to believe in. I come from an upper middle class family and we have always had more that what we need. There has never been a day that I have not had food in my stomach or a roof over my head and I am indeed thankful for that.
I am getting older and the reality of this is starting to set in. The mentality of “I am going to live forever and I am going to do something incredible with my life” is starting to come to perdition. What am I going to be about? What does the God desire of me in my short time in this life? The answers to these questions I do not know, but there is something within me that is troubled.
I have often found myself examining my faith, ideals and practices with a great amount of skepticisms. It is this reason I have introduced the word syncretism. In my time in Bolivia I had a unique opportunity to see the mixing of belief very clearly. Bolivia would say they are about 60% Roman Catholic, but there is a unique twist. Because of a lack of clergy over the past 100 or more years there has been a mixing with the Incan beliefs and tradition and with the Catholic beliefs. This, by definition would be syncretism because they are mixing two different believes and making them into one big jumbled mess (in my opinion).
It was clear for me to see this while I was in Bolivia, but as of late I have wondered about the syncretism with me. There are times when I wonder if it is more difficult to see because the thing that we are mixing is something that we love. (Which make since because if we did not value you it we would not care to mix with it) What if what Christians in this country are mixing the teaching of Christ with other ideas that are not his, or maybe even directly contrary, but we accept them because we don’t know any better. What if we are not called to a comfortable life? What if following Jesus indeed meant that we would love the “least of these”? In America we do all that is within our powers to keep ourselves safe. We buy insurance, we live in the “nice” part of town, we make sure that tithing is not going to interrupt our purchase of new clothing. I don’t know. I don’t understand how this works.

Do you?