Deconstruction

March 16, 2023

“Deconstruction” has become overused and weighed down with cultural baggage, but I still find it a useful concept. I am disassembling bits and pieces of my spiritual heritage and the framework I’ve built to determine what can support belief and what needs to be discarded or renovated (made new again). This isn’t hipster indulgence (as if—I’m 61 years old), as it is sometimes labelled by religious curmudgeons and the overly certain, but an in-depth analysis of beliefs I’ve inherited and a thorough exploration of alternatives. Maybe it’s renovation, which implies not only deconstruction but (re)construction of a stronger and more beautiful home—a place to grow into the future.

Perhaps a better metaphor is that of a pilgrimage and what I take for the journey. As the terrain changes and I trek on, I need different kit to complement my strengths and counter my weaknesses, to travel light and carry only what is required. I’m no longer a young man in need of certainty but a seasoned traveller exploring ancient paths new to me. I may cross untracked wilds, following only the contours of the land. I may find refreshing springs and and marshy fens, awesome vistas and lost vales, sunlit glades and shadowy glens. I may even fall into a pit—oh, what an adventure that would be!¹

Whatever the metaphor, there are elements of my received tradition and personal faith that are worn and tattered and need to be replaced. For some a patch and some TLC will do. Others I’ll need to discard, no matter how I’ve grown to fit their familiar shape. An old shoe may feel comfortable but give out when I need it most. Better to break in a new pair than to turn an ankle or slip and fall.