A Theology of Wholeness

I sometimes think the Church thrives on keeping me focused on my shortcomings, my sin, my brokenness - on the ways that I most certainly do not deserve God’s grace and love.

I’m not saying there isn’t a place for this type of introspection.  We cannot see what needs mending if we do not know it is broken. But I do think it is telling that what God says about us (remember how God declared humans “good”??)  and what we highlight about ourselves in relationship to God (our utter unworthiness) are very different. 

We are so much more than just sinners in the hands of an angry God. 

Jesus tells us that he came to give life - and give it abundantly!  When Jesus reminded someone of their shortcomings, it was the socio-religious leaders who thought they were doing right by strictly adhering to rules but had forsaken their call to love their neighbor and help the widow along the way. 

Those who were “obviously broken”—the grieving, the ailing, the sinning—were the ones Jesus preferred and taught and with whom he dined.  Jesus did not remind them of their failings.  He showed them they were worthy even in, and maybe particularly because of, their brokenness.

He never asked them to fixate on how undeserving they were of his company.  He never even demanded gratitude for loving them.  I think Jesus saw beyond all of that.  I think he saw the image of God in them precisely because it was mired in muck and sin and shame.

Imagine if your spouse/partner constantly reminded you of how unworthy you are to be in relationship with them?  Imagine if you only told your children to focus on the ways in which they have failed you?  That kind of relationship would be toxic and mean.  Why do we think that God wants this kind of relationship with us?

So, sure, there’s room to talk about shame and sin and brokenness in the church, just like there is space in a relationship to have hard conversations about shortcomings and interpersonal failings.  Those are all part of the human experience and we should not pretend like any of us are immune. 

But perhaps that discussion should be couched in the language of abundant life and worthiness rather than self-deprecation and unworthiness.  Maybe we can spend time reflecting on the ways in which we have served God and others well, not just on the ways we’ve fallen short. 

Maybe we can find the image of God within ourselves that we’ve ignored by looking only at our own muck and sin and shame. 

I think it’s time to change the frame through which we see ourselves.  Instead of seeing our worthiness through the lens of brokenness, maybe we can see our brokenness through the lens of our worthiness. Maybe then we can realize we are much more whole than we have let ourselves believe. 

Jill Engelhardt

Jill Engelhardt is a PhD in New Testament. She graduated in 2019 from Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, TX. She is an author and freelance writer. She has been a member of Divine Life church for the better part of 15 years. She lives in Fort Worth with her husband and her dog.