Now that I think I understand a little about post-modernism, it’s transforming my thinking — but maybe not in the way you’d expect.
I realized that deconstructionism applies to deconstructionists too. That is, the writings of post-modern thinkers aren’t idealized, objective truth anymore than the writings they criticize. But it occurs to me that this concept can be applied much more broadly – though not as broadly as they would want. We can’t trust human wisdom, but there is another kind of wisdom.
You can get a sense of what I’m thinking about by reading the first chapters of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. People naturally believe what they want to believe. We naturally defend ourselves, speak in our own interests, respond out of our own backgrounds, shackled by our own cultures. This part of post-modern philosophy is true. So how much more should we cry out to God for a wisdom that transcends our own wisdom? How much more should we fear to deconstruct the only completely reliable writings – the Bible? How much more should we have reverence for the words of others when they transcend human wisdom and reflect God’s?
Because there is nothing else we can rely on. Those who say every word ever spoken needs to be criticized and deconstructed – that real truth doesn’t exist – should say that once, then fall silent forever. Those who imagine that their own favorite human ideas and motives are exempt from being deconstructed… well, it would be a good thing if they fell silent too. But God doesn’t need to fall silent. He has something to say. The Bible says, “Let him who speaks, speak as it were the oracles of God.” Otherwise there’s no point in speaking.