In the introduction of
Simply Christian, N.T. Wright explains his desire to write about the true essence of Christianity to those outside of the faith and those inside. The book is divided into three parts:
- Part 1: The Echo's of a Voice
- Part 2: The central Christian belief about God
- Part 3: What it looks like in practice to follow Jesus and to be energized by His Spirit
The echoes then become not only hints of God but key elements of the Christians calling to work for His kingdom within the world.
In Part 1, Wright begins explaining the "Four Echoes". These echoes, he describes, have truth to them and call us to think deeper about our faith. To begin the search for justice, spirituality, relationship and beauty, "we must begin to talk about God." [1] In the cry for justice and the desire for things to be put right, Christians feel the echo which tells us to live like that. [2]
In the quest for spirituality, Wright uses an analogy of bubbling, spring water versus regulated water. He states, "we will arrange for 'religion' to become a small sub-department of ordinary life; it will be quite safe-harmless, in fact- with church life carefully separated off from everything else in the world...living as if the rumor of God never existed!" [3] The echo of spirituality points us towards the possibility that we (humans) are made for more than this [4] and also shows us how desperately our nation is in need of truth.
The hunger for relationship is heard as echoes of a voice that reminds us of whom we really are and that we have been made for community. We know that we belong in relationship with one another, however, we cannot figure out how to get relationships right. [5] Wright says, "One of the central elements of the Christian story is the claim that the paradox of laughter and tears, woven as it is deep into the heart of all human experience, is also woven deep into the heart of God."[6]
The final echo is for the beauty of the earth. Christian tradition has said that the glory belongs to God the creator. "We say that the present world is in bad shape but expecting to be repaired. We tell, in other words, the story we told in the first chapter: the story of a good Creator longing to put the world back into the good order for which it was designed. We tell the story of a God who does the two things which, some of the time at least, we all know we want and need: a God who completes what he has begun, a God who comes to the rescue of those who seem lost and enslaved in the world the way it is now." [7]
In Part 2, N.T. Wright addresses God and the puzzle of Heaven and earth. He outlines the history of Israel, Abraham's calling and the scriptures in Isaiah that prophesy on the coming of Christ. "It is not only heaven and earth that are to come together. It is God's future and God's present." [8] Christianity is no longer just a story; it's about something that happened to and through Jesus of Nazareth. The belief that the living God, in fulfillment of His promises...has offered freedom: freedom to experience God's rescue for ourselves...and to discover that through following Jesus, this new world is indeed a place of justice, spirituality, relationship and beauty." [9]
Part 2 also talks about encountering God's breath of life and living by the Spirit. Several scripture references are noted that solidified the calling of the world "to account through a man whom he had sent and whom he had raised from the dead." [10] In catching a glimpse of this triune God, the creator and lover of the world, we discover more about God than we ever would by just studying within our own conscience. He fulfills our desire and passion for the four echoes discussed in Part 1. "And because of Jesus, we find ourselves called to live the way we do...to reflect the image of God into the world." [11]
Part 3 is entitled, "Reflecting the Image". The first chapter is written about worship, which literally means to acknowledge the worth of something; that something or someone is worthy of praise. We praise God because He has made all things and we want to praise Him. How can we refuse an invitation to join with creation (as Revelation 4 and 5 says) in song? [12]
N.T. Wright also sees that prayer and scripture are gifts that the Lord has blessed up with. Through prayer, we can talk to Him personally and rely on Him as our ever-present help. And through scripture (God's inspired Word), "we are equipped to do God's work in God's world." [13] The church is also a vital part in integrating biblical principles into daily life. As a community of believers who belong to God and therefore belong to one another, the church exists for three reasons: 1) to worship God and to work for His kingdom in the world, 2) to work in ways unique to yourself and 3) to encourage one another, to build each other up in faith, to pray with one another and to teach and learn and set examples. [14] As a mode of entry into the Christian family, Baptism signifies our new covenant, freedom and life in Christ. By being baptized by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we're brought into God's story.
In conclusion, N.T. Wright revisits the four echoes. Justice was given a new meaning through Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection. And every Christian has been called to work for a healing and restorative justice as we wait for the day when God will put everything to right. [15] Relationships and the longing for spirituality are restored through Jesus. Living for Him points in a direction away from the desires of the world. Wright asserts, "The joy of relationships healed as well as enhanced, the joy of belonging to the new creation, of finding not what we already had but what God was longing to give us." [16] The last echo, beauty, calls us to look beyond immediate beauty and to glimpse the new creation that God has bestowed upon us. We can then look ahead with anticipation to the glory of God being revealed. To be a Christian means to follow Jesus Christ into the new world, leaving behind all of the brokenness of our present world in the tomb of the risen Lamb. [17]
Works Cited/References:
[1] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 51.
[2]. N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 15.
[3]N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 19.
[4] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 20.
[5] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 30.
[6]N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 38.
[7] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 46.
[8]N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 88.
[9] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 92.
[10] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 134.
[11] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 140.
[12] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 157.
[13]N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 184.
[14]N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 211.
[15] N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 226.
[16]N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 234.
[17]N.T. Wright,
Simply Christian (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006), 237.
