So yesterday I was in Cal De Sac restaurant in the westend of Glasgow, having dinner before going to see a film. In the toilet there was a poster that said “Cul-de-sack – Authentic French Cuisine”. Flash back a couple of hours and during church, Graeme McMeekin was doing the preachy sermon thing. In which he talked about the truth, what it is in relation to our society and the Bible – specifically the gospel of John. He talked about Postmodernism, a faddy band-wagon that the church has seemed to embrace even though they mostly do not understand the concept. When I say the church, I mean the Christian church. They have embraced the term, as it makes them appear to be culturally relevant and aware of shifts in society.
Having done Media studies at Uni for four years, and being bored to death with the concept of Postmodernity, it frustrates me that people just don’t know what they’re talking about! Anyhoo, Grameme addressed that problem but presenting to the church what Postmodernity is, from a sociological stance. The idea that we have shifted from a modern society into a postmodern one, where truth is relevant and no-one is wrong. So arguably this presents a problem, as Christians think of God as the truth. Therefore, in terms of postmodernity, does this mean God doesn’t exist? He only exists to the individual? As Greame put it “my truth, your truth, his truth, her truth…”.
Flash forward to Cal De Sac, so I was thinking in the toilet: ‘What is authentic? What is real?”
Do they mean that the restraunt serves authentic French food becuase of the recipies, the style of food, the way it is served, who cooks it, who serves it, the enviroment it is served in? I’m in Scotland eating food that is mascurading as ‘Authentic French Cuisine’. Is it anymore French than McDonalds is American? When you sit in McDonalds are you thinking that you are eating an authentic American burger? Is this a postmodern restraunt? Is reality also relative? Does your experiance destinguish what is real and what is not?
Morpheus asks Neo “What is real?”. Just because I’m told it is real doesn’t make it real. Just because I think it’s real doesn’t make it real. Just because I feel it’s real doesn’t make it. So in some ways it’s like a Hollywood Blockbuster, you have to suspend your disbelief and enjoy the experience.
In some ways it’s the same with God. Just because I think He’s real, doesn’t make Him real. Just because I feel He’s real doesn’t make Him real. But that’s the difference between a postmodernism and faith.
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 1:11
And just because society tells me there isn’t one truth, doesn’t mean there is not.
And then I washed my hands and went back to the table.
Tags: Media Studies Postmodern Postmodernity Matrix faith tru
