Ben Schnell

The task of the young (and what we do for them) is to break down complexity into its component parts for the sake of clarity and actionability. This is a crucial task. The problem comes when we see this as the only task, and we lose the value and nuance that comes from wholeness and paradox. In order to traverse the terrain, the map is critical. But in more abstract spheres of life, we end up treating the map as if it were  the terrain, and this causes endless confusion and pain. Consider a Christian denomination. It must identify its fundamental beliefs. If it doesn't, it has no identity, and people can't be invited into it. Inevitably, people start treating the map (the list of fundamental beliefs) as the terrain, as the heart and soul of the religion, which it is not. Knowing this is why, at the outset, some people resisted reducing the religion to a list of beliefs in the first place. Next, and perennially, we have an overreaction on both sides, constantly pulling against e...