Foreword
Foreword
The Fire of the Word is a marvel and a joy. How thrilling to welcome this fresh, new voice to the field of Christian spirituality. Chris Webb has accomplished what few have succeeded in doing; he has given us courageous openings onto what a life hid with Christ in God can be like. As I read this book, I felt the words on the page calling out to me, inviting me into a deeper, fuller way of living . . . a way of living that is joyfully creative and soul-
expanding. The more I read, the more I felt my heart burning within me, a little like those disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:32). How do I name the feeling? What should I call it? Perhaps I could describe it as an open invitation into “The Order of the Burning Heart.”
Let me share with you three compelling reasons for reading The Fire of the Word.
First, this book is saturated with grace and mercy. The stories, the teachings, the allusions, the very feeling tones of the words themselves are soaked in grace and mercy. Grace and mercy given in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. Chris writes, “From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, the Bible jubilantly proclaims grace to this world; an exuberant, life-embracing grace that exceeds anything we could possibly hope or imagine.”
Chris, however, is doing far more than simply using words of grace and mercy. He, for example, does substantial theological work to cut through the Gordian knot of the common juxtaposition of the Old Testament God of wrath and the New Testament God of love. His work here is impressive indeed.
Second, this book gives us a deep sense of reverence and awe before the majesty of Scripture. Chris gently leads us before the wonder of Scripture where “the boundary between heaven and earth has been worn through.” In another place he describes the Bible as “a thin place through which the presence of God breaks into this world and bursts with unpredictable consequences into our lives. Even though it is not consumed, this book burns with unquenchable fire.” With exuberant flair he writes, “the inspiration of Scripture is something greater, something wholly other: a life and presence has been breathed into Scripture. . . . The Bible contains . . . the divine Author himself. Here the voice of God is heard; but God not only speaks, he makes himself fully present—gentle as the still small whisper on the mountain, terrible as an army with banners—breaking through the pages into our hearts, our lives, our world.”
For all his exuberance over Scripture, however, Chris is careful not to fall into worshiping the Book—bibliolatry as we say. He knows that the purpose of the Bible is to lead us into an adoring love of the triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Worship belongs to Yahweh alone.
Third, this book gives us insights into faith-filled living that often surprise us, pleasantly so. Chris’s stories surprise us: the tortured art work of Caravaggio, the soaring poetry of Ann Griffiths, the incredible devotion of three monks in a tiny Order called the Little Brothers of Nazareth, the determined search of Mary Jones for a copy of the Bible. And more. Chris’s phrases and metaphors surprise us: he describes pride as “the all-consuming black hole of the soul”; he says of the Bible that “fire is trapped under the ink”; he reminds us that “sinners may have the wildest parties, but saints have the most fun.” Drawing on an ancient Christian tradition, Chris’s reinterpretation and use of the Song of Solomon surprise us.
Personally, the high point of the book, and a pleasant surprise, came with Chris’s theological work on the medieval thinker John Duns Scotus. That is a name with which you may not be familiar, but by the time you finish this book, you will not only know his name but have a clear understanding of how important he is to our whole understanding of Christian spirituality. Chris’s analysis of Duns Scotus’s concept of “the absolute primacy of Christ” with its multi-layered implications for the work of spiritual formation is simply masterful!
I commend to you The Fire of the Word. It is a book which will both teach and delight. Tolle, lege—take, and read.
Richard J. Foster