A few days ago I tweeted some brief reflections on this transcript of a talk given by Pieter Valk. While there was some follow up discussion (including with Pieter himself) we all know that the format of twitter isn’t particularly conducive to nuanced and detailed engagement. So instead of trying to explain more about my initial critique in bite sized chunks, I thought I’d write about it here at a little more length and with a little more fluency.
Hi Dani! I so appreciate your writing. I'm wondering if you have thoughts (or recommended resources) on if there's a category for chosen singleness that comes from a place of not being interested in marriage (at least not at the moment). Here's what I don't mean: 1. Singleness that's chosen out of pure selfishness, 2. Singleness that's chosen with the goal of being single lifelong for the Kingdom of God. So while I am NOT asking if there's a category for someone to choose singleness because they want to live for themselves with no "obstacles," like a spouse, I am also not asking about someone the Bible might describe as a choosing to be a "eunuch for the Kingdom of Heaven." i.e. I am seeking God and wanting to grow in Him, but my current disinterest in marriage (even though I champion marriage!) is not explicitly rooted in the latter example (choosing to be a eunuch for the Kingdom), but in my own ambivalence about whether I want marriage or not (again, even though I value it as much as I value singles). Life should always be for the Kingdom, though I know different circumstances will affect how that plays out. (Sorry this comment is so long, I'm just struggling to explain my meaning). I, for one, probably want to be married one day, but I am not actively interested in marriage right now. There is a small part of this that is due to my confusion and struggle with my complementarian beliefs, as well as my frustration with being pegged as someone in a "season" of singleness, as if my life isn't happening right now. However, right now, I am not sure if I want to be married and I wonder if there's a Scriptural place for that. In short (ha!), should the "default" posture of all Christians be either (1) Toward marriage (even if God chooses not to give it), or (2) Definitively choosing lifelong singleness explicitly for the Kingdom. Wow, thank you for reading this novel of a comment 😂
Sorry to comment all up in your grill, but I just noticed that this post's heading has a typo: "dubuking" should be "debunking." Thought you'd like to know!
Hi Dani! I so appreciate your writing. I'm wondering if you have thoughts (or recommended resources) on if there's a category for chosen singleness that comes from a place of not being interested in marriage (at least not at the moment). Here's what I don't mean: 1. Singleness that's chosen out of pure selfishness, 2. Singleness that's chosen with the goal of being single lifelong for the Kingdom of God. So while I am NOT asking if there's a category for someone to choose singleness because they want to live for themselves with no "obstacles," like a spouse, I am also not asking about someone the Bible might describe as a choosing to be a "eunuch for the Kingdom of Heaven." i.e. I am seeking God and wanting to grow in Him, but my current disinterest in marriage (even though I champion marriage!) is not explicitly rooted in the latter example (choosing to be a eunuch for the Kingdom), but in my own ambivalence about whether I want marriage or not (again, even though I value it as much as I value singles). Life should always be for the Kingdom, though I know different circumstances will affect how that plays out. (Sorry this comment is so long, I'm just struggling to explain my meaning). I, for one, probably want to be married one day, but I am not actively interested in marriage right now. There is a small part of this that is due to my confusion and struggle with my complementarian beliefs, as well as my frustration with being pegged as someone in a "season" of singleness, as if my life isn't happening right now. However, right now, I am not sure if I want to be married and I wonder if there's a Scriptural place for that. In short (ha!), should the "default" posture of all Christians be either (1) Toward marriage (even if God chooses not to give it), or (2) Definitively choosing lifelong singleness explicitly for the Kingdom. Wow, thank you for reading this novel of a comment 😂
Sorry to comment all up in your grill, but I just noticed that this post's heading has a typo: "dubuking" should be "debunking." Thought you'd like to know!