And the differences between them
Dr Arthur Patrick
Honorary senior research fellow
Avondale College of Higher Education
Spectrum published Chris Blake’s “Are we guardians of truth or seekers of truth?” in 2006 (34:1). Why do I remember this article?
Chris, associate professor of English and communication at Union College (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA), begins with this: “Of the many fundamental divisions in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, perhaps none is as practically meaningful as the difference between Guardians of Truth and Seekers of Truth.” Then he offers some definitions:
- Guardians serve and fear God Seekers serve and enjoy God.
- Guardians talk of historic truths. Seekers live out present truth.
- Guardians emphasise performance. Seekers emphasise participation.
- Guardians interpret literally. Seekers recognise irony, symbolism and context.
- Guardians believe the church is an organisation. Seekers believe the church is a force.
- Guardians defend the truth. Seekers feed on it.
Guardians and Seekers “both carry accumulated penchants, motivations and aptitudes,” says Chris. “And we can all find ourselves deep in the other camp depending on the issue or circumstance. Still, we see differences emerge in myriad ways.”
Adventist pioneer Ellen White noted the differences, too. I love the challenge in her chapter “Great Distress Coming” in Testimonies for the Church Volume 1:
“Greater light shines upon us than shone upon our fathers. . . . To be accepted and blessed of God as they were, we must imitate their faithfulness and zeal,—improve our light as they improved theirs,—and do as they would have done had they lived in our day. We must walk in the light which shines upon us, otherwise that light will become darkness.”
Yes, sometimes we’re called to be Guardians of Truth, but our commission is to be Seekers of Truth.
Thanks for the descriptors, Chris.
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