After watching Insurgent yesterday (it was awesome, by the way) I was reminded of the epiphany I had towards the end of Allegiant (and I don’t think it will be a spoiler to share it) that we are all Divergent.
That’s the point of the series. Divergent’s fanbase is always taking tests and splitting themselves up into factions like they do in the books, but the entire point Roth is getting across is that we are meant to be more than one thing. That we cannot be defined by just one faction. That something is wrong with us if that is all we can be. Divergent’s actually aren’t the ones with something wrong with them, or the exceptional few:
We are Divergent. That is, the human race. It is society and people that will try to fit us into cookie cutter shape “factions”, but that isn’t where we belong. We can’t just pick one thing to be and call it quits — we need to be selfless and kind and truthful and smart and brave.
And yes, my fellow Christians, that is also what God wants us to be. I think that what I loved best about the Divergent series was the spiritual parallels you could draw: Something happened to the human race, and they’re broken. But someone provided a way for them to be fixed. Now, they are reclaiming who they are meant to be, and discovering how much more they can be.
The factions don’t fall short of perfection because they are bad. They are all good things to be. They fall short because they can’t stand alone. Selflessness turns hollow without love. Peace falls flat without real freedom. Truth is meaningless if it is only your truth. Intelligence morphs into ego. Bravery can just be reckless and foolish and even cruel.
Maybe it’s because I’m a Christian nerd, but it is literary parallels and pictures like these that always help me grasp reality and spirituality better. So I want to see what being truly Divergent would look like, taking all of the factions with us.
Abnegation:
Therefore I choose to turn away from my own reflection, to rely not on myself, but on my brothers and sisters. To project always outward until I disappear and only God remains.
A lot of Christians could get along side of this. They are used to the idea of killing the self (the old man, the flesh, whatever else you would like to call it) and denying themselves. They can seem prudish and stiff. And often, their selflessness and humility are just masks for their true selfishness. Selflessness becomes a self punishment because they feel guilty for not being more righteous or put together. Selflessness becomes a chore, not an honor, as it should be.
Because selflessness is one of the defining characteristics of Christ:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. — John 15:13
The key to true selflessness is love. Actually, that’s the definition of selflessness — loving someone else more than yourself, and choosing them over yourself, not because you have to, but because you love them.
And love is something that another one of the factions is supposed to understand implicitly.
Amity:
One Friend says to Another: “Friend, today I fought with my enemy.” The Other Friend says: “Why did you fight with your enemy?” “Because they were about to hurt you.” “Friend, why did you defend me?” “Because I love you.” “Then I am grateful.”
The Amity get a lot of flack for their hippy like status. But I love their manifesto, their understanding of the importance of forgiveness and love, and their devotion to kindness. What drove both Tris and I insane is their insistence on non-interference. Peace is important, but how can you maintain it without acting to ensure that peace and freedom?
Peace is not about being a pacifist; it’s really about loving someone or something enough to fight for it.
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. — Matthew 10:34
Peace is so much more than just trying to live in harmony, because that doesn’t work; peace may come with struggle, but it is a struggle well worth the fight, and maintaining it is worth the pain. Peace is also about standing up for the truth, which takes selflessness.
Candor:
Dishonesty is rampant. Dishonesty is temporary. Dishonesty makes evil possible. Dishonesty leads to suspicion. Suspicion leads to conflict. Honesty leads to peace. Truth makes us transparent. Truth makes us strong. Truth makes us inextricable.
Seeing the world in black and white is difficult in an age of “acceptance”. Everything is colored grey. There are no absolutes, no standards of measurement. What is true is “your truth” not “the truth”. And there is a difference between being candid and being truthful that isn’t nailed down too often. My sister is one of the most candid people you will ever know; but just because you speak your mind all the time doesn’t mean you are speaking the truth.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. — John 8:32
We can find truth in one place. Not our truth, but THE truth. The problem with Candor is that too often their truth is simply hurtful, but Christ intended for truth to heal us. Knowing when to be candid and speaking the actual truth takes love for those hearing the truth.
It also takes the intelligence to discover what the truth is.
Erudite:
- Ignorance is defined not as stupidity but as a lack of knowledge.
- Lack of knowledge inevitably leads to lack of understanding.
- Lack of understanding leads to a disconnect among people with differences.
- Disconnection among people with differences leads to conflict.
- Knowledge is the only logical solution to the problem of conflict.
The Erudite are the villains throughout the majority of the Divergent series, but there is nothing wrong with intelligence. Intelligence is not what makes them evil, but their sense of ego that develops as the factios begin to devolve. As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power, power corrupts,” the Erudite became so obsessed with running the factions that power became their only motive.
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. — Matthew 1016
Proverbs attempts over and over again to instill in us the importance of wisdom over knowledge. Having the wisdom to discern between when to be honest and when to shut our mouths. The wisdom to know when to live in peace, and when to fight for it.
Which brings us to the fan favorite:
Dauntless:
We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drive one person to stand up for another. We believe in acknowledging fear and the extent to which it rules us. We believe in facing that fear no matter what the cost to our comfort, our happiness, or even our sanity.
Dauntless is certainly my own favorite. I love their freedom and their courage and their love of life. If I had to chose a faction (even though we all know I am completely Divergent), I would chose Dauntless, but I know initiation would probably kill me.
Bravery is the defining characteristic of many famous Biblical characters. It’s David facing down a giant and Peter in the middle of a shipwreck. But is it the defining characteristic of most Christians that you know? I’m sure you know an awful lot of candid Christians, some egotistical (but smart, right!) Christians, some kind and loving Christians (even though they may not have much of a backbone), and selfless Christians.
But how many of our church members and devo leaders and ministry workers are brave? Courageous? Willing to fight selflessly for their disciples, and speak the truth without fear? To be kind enough to give correction, and knowledgeable enough to teach their wisdom. Pulling all these things together to be Divergent Christians, if you will, is exactly what we need.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest. — Joshua 1:9
Bravery has to be selfless. Selflessness has to be genuine. Peace has to be fought for. Candor has to be truthful, the truth, not just opinion. Knowledge has to be paired with wisdom. We have to be Divergent, or all of these qualities will fall flat.
~Autumn
#discombobulatedrubbish #dauntless #divergent #christian #insurgent
