1. An act or instance of booting a computer system again.
2. In serial fiction, to reboot means to restart a series from the beginning with a new continuity that disregards the previous continuity.(http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue344/reboot1.html)
Reboots have become popular nowadays.
From old television shows to popular movie franchises, it’s a trend to take a beloved story from the past and bring it into the present time. DC Comics recently revamped its whole line of comics, shedding years of history to present their properties to a new generation. The same characters and ideas are there, but with a modernized presentation.
That seems to be a common theme with reboots. History and continuity aren’t bad things. That’s why certain characters and stories endure over time. There is something about Superman, Charlie’s Angels, Planet of the Apes, or Hawaii 5-0 that bridges generations. There’s something human about them, something that resonates with most anyone that is a human being in any time period. However, at times an idea or concept can become so bogged down with history that the main idea gets lost. And that history can be so far removed from the current generation that it creates a barrier in understanding the story.
The main points become hidden. Too much history. Too different of an experience. Too far from the current day-to-day realities.
Even think of the old school Nintendo Entertainment System (okay, you might be too young for that. Let’s say Playstation 1). If the game gets stuck or otherwise acts weird, you turn it off and start again. The game didn’t change. You just restarted to deal with the issue in the system.
The same can be said of our faith. There are times when our view of Christianity is bogged down by a lot of history. Old stories that reflect a different time, a different place, a different mindset. We still love the core of the story, the basic points of the good news. However, the view of what matters most about the Gospel’s central character, Jesus, is obscured. The basic tenants are blurry because of chance encounters with the negative aspects of organized religion. The main parts of the faith are a bit hazy when one reflects on the pain caused by others in the name of Christ. Years of church attendance and ministry involvement have lessened responsiveness to the story.
And, truth be told, we all have our own baggage, history, and continuity to deal with concerning our faith.
The unanswered questions.
The harmful theology.
The effort to maintain the knowledge of self while growing in the knowledge of God.
The “church hurts.”
Perhaps it’s time for a ReBoot.
This is what this blog is about. The ReBoot isn’t about trying to change the Christian faith into something that we would like it to be. It’s about sifting through the layers of history and events and stories to get to the main point of Jesus, the core essence of who he was, and what his life means for us today.
Reboots don’t change the basics of what a story is. Rebooting your computer doesn’t eliminate the files that are already there. It just allows your computer to start over again. Rebooting a popular series doesn’t change the main character. It allows the core to remain while giving the freedom to revisit other aspects surrounding the character.
Truth is, some things need to be explained differently for the story to continue.
Some characters, viewpoints, and ideas, need to be revisited, updated, or perhaps, eliminated. Things that got added over time but aren’t essential to the story.
And some things need not ever change, because if they did, it wouldn’t be the same story.
That’s what you’ll be seeing here at The ReBoot. We’ll be using some creative means to look at the Christian faith in different ways. The story must be told. It’s too important not to. But perhaps, there’s a different way of approaching it.