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We who preach and write books...write while we make progress. We learn something new every day. We dictate at the same time as we explore. We speak as we are still knocking for understanding.Brown points out that one of the attractive things about Augustine as a writer and thinker was that he changed his mind. Therefore, we find inconsistencies in his writings. We find contradictory positions taken on theological questions. In fact, late in his life he wrote a whole book taking back some things he had written and correcting his own mistaken conclusions.
When I open my file cabinet and go through some of the sermons I wrote decades ago (or even a few years ago), I am appalled at some of the things I preached. Those poor congregations that have to sit through young, green preachers' sermons! Maybe it should be a rule that no minister can preach until she/he is 50 years old.
My mind has changed more often that a new baby's diaper. I've learned to never say 'finally.' I tend to say: 'That's how I understand it from my point of view at this time in my life.' That's more honest. I don't agree with many things I said years ago. I don't know if I'm smarter or not, but my mind has changed. I remember writing a newspaper article in which I supported the so-called pro-life position. I am still for life, but I take a pro-choice position now. I once called myself a pacifist. I now think the pacifist position is a form of perfectionism.
So, I like the fact that Augustine contradicted himself. As he said, "We speak as we are still knocking for understanding." And didn't Jesus say, "Keep on knocking, and it shall be opened to you"? (Matt. 6) So, I keep on knocking. Change is good. Don't knock it!
