Sufficiently Revolutionary

If you have read my book The Renovation of Our Soul (and from looking at the sales numbers it is obvious most of you have not), you will know that I have been profoundly influenced by the Christian philosopher Elton Trueblood.  In his book A Place to Stand he gives a reason for believing in Jesus that I have not heard before.  Christ is the only historical figure who was sufficiently revolutionary to justify us following his teachings and to change our soul so it is like his.

“Because we are dulled by familiarity we forget, sometimes, that Christ provides the most revolutionary of conceptions, in that He sees each individual as an unconditional object of divine concern.” [1]

Can you imagine what our world would be like if we followed this teaching of Christ?  How many problems would it solve if we treated each person we meet as an unique creation of God.  What if we not only believed but also put into practice that well known phase:  “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights”.

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[1]   Elton Trueblood.  A Place to Stand.  New York:  Harper & Row, 1969, p. 44.

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Our Will

At a recent church service we were singing the hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be” by Frances Ridley Havergal.  One phase of this hymn states:  “Take my will and make it thine, It shall be no longer mine”.  This phrase struck me because I could look at it in two different ways.

The first is what Jesus experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane:  “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42-43 ESV)  There are times when our will conflicts with God’s will and we must submit to God’s will.

The second is what we have consistently stated in this blog and that is our ultimate goal is that our soul is to become like God which means our will should be like God’s will.  We should desire the same things as God does.  So if we are constantly telling  God “not my will but yours be done”, then something is wrong in our relationship with God.  Our will should not be in constant conflict with God’s will, instead it should be in the process of becoming the same as God’s will.

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Gratitude

It happened in the Auschwitz extermination camp in World War II.  There was an escape from the camp and as was the custom at that camp, for every escapee 10 other prisoners were selected at random and placed in a cell without food or water until they died.  On this day the tenth person chosen was a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek who began to sob because he had a wife and children in the camp.  From the assembled prisoners a Catholic priest named Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward and requested the camp commander allow him to take Gajowniczek’s place.  Kolbe’s request was granted.

Gajowniczek never forgot Kolbe’s sacrifice.  Every year he went to back to Auschwitz to say thanks to the man who died in his place. In his back yard there is a plaque he made himself to honor Kolbe. [1]

I have heard a lot of criticism of the Christian churches over my years.  Some of my  friends have given up on churches and no longer attend.  God knows there is much the church needs to change and improve upon but in spite of all their failures, I still think it is important for me that once or twice a week I meet with other Christians to thank the one who took upon himself my sin and gave me eternal life.  To remember again the one who:

“. . .was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”  (Isaiah 53:5 ESV)

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[1]   Max Lucado.  Six Hours One Friday.  Nashville, TN:  Thomas Nelson, 2004, pp. 45-47.

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Stones

I recently came across a observation from a Christian in India, Sandhu Singh.  Singh pulled a rock from a river and when he broke it open, he observed the inside of the stone was  perfectly dry.  Even though the rock had been in the river for a long time, the water had not penetrated the stone.  He noted the similarity between this rock and some Christians who have been surrounded by Christianity for their entire lives but it has not penetrated their lives.  It has not changed their soul.

This observation is what we have repeatedly emphasized in this blog—being a Christian is more than having certain beliefs.  God requires that our soul be changed so it is like him.

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Thy Kingdom Come

David Livingston was a missionary to Africa in the 1800’s.  He was also considered to be a prominent explorer and is created with doing much through his writings to end the slave trade in Africa.  His moral standing among all the Africans was great and even the slave traders provided him assistance when they could. [1]

The slaver traders used brutal tactics to sow terror in the villagers.  An example of this was at Nyangwe on July 15, 1871 when the slavers killed 350 to 400 villagers.  Livingstone’s description of that day was that it was like being in hell and the only thing he could do was to pray “O, let Thy kingdom come.”  [2]  Events like this occur to frequently in our world.  In previous blogs we have noted several which have involved millions killed by governments and which have occurred within the past 100 years.  Anyone with any compassion asks why God does not end it all; why God does not establish his kingdom on this earth immediately.

However God must have other plans. It might be that:  “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9-10) ESV.  But still, because of events like these, our belief in an all-powerful, compassionate God is challenged.

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[1]   Alan Moorehead.  The White Nile.  New York:  Harper & Row, 1960, p. 99.

[2]   Ib id., p. 107-109.

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Strong Enough

In the exploration of the source of the Nile river in the late 1800’s, one explorer quoted a minor chief in central Africa named Comora as saying:  “The good people are all weak:  they are good because they are not strong enough to be bad.” [1]  At first I thought this  was in reality a justification for the chief’s evil ways but then on further thought it appeared to me to contain an element of truth.

Bad people are stronger than good people and the reason is because they must be in order to survive.  An example of this is when the explorers broke camp at the start of the day.  Their last act was to torch the grass huts they had built the previous day.  My question was:  why go to this extra work?  “The huts, of course, might have been useful for other travelers, but one left no gifts for strangers in this hostile world.” [2]  In a world where everyone is potentially your enemy, it would make sense to destroy anything that would benefit your enemy—a scorched earth policy, even if it required extra effort to do so.

Another reason bad people are stronger than good people is because we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27 and Psalms 8:4-5).  If this is so, then it would require an effort to be unlike God.  Just think of all the money and effort that those who fail to follow God’s standards impose on the rest of the world (e.g. prevention of theft, personal protection).  What a waste!  Why do we work so hard to be unlike God?

On the other hand, there are good arguments to support the idea that bad people are weaker than good people.  Good people do not conform to this world (Romans 12:2) and it takes strength to be different from the norms of this world.  Just consider all the martyrs for the Christian faith.  Bad people simply conform to whatever the rest of the world does.  Is it because they are too weak to oppose the world in which they live?

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[1]   Alan Moorehead.  The White Nile.  New York:  Harper & Row, 1960, p.147.

[2]   Ibid., p. 30.

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Ego or Reality

I read the blog of Steve Tobak because he consistently brings a new perspective on subjects on which I have already thought.  His blog of a year ago dealt with a subject that has been discussed for centuries and we Christians just assume we have the answer.

Steve Tobak states:  “Besides, I’ve always thought it a bit presumptuous of us to assume that there must be a reason for  our existence.  Billions of stars in billions of galaxies formed who knows how or why and we’re so special there has to be a reason for us?  Give me a break.”

Now read Psalms 8:3-6.  It sounds like Tobak is paraphrasing the following psalm of David.

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,”  (Psalms 8:3-6 ESV)

My studies in astronomy has taught me how vast the universe is and how small we are.  Why should a being who can create such a universe bother with us?  Yet for centuries and across many different cultures, the belief in a God who created us in his image (Genesis 1:27) has persisted.   Why?  Is it our ego or is it reality?

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Steve Tobak.  “The True Meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything”.  February 1, 2021.

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Stubbornness and Ego

A couple of blogs ago, we discussed the strengths and weakness of science.  In reading a book about the history of the city of Carthage, the authors list several skills a good archaeologists should have and I would apply the necessity of these skills to any scientist.

Archaeologists should realize that the most difficult part of their research is reaching conclusions at the end of their archaeological dig and they should have a good feel and experience in the use of probability and reason.  “Another  quality of great use to the archaeologist, but rarely encountered, is the ability to admit when an error in interpretation has been made.  Stubbornness and ego have impeded scientific study for generations.” [1]

Stubbornness and ego have impeded progress in all of our human endeavors including our understanding of God and the Bible.

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[1]   David Soren,  Aicha Ben Abed Ben Khader, and Hedi Slim.  Carthage.  New York:  Simon  and Schuster, 1990, p. 85.

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Reason

Andrée Seu Peterson is about to give up on the use of reason to persuade people of the validity of the tenants of Christianity.  The reason is because she observes how people have a tendency these days to twist reason and language in their attempt to justify the positions they hold.  This is not anything new for the human race.  As Andrée observes:  “. . .unaided reason as the unerring path to truth is an idea that has crashed and burned again and again on the ash heap of history”. [1]

Peterson’s point is valid but God does not expect us to avoid the use of reason.  In fact, God commands us to use reason.

“. . .always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;”   (1 Peter 3:15-16 ESV)

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”  (James 3:17-18 ESV)

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:” (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)

Proverbs is filled with admonishments to seek knowledge, wisdom, and insight.

This also demonstrates that Christianity is not the opium of the masses; in fact it is a very difficult path to take.  Not only must we present our faith, we must also defend the validity of the use of reason and then use reason to defend our faith.

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[1]   Andrée Seu Peterson.  “Back to the Word”.  World, November 6, 2021, p. 70.

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Science

Lately we have heard a great deal about following “the science” but different persons seem to have different ideas of what constitutes “the science”.  So what is “the science”?

I recently was at a church at which the pastor declared that he did not like science.  This pastor enjoys much technology that science has brought him so why would he not like science?

The problem is that many do not understand what science is.  Many think science is a set of facts about the natural world.  However, the first class on science that I took in college emphasized that science is not a set of facts but is a process–a process of discovering how our physical world functions.  This process consists of developing a hypothesis, testing that hypothesis, revising the hypothesis based upon test results, and then repeating the process.  This is a never ending process.

if scientists believe science is an accumulation of facts, they close their mind to information that might challenge those facts.  The history of science teaches us the wisdom of this tenant of science because scientists once believed in all manner of ideas that we consider erroneous today and undoubtedly future generations will look at some of our current scientific “facts” as humorous.  Scientists once believed that space was filled with an ether.  Now we believe space to be a vacuum.  Scientists once believed that catastrophes had no part in shaping our earth (uniformitarianism).  Now scientists believe that meteorite impacts have caused the extinction of various species of animals at various points in time.  In the 1700s, scientist scoffed at the rural folks who told them that rocks fell from the sky and denied what we now know as meteorites existed.  Now scientists go to great lengths to find meteorites and study them.  If you read any science periodical, you will constantly find research that challenges what we know and understand.  As a recent article articles on brown dwarfs and exoplanets states: “Nature does not abide by the rules laid out by the International Astronomical Union” [1] or any other scientific organization.

While science provides us with the technology that has made vast improvements to our lives, we must recognize that science is a human endeavor and like all human endeavors, it is fallible and incomplete.  What many people call science is just our current understanding of what is known about our world.  This understanding might be valid or it might not.  Science, for the foreseeable future, will be constantly revising its beliefs as it discovers new evidence.  This is the way science works.

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[1]   Caroline Morley, “The In-Betweeners”, Sky & Telescope, March 2022, p. 39.

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