Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Conflict is inevitable

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Demonstrators-in-egypt A few days ago, I read 1 Thessalonians 3:4 where Paul writes, “For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.”

Why would Paul anticipate suffering? I believe the answer lies in his understanding that Christianity is a radical departure in world view from the pagan culture of the Roman Empire of his day. To follow Christ, who claimed to be the only way to God, requires a commitment to believing and proclaiming the exclusive claims of Jesus.

Growing up in a pluralistic society (that owes it’s philosophy of tolerance to a Judeo/Christian heritage), I struggle to connect with the level of animosity and conflict that a challenge to world view can bring. Yet, when I watch the news reports of the chaos that radical Islam is spreading around the globe, I see that a difference in world view will often result in violence, oppression and suffering.

I am reminded of Jesus’ command to embrace the Cross as the means of following Christ. Inherent in the Cross is an understanding of conflict and death. To embrace the Cross, implies that we are willing to experience physical death as a consequence of belief. The culture around us, be it neo-pagan, Islamic, pantheistic or materialist, will not tolerate being told that Jesus is the only way. Jesus is truly counter cultural.

Much of the “church” in America has lost the sense of being counter cultural. We capitulate to the surrounding culture on a wide variety of issues in order to be at peace. But the peace that this brings is the peace of the ostrich who does not know that the hunter is about to strike him down. This is the peace of those who capitulated to Hitler in the 1930’s. It is a false peace.

I am not suggesting that we go looking for trouble. Paul encourages us to live in peace with everyone if possible (Rom. 12:18). I am suggesting that if we are doing the work of making disciples, if we are accurately teaching Scripture, if we are proclaiming Christ, there is a high probability that trouble will find us. We should enjoy the freedom that we currently have and use it to make disciples before that freedom is taken away.

We can be disappointed when freedom is abolished, but we should not be surprised. We have been warned.

P. S. This post is first and foremost a reminder to myself. My affinity for comfort and people pleasing  makes me predisposed to compromise.

The Skill of the Craftsman

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I was reading Augustine’s Confessions this morning where he mentions a treatise by Cicero called Hortensius as the means by which God began to change Augustine’s heart.

Thinking that it would be interesting to read this work, I searched for a copy only to find out that Hortensius is a lost work.

My initial reaction was sadness to loose the tool that shaped the life of a great man like Augustine. The thought then struck me that the value of the creation depends less on the quality of the tool than on the skill of the craftsman. A skilled craftsman can use inferior tools to produce a good result.

Had we a copy of this work, we might find it to be inferior to other works of that period. The fact that God, in his sovereignty did not see to its preservation would seem to support this premise. Yet, it was used my God to shape a mind that has left a huge positive impact on all of Christendom.

From this I conclude that I should not mourn the loss of the tool, but praise the skill of the Craftsman who can use whatever tool is available to bring His vision into being.

The greatest virtue of the tool is availability to the Craftsman. If we are available, we get to participate in the bringing about of something beautiful.

Miscommunication Hurts

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CommunicationThe inability of the gelateria cashier to understand English (real or feigned) and my inability to speak Italian cost me an extra 4 Euros.

I tried to order three small gelatos, a decaf cappuccino, and two regular cappuccinos. What the attendant thought I ordered was three small gelatos, two medium gelatos and a decaf cappuccino.

The guy at the counter was nice enough to give us what we thought we ordered, but not nice enough to refund us the difference.

This story illustrates that miscommunication carries a cost. Four Euros will be little missed in the grand scheme of things. But what about the cost associated with miscommunication, through words or actions, of the Gospel of Jesus?

I need to be sure that my words and my living are not a stumbling block to those who need the Truth to set them free.

Am I living as though the veil is torn and I am in constant communion with a Holy God? Am I living as one who has been crucified with Christ? Do I live as though God is the only important preoccupation for me? Are my thoughts and words full of grace and truth?

Sometimes these things are true, but not often enough. I pray that what John the Baptist said would be true of me: “He must increase and I decrease.”

A Pattern for Discipleship

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Ezra 7:10 (ESV) “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

I like when things can be simplified. Why make things more complicated than they need to be? As a result, when I read this verse, I noticed a three step pattern for discipleship.

  1. Learn
  2. Do
  3. Teach

The Church (all believers) is commissioned to make disciples. As a result, I have seen churches embark on discipleship programs involving one-on-one meetings and workbooks. These things are not wrong in themselves, but it seems to me that discipleship is a natural result when leaders do what Ezra did.

Ezra studied the law of the Lord, learned to live out that law in his life and taught others to do the same. It doesn’t have to be complicated or programmed. Discipleship should be a natural outworking of living out the good news of Jesus Christ.

Meetings and workbooks might be used as tools in this process, but I have seen programs fail because the meetings and workbooks became the end rather than the means.

Discipleship is not a program, it is a lifestyle.

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