Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

Home Archives for Christ

Truth Whack a Mole

Posted on Written by 10 Comments

Whack-a-moleIn reading the “new” atheists, I see confirmation of the Apostle Paul’s assertion that their unbelief is not due to the lack of evidence but the suppression of it. There is a large difference between those who are truly seeking answers to difficult questions and those who are unwilling to believe no matter what the data suggest.

At times Jesus gave some hard answers to seekers (i.e. “go and sell all your possessions”) but was willing to engage them in a loving manner. He reserved his anger for those who came with certainty about their grasp of the truth. Every believer who pauses to reflect on the issues of life has moments of doubt and questions about what he has been taught and questions about what he observes in the culture around him. Contrary to what some think, doubts and questions are not condemned in Scripture, nor are they outside the experience of believers through the ages.

I have come to realize that those who refuse to believe (it is a will issue, first and foremost) have to spend a lot of energy whacking down those truth moles as they pop up. How are you going to respond to the claims Jesus made about himself? How could the complexity we see in biology happen by chance? Can you really live as though there are no absolute truths? Why is it that so many believe in the supernatural? These are examples of questions, like moles, that pop up and must be swept aside to remain antagonistic to belief. Those who are truly wrestling with these questions are more open to dialog.

Perhaps this is why the tone of several of the recent popular atheist manifestos is so angry. Maybe they’re tired of whacking those moles . . . .

Technorati Tags: Atheism,Christianity,truth,Jesus,Christ

Miscommunication Hurts

Posted on Written by 1 Comment

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.”

Advice from Hollywood

Posted on Written by 2 Comments

Hollywood SignYesterday I read Psalm 1:1.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” (ESV)

Growing up, I was taught that this verse is speaking about choosing friends and situations to avoid: those who are wicked, those who are overt sinners. “Don’t hang out with worldly people,” is the short version.

The thought struck me that this should be applied not only to choosing friends, but also to choosing the media I consume. Even though a film, song or show may not be enticing me to overtly sinful behavior, am I being sucked into a world view that is contrary to Scripture?

In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul tells us,

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.

While there are media choices that are clearly wrong, there are many about which discernment needs to be practiced.

For example, the sin in the Garden is primarily that of valuing self over God, precisely the sin that is lauded in our culture. Put yourself first, have it your way, you deserve the best, control your own destiny; these are some of the messages that come at us every day.

The point of this is not to lay down hard-and-fast rules about what media is safe to consume. The point is that we need to remain vigilant in exercising discernment about which particular media items are harmful. What trips me up might be OK for you and vice versa.

But how do we choose? I think that Paul gives us a clue in Philippians 3:8–11,

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Those media items that cause me to deepen my relationship with Jesus are helpful. The rest are rubbish. It goes without saying that rubbish is not to be consumed.

Good News Elevator Speech

Posted on Written by 6 Comments

In recent years, the business world has coined the phrase “elevator speech.” Sellers are encouraged to be able to explain their product offering to someone in the elevator in the 20 seconds or so it takes to get to their floor.

Most people who have been in the church for a while have been taught that the word gospel literally means good news. The question is, if someone asks you to explain the gospel, do you have a good explanation? Do you have an “elevator speech” prepared to explain the good news of Jesus Christ?

One of the best concise presentations of the Gospel can be found in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8:

Elevator3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (ESV)

This certainly does not explain everything, but it is a good starting point and I am committed to memorizing these verses to be ready to give an answer when required.

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama