No one can make me rageful. No one can make me wallow in self-pity. No one can make me live in fear. These are all personal choices. But they don't feel that way. Helping my daughter understand that her brother and sister will do things that seem unfair but that she controls her own jealousy and self pity is something we revisit repeatedly. I can't expect her to one day get "rational" in that regard.
Now let me go from the particular to the general, theologically speaking. Sometimes those of us who read theology with peculiar interest tend to look for rational seams in everything. We don't understand why "those" people can't "get it." Biblically speaking, we humans haven't been getting it since the Fall in Genesis 3! The people of God's covenant weren't being rational in disobeying God. There were plenty of reasonable paths they could have chosen. But alas, the Scriptures are record of God's lovely and "irrational" patience for millenia.
I was reading some Lee Strobel The Case for Christ last night. What irks me about his books is not that he makes faith reasonable and rational. Its the assumption that a reasonable and rational faith is an easy faith to accept and live. Jesus is a historical figure, ergo, His claims are true, er go, the only reasonable choice is to become a Christian, er go all my life's yearnings will be fulfilled. Choosing to take up your cross and follow Jesus is a bodily action, not a philosophical decision. Now of course the mind is part of the body, but a lived faith is not something just anyone should claim to have.
I am on the way. I do not possess Christ. I am part of a lived faith that I embody along with other Christians.
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3 comments:
I too thought Lee's book was written a too simplistically.
It has some good stuff, but I think your criticism is valid.
Really find your blog an encouragement. I have it tucked away in my favourites and read it from time to time. I teach High School students in Perth, Western Australia and also run two seperate Bible studies from home... I think there are many people struggling away out there - struggling against the current preoccupation with "big is better" and finding that God has called us to these intimate journeys that seem to predominantly shape our characters rather than our "ministries".
Thanks for your kindness and encouragement. I'm so glad you find the blog meaningful. I've set up a new one at http://justthischris.wordpress.com too which I use for different things. Keep posting comments. I appreciate the input.
-chris
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