It is a more comfortable position to blindly believe that you have all the answers. In this way you can offer guidance to everyone else and throw Bible verses in your conversation so that it sounds wise and true. But once we know all the answers the adventure of faith turns into a re-run. And God did not call us to boring black and white re-run faith. We can know enough of God to satisfy our hungry hearts ... and we can not-know enough of God to keep us reaching for the next day.
Mucho truth in that quote, Larry. It's one of the few things of which I'm certain.
JD, as a devoted fan of the old "Twilight Zone," I deeply resent your metaphor. "No man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better" (Luke 5:39). So there.
What might be interesting for some readers is that this man wrote an Essay called "Why I am not a Christian"
I've read this essay, and largely his accusations are more against Christians than of Christ himself. Though he has a considerable angst against Jesus, a majority of his frustration and disbelief seem to stem from the behaviour of Christians. He says that Christians never match up with the claims they make of their Christ...
This quote makes an uncomfortable reference to Christians (coming from Mr. Russell)... which makes me wonder just what image of God we project to our surrounding culture when we choose not to model our behaviour and attitudes after Christ. It is not that we should expect sinless lives, but we should live as those who aim to be pure... I think the key in that is humility, and not arrogance, which Mr. Russell is proclaiming to be the whole problem. So many times, we Christians find ourselves acting and speaking without thinking, without considering, and without examining... I can't say that this kind of attitude hasn't come from my own brothers and sisters to hurt me (a Christian!!!)... But it is much, much worse when it hurts those who have not quite encountered a loving picture of Jesus.
Something else that convicted me along these lines is a song by Tupac entitled "Blasphemy"...
"The preacher want me buried, why? Cause I know he a liar. Have you ever seen a crackhead, that's eternal fire. Why you got these kids minds, thinkin that they evil? While the preacher bein richer, you say honor God's people... Mama tell me am I wrong, is God just another cop waitin to beat my a** if I don't go pop?"
"Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving."
ReplyDeleteFrederick Buechner.
Randy Mayeux, Dallas
It is a more comfortable position to blindly believe that you have all the answers. In this way you can offer guidance to everyone else and throw Bible verses in your conversation so that it sounds wise and true. But once we know all the answers the adventure of faith turns into a re-run. And God did not call us to boring black and white re-run faith. We can know enough of God to satisfy our hungry hearts ... and we can not-know enough of God to keep us reaching for the next day.
ReplyDeletegreat quote. That's why liberals should be more careful.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. . .Chris, seems to this long time reader here that you need to revisit the quote above!
ReplyDeleteLarry, are you certain? (smile)
ReplyDeleteMucho truth in that quote, Larry. It's one of the few things of which I'm certain.
ReplyDeleteJD, as a devoted fan of the old "Twilight Zone," I deeply resent your metaphor. "No man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better" (Luke 5:39). So there.
Terry, I doubt it!
ReplyDeleteWhat might be interesting for some readers is that this man wrote an Essay called "Why I am not a Christian"
ReplyDeleteI've read this essay, and largely his accusations are more against Christians than of Christ himself. Though he has a considerable angst against Jesus, a majority of his frustration and disbelief seem to stem from the behaviour of Christians. He says that Christians never match up with the claims they make of their Christ...
This quote makes an uncomfortable reference to Christians (coming from Mr. Russell)... which makes me wonder just what image of God we project to our surrounding culture when we choose not to model our behaviour and attitudes after Christ. It is not that we should expect sinless lives, but we should live as those who aim to be pure... I think the key in that is humility, and not arrogance, which Mr. Russell is proclaiming to be the whole problem. So many times, we Christians find ourselves acting and speaking without thinking, without considering, and without examining... I can't say that this kind of attitude hasn't come from my own brothers and sisters to hurt me (a Christian!!!)... But it is much, much worse when it hurts those who have not quite encountered a loving picture of Jesus.
Something else that convicted me along these lines is a song by Tupac entitled "Blasphemy"...
"The preacher want me buried, why? Cause I know he a liar.
Have you ever seen a crackhead, that's eternal fire.
Why you got these kids minds, thinkin that they evil?
While the preacher bein richer, you say honor God's people...
Mama tell me am I wrong, is God just another cop
waitin to beat my a** if I don't go pop?"
"Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers!"
ReplyDelete