Beauty, Grace, Worldview & Truth

Beauty: The Divine Embrace

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“Whatever things are… lovely… think on these things.”
Philippians 4:8

During the three and a half year siege of Sarajevo, as buildings smoldered, and graveyards swelled, one sensitive soul diagnosed the despair, and scattered seeds of healing across the traumatized city.  Vedran Smailović, principal cellist of the Sarajevo Symphony, carried his  instrument into places of death and destruction, gifting the city with beautiful music among the ruins.      

As the maestro wove his melodies through the streets, root hairs of hope sprouted in the hearts of the people.  God’s gift of beauty opens the heavens, chases away the ugliness, and pours healing into the soul.  It is what theologians might call a “prevenient grace” that flows – like rain – upon the righteous and the unrighteous alike. It is a gravitational force that draws us towards the Creator.

Beauty is a rose on the doorstep of humanity.  The Lover-God has visited our tenement and left His calling card.  The rose is not Him, but it is an expression of Him that declares His intention: “I love you.” “I see you.” “You have captured my heart.” “I am extravagant in my resolve towards you.”

Tragically, many of Adam’s race have become jaded and blind.  We’ve traded beauty for novelty, shock, and adrenaline. Beauty has become maligned, twisted, distorted, cheapened and commercialized to the point where we shuffle past the flaming bush with nary a glance.  But Moses – he turned aside to see this marvelous sight that burned, yet was never consumed. And God met him there with grace.

Those of us who have encountered the Lover will recognize the gift, remove our sandals, and cherish the unmistakable invitation. “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” – Psalm 27:4

Worldview & Truth

The trap of Alleged Certainty

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“Buy the truth and sell it not.”
– Proverbs 23:23



Magnifying glass focusing on the word 'EVIDENCE' on a police report

Pursuing truth in the 21st century requires a focused eye of discernment and a well-tuned nose for manipulation. One of the most subtle forms of manipulation in today’s internet environment is the fallacy of alleged certainty, the opinionated bully on the playground of truth.

While scripture charges us to “test all things, and hold fast to what is true,” alleged certainty talks over the conversation with public opinion:

“’Everybody knows‘ that’s a conspiracy.”
“‘Of course‘ the (Palestinians, Israelis, or Russians) are behind it!”
“’Obviously‘ they’re making things up as they go.”
“’Clearly‘ they’re targeting civilians.”
“’Why would you even question‘ the science / the narrative?”

These statements are common in propaganda, politics and advertising. They require little effort, while taking command of emotions and opinion. We need to learn to ask, “Who is everybody, and how do they know?” Or to calmly point out, “Well, it’s not obvious to me.” Or “I’m asking the question because it’s an important one to ask, and I’m not satisfied with your reasoning.”

When an influencer tells you day after day, “Of course they’re lying! Everybody knows they’re lying! Obviously they’re lying!” you will eventually begin to believe they’re lying – whether they are or not. Don’t be taken in by unscrupulous opinion shapers. Too much is at stake. Ignore the bullies and do your own research.


“Just the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.”
Columbo


Discipleship, Worldview & Truth

Black-pilled

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“Guard your heart, for out of it flow the springs of life.”
Proverbs 4:23

Open hand holding one small black pill

Black–pill: verb: “to adopt, or convince someone to adopt a deeply nihilistic or fatalistic worldview.” It is the polar opposite of the hope and good news of God. To black-pill is to suck the optimism and faith out of a person or culture, and it is everywhere in the blogosphere. 

While disciples of Jesus are charged to “test all things,” to “speak up” against injustice, and to declare “the truth in love”, the Holy Spirit is never the source of gloom and despair.  A compassionate and merciful heavenly Father doesn’t carry around black-pills and despondency in His toolbox.

As an avid observer of world events, politics, and culture, I spend an unusual amount of time reading news, listening to opinions, and assessing the pulse of society.  That presents me with a serious challenge: The Internet can toss around a soul like a pinball, floating in air one moment, and crashing to the ground the next How do I discern the truth and keep my hopes high in the promises of God?

I believe we can know by the fruit:

  • What is the spirit of what I’m reading or hearing?  Is it framed in criticism, bitterness, or division?  Then at best it is incomplete, and at worst it’s authored in darkness.  It may contain an element of truth, but truth without love is not truth.  (And in the same way, love without truth is not love.)
  • Does the post demonize whole groups of people?  That’s called prejudice and bigotry, which is unbecoming of a disciple. Truth properly applied will condemn sin, but never people.  “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”  Jesus Himself explained “…I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”  
  • Does the message offer hope?  The Holy Spirit always offers redemption and a way forward.  Does it motivate me to pray?  To take loving action?  To gather faith and take a step forward?  Then It’s almost certainly from the heart of God. 

    As ambassadors of the King we must guard our hearts from despair and the curse of the black pill.

    Maranatha!

Matthew 12:33-34Luke 6:44; John 12:47



A personal note

Hope

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I fell asleep last night troubled by the condition of the world. This morning I’m reading Psalm 11. “When the foundations are destroyed, what are the righteous to do?” (Verse 3)

”Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”

-William Butler Yeats: The Second Coming

Of course our hope is in the unchanging character of God and his sure promises to us. “The Lord is in His holy temple… I wait for the Lord; my soul does wait, and in his Word do I hope…” Psalm 130




A personal note, An aside...

Note to self:

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NOTE TO SELF: In this present spiritual conflict, I will remind myself daily that hatred for my enemies is never, ever the Biblical option. I may hate the DEEDS of my enemy, but never the image-bearer himself, regardless of how far he has strayed from his Maker.

This will feel massively counterintuitive, but it is the narrow road of the Kingdom, in opposition to the broad way of the world.

Discipleship, Worldview & Truth

A Conspiratorial Worldview

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Conspiracies seem to be popping up with growing frequency these days, and to be honest, many of them seem quite credible.  But recently I felt cautioned by the Lord to avoid the trap of a “conspiratorial worldview.”  It’s a little nuanced, but let me explain.  

Our worldview is revealed by the way we answer the most foundational questions of life:

• Who is God?   
• Who is man? 
• What’s the problem with the world? 
• How can the world be fixed?  

It’s the third question, “What’s wrong with the world?” that can lead us astray.  Politicians, pundits, and podcasters often identify people and groups as the problem: Palestinians, Israelis, Communists, political parties, secret societies,  globalists, the Deep State, the media, blacks, whites, immigrants, and the list goes on …  It’s a subtle temptation to scapegoat, and begin thinking “If we could just eliminate these people the world would begin to heal.”

To be clear, people and groups can and do complicate our problems, but according to the scriptures these are not at the root.  The real problem with the world is sin: that cursed rebellion and blindness that wars in each of our hearts, including my own.  The writer of Genesis tells us that “sin is crouching at the door.”  *  

To identify groups and people as the problem is to miss the truth and open the door to resentment and blame.  

It’s the easiest thing in the world to fall into subtle anger and bitterness towards others: Racism, political enmities, antisemitism, phobias and bigotries of every sort.  Hostility will never solve our social problems.  It only pollutes and poisons what might have been redemptive.  “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and abuse you.” * Redemption and change will happen only when we embrace the love of Jesus.

Likewise, blame is no less destructive.  It deflects the focus from our own culpability and kicks it into the court of others.  “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” *  The only way forward happens when each of us recognizes our own sin. The problem with the world is not “out there” in others, but rather hiding in my own heart.        

In the worldview of Jesus, (who actually created the world, and knows exactly what the problem is), our task is to differentiate between people and sin: hate the sin and love the sinner.  


* Genesis 4:7
* Matthew 5:44
* Matthew 7:3

Discipleship, The Kingdom

The Kitchen Door

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Did you know that when Jesus reminded the multitude that they were “the light of the world, a city set on a hill”, and “the salt of the earth” He was not speaking to born-again Christians, but to a motley crowd of Galileans? (After all, He had neither died on the cross, nor been resurrected at that point). And do we also realize that when he declared, “The Kingdom of God is within you”, (Luke 17:20-21), He was speaking not to his disciples, but to Pharisees?

So what’s going on here? Certainly Jesus wasn’t confused. These were human beings he had brought into existence, and He knew them better than they knew themselves. But perhaps this is a key to understanding. Unlike today’s church, which typically begins the gospel with a declaration of our sin and rebellion, Jesus seems to be going round the kitchen door and making his entrance from the other side. The truth is, we were designed for the Kingdom, and most people have at least a faint awareness that yes, there must be more.

Paul tapped into this pattern in Acts 17:28 when he declared to the pagan men of Athens that “We are God’s children.” Do we see that sometimes people, even unbelievers respond to a tender reminder of their design? Maybe this “kitchen door” approach calls more upon the heart, and less upon the conscience. This in no way diminishes our need to “turn and believe,” but it’s rather a hardware / software issue. The hardware of the human race is designed for destiny. That’s who we are, and there are faint echos of that strewn across the consciousness of the human race. But we have a software issue, a need for an operating system of faith in the One who designed us. Only turning to Jesus will activate the life and light of our design.

To call upon that part of man that deep-down knows he was created for significance can be a powerful tool for bringing our friends to faith. In the moving words of Fanny Crosby, “Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, feelings lie buried that grace can restore; Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, chords that were broken will vibrate once more.”

Discipleship is all about learning the beautiful ways of Jesus. In a world where so many have lost sight of the path, perhaps this “kitchen door approach” is a key to reaching them with the good news.

Discipleship, Worldview & Truth

What does Jesus mean when He claims to be the Truth?

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Chances are you and I will never meet a person who declares “I am the truth…”   But Jesus made that insanely radical statement, and what the heck does it mean?   Understanding Jesus as “Truth” is a massive concept to wrap our brains around, but it is definitely worth pursuing.  And the witness of several scriptures will set us on that path. 

In retelling the Creation story, the Gospel of John identifies not God the Father, but Jesus the Son as the one through whom all things were created.  John writes,“Through Him, (that is – Jesus), all things were made, and apart from Him nothing was made that has been made.”  (John 1:3)  It’s true that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit always work together as one, (that is… there are no “solo acts” in the Trinity), but for many of us it might require a shift of thinking to consider Jesus, rather than His Father, as the one through whom all creation was spoken into existence.  

But Colossians 1:16 takes it a step further and explains that it is also Jesus who holds all things together.  “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible… and in Him all things hold together.”  Many scientists would say that the “mortar” that holds all things together actually consists in four mysterious forces known as gravity, the electromagnetic force, the “strong force”, and the “weak force.”  The problem with that explanation is that these four forces have names, but they have no explanation because they exist only in theory.  You can neither see them, nor figure out how they work.   But since something must be holding everything together, science has posited these four elusive forces to get the job done.  

The Scriptures, however, cut to the chase and simply declare that it is Jesus who holds all creation together “by the power of his word.”   (Hebrews 1:3)  Now, let’s go back to Jesus being the truth:  Jesus is the One who created all things, and he is the One who holds all things together.  He made gravity, and he is holding gravity in place at this moment.  He created sound, the speed of sound, the frequencies of sound and the harmonies that result when frequencies are combined.  So when Jesus says, “I am the Truth” He means that he is the source and sustainer of everything in the universe.  If you were to take Him out of His creation, reality itself would disintegrate into non-existence. In this sense Jesus doesn’t need to “learn” anything about calculous, quantum physics or anything else because he created all these things.  He is, indeed, the Truth about everything.  

This is why pursuing Truth is vital.  When we pursue Truth we will ultimately discover Jesus, and when we pursue Jesus we will ultimately have the truth thrown in as well.  Leading the way and setting the example, Kingdom disciples ought to always encourage others to seek the Truth that leads to freedom, life, and ultimately the Creator Himself..   

Worldview & Truth

Defining Truth

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(A note: perhaps this should have been an introduction to the following two posts on Truth).

Several decades of classroom experience has shown me that nearly all university-age students struggle to define the idea of “truth”, and few American students can remember a single lesson addressing it. (Isn’t that curious?) When I ask for someone to tell me what truth is, the classroom almost always goes silent.

But several years back I had a delightfully different response with a group of second level students in Texas. I asked, “Who can give me a definition of Truth?” And front row Hanna, threw her hand up like a game show contestant.

“Truth is an accurate description of reality.”

BOOM! Plain and simple. In the Greek language the single word “aletheia” is interchangeably translated as either “truth” or “reality.”

I had two follow-up questions: To Hannah I asked, “Were you home-schooled?” (Yes… and it was obvious).

And to the class… “What, then, is reality?” (Because in today’s world, even reality has become a murky concept).

Reality is “what is”. Or as Dallas Willard brings it home, “Reality is what we stub our toe on in the middle of the night”. It may seem odd to address such simple, basic questions, but in a world where both truth and reality are under daily assault from academics and cultural shapers alike, it seems a healthy thing for disciples of Jesus to remind ourselves of the ABCs of life.

Worldview & Truth

Knowing Truth, part 2

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(This is a follow-up from my April 29th post: Knowing Truth)

As a first step in knowing truth, we must be willing to change our mind and go where the facts lead. Apart from that openness we will never know the truth.  Whether we’re assessing the character of a politician, testing the veracity of the Gospels, or trying to figure out what really happened on 9-11, we MUST follow the evidence wherever it leads.  

In both classical education and historic Christianity there are three universally recognized paths to discovering the truth: Reason, Experimentation, and Revelation.  These three ought to validate each other like three stars in perfect alignment.  If one of them fails to align with the other two, we will lack confidence, and need to continue investigating.  We’ll look at them one at a time in no particular order:

1. Reason: “Come let us reason together…”  – Isaiah 1:1

If a person were hiking through the woods of South Dakota and he came upon the above scene, his reason would tell him immediately that this was the work of a designer and not the product of erosion.  Mount Rushmore is far too detailed and complex to have just “happened” on its own.   Reason is never an enemy of the Christian, but rather our friend and ally.  Therefore we must learn to handle it well,  “…always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you.”  1 Peter 3:15.  

2. Experience and experimentation: “Test all things, hold onto what is true.”  – 1 Thessalonians.5:21

We learn by experience. Infants enter the world as little scientists, testing this and that to discover information about the world.  We learn that touching a hot burner is painful every single time.  I remember biting into a horseradish when I was five and experiencing a pain so profound I thought I would die.  It was a learning experience that has informed me for a lifetime.   To Thomas Jesus said “…reach  here with your hand, and put it into my side.”  (John 20:27)  That’s an invitation to  discover truth by experience.

3. Revelation: “… this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.”  – Matthew 16:17

But there are some things which cannot be known by direct experience or reason alone.  These things must be revealed to us by God himself.  Apart from the scriptures there is no way, for instance, we could know that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  – John 1:1-2   The good news is that revelation has been given to us in the sixty-six books of the Bible.  And when acted upon, it will be confirmed by both reason and experience.

In a culture that questions the very existence of Truth itself, we disciples of Jesus must learn to recognize, value, and defend it at every opportunity.   

Hopeful glimpses of the Kingdom of God