I first heard Darrow Miller say it in a 1997 Worldview Seminar that changed my life: “Many Christians today have born-again hearts but Babylonian brains.” That’s not a crack on the intelligence of anybody, but rather a sad commentary on the condition of the church. We’ve given our hearts to Jesus and our heads to universities, politics and pop culture.
Much of it happened during the twentieth century when our enthusiasm for Heaven began to eclipse our vision of the Kingdom. Faith divorced reason, and the children went up for custody. Genteel Heart went to Jesus, where the church tickled her emotions, coddled her feelings, and told her magical stories of Heaven. But the troubled sibling – Mind – got fostered out to whoever would do the hard work of challenging opinions, digging for truth, and searching out answers.
Now the world is in free fall, and few of us have done our homework. We can tell you whatever you want to know about sin, heaven and the cross. But when questions arise about government, poverty, economics, education and such, we divert our eyes like school children from a teacher’s gaze. What do we know about these things? Does God even have opinions about that? Gosh… I wish I’d done my assignment.
The truth is, the church has been given a road map and a commission to declare the Way home to a lost world. “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) Instead we’re like last night’s TV drama, where the Native American guide abandoned the greenhorn explorers in the Everglades without food and water among the alligators and wildcats. We’ve done as much, leaving godless academics, corrupted politicians, failed Marxists, and Comedy Central entertainers to lead the way.
Today I have an assignment, if you’ll accept the challenge: Take a Bible in one hand, a pen in the other, and with the help of the Spirit begin formulating what you believe about: People, Government, Hope, Calling, Poverty, Education, and any other thing God brings to mind.
Dispatches from the Shadowlands 
Thanks, my pen is in hand.
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Good on you, Buddy! I always appreciate a man who takes action. It would be fun to hear what you’ve come up with.
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Welcome back Don. Your voice is loud and clear. The Kingdom is not a concept. Nor a spiritual nirvana. It is the Way for life….in all things.
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Thanks Tom! Your encouragement is definitely a part of the process.
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So glad you are back I always appreciate your blog it is always encouraging and challenging.
You taught my daughter at DTS Ywam and since then God has done great things in our family!
He is faithful and worthy to be praised!
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Just finished going through The Truth Project (http://www.thetruthproject.org/). It incudes a lot of good insights concerning God’s view of world systems including the family, the church, government, work, art, and culture. The fact is God created all of these systems and his stamp is all over them.
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David! It’s powerful, isn’t it? I wish there was a way to make it “required” for all believers. But hey… I reckon the first priority ought to getting Believers to read their Bibles! Have you read the statistics on that? It’s frightening. You’re a man of Truth. Always have been!
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You taught her in Kona,2010, Jeff and Bethany Reid were her leaders . Since then we have all been drawn closer to the Kingdom and have a hunger for learning and growing in Him. His word never goes out void of power!
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Ah! That was a GREAT class! I’m so happy to know that! My replies seem to have gotten out of order. Sorry for the confusion.
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