I have a feeling that my blog is going to turn into a mini book-review station, as my goal this summer is to read 87.3 books. Well, hopefully I can be a little more lively than that, but nonetheless, I've never really had a summer where I didn't have a job (golf is included in the 'job' category) the whole time. I just finished summer school last Friday (and I'll probably give some high-and-low-lights in an upcoming post), and I have approximately 2 months to read, paint, work out, lay out by the pool, visit Joy in Colorado (!), and climb the Tetons with my dad (!). Book #1 checked off from my reading list (well, actually, I've been working on this one for a while): Beyond Opinion; Living the Faith We Defend by Ravi Zacharias. An anthology of essays by people associated with this modern-day CS Lewis (as I've heard Ravi called), this book provides a insight into a plethora of religions, philosophies, and worldviews that affront Christianity today.
What really got me thinking while reading this book is how ill-equipped Christians are in the deep and incredibly stimulating truths of the Bible. Ravi describes his three levels of philosophy: "level one states why one believes what he believes. Level two indicates why one lives the way he lives. And level three reveals why one legislates for others the way he does" (321). The problem with most "Christians" today is that they cannot legitimately answer a single one of those questions. They believe a pile of fluff because it makes them feel good about themselves through emotion, conformity, and tradition. They don't want doctrine because they don't want to think, and they don't want someone telling them what to do if it contradicts what they like. "Christianity Lite" and the Emergent movement promote the feel-goodism of emotional experience without the real truth of the Gospel behind it. They only want to invision a God that they like, and forget about the yucky stuff like justice and wrath over sin. However, Ravi says, "None of these levels can live in isolation. They must follow a proper sequence... Life must move from truth, to experience, to prescription" (322). People often jump to experience (hence, personal testimony trumps Gospel presentation) as if the doctrines (what make experiences happen) don't matter. We can't have a real experience without knowing the truth behind it. You can't really "ask Jesus into your heart" without knowing what that really means. You can't be "saved from your sins" without knowing why and how you can be relieved of them. Granted, people do that every day, but can the transformation be real if they don't know what they're doing besides getting a good feeling of acceptance? I'd of course argue no.
While reading this book, I've also been listening to some of the podcast of the White Horse Inn (look it up), which for a series discussed the dumbing down of people and the Church in the name of self-esteem. As a teacher, I've witnessed this sad truth in the classroom, and as a Christian, I'm enraged that people claim to be Christians without any intent to know Christ. Those don't fit together. [That could be a long red-herring, so I'll get back to my intended write].
When I was younger, my dad was constantly quizzing Asher and me over what we learned at church, what we were studying, or what we could explain about what we believed. This questioning was crucial to my growth, because I could not get by with fluff, cliche, or "I don't know". I remember that one time Dad asked me why I know Jesus lives, and I answered, as a good little baptist, with the hymn lyrics: "You ask me how I know He lives; He liiiiiiives withiiiiiin my hearrrrrrrrrrt." Dad banished me from the table until I give him an argument that actually held. Now I was probably ten at the time and used to giving a quick, prescripted Sunday School answer, but I found out rather quickly the merit in actually thinking and reasoning why this is so. Needless to say, I did not go hungry that night or any. :)
I fully believe that this interrogation is what made me dig deeper into the Whys and Hows of the Word of God. It made me make my faith my own, and not just a slew of cute words that had no meaning for me personally. I think this is why, when I went to college, my faith in Christ blossomed under pressure instead of wilting as happens to so many these days. I praise God often for the guided challenge my parents provided, and I wish that all parents and youth pastors could do the same for others. Kids (and all of us) need truth: unfiltered, un-dumbed down, big churchy words and all, TRUTH. And we need to be questioned, without allowance for easy-button answers, so that we actually grow as we are researching to find the best, fullest, most accurate answer. The Word of the Almighty Living God deserves no less!
4 comments:
Who gave you that wonderful book, Ali?
You missed out in explaining one position that you took. And you're leaving us hanging! Why, Ali, do you know Jesus lived? Or, better question, how do you know?
Answer it like a Presbyterian if you need to.
If I answered that question, you wouldn't have to think for yourself, now, would you?
I've graduated to the question-answerer... and since you always seemed to hide behind me during the interrogations of yore, I'm now throwing this one to you...
How do you know Jesus lives?
...through the humility of my sister.
Correction (after talking with my dad): I was more like 15 or 16 when the particular incedent at the table occurred... not 10. Sorry Dad, for making you look bad (though my intention was the opposite).
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