Where is the Love in Science and Faith?

Cats, Dogs, and the Scientific Method

Why is it that in our quest to discover the "right way" to perceive God, our gaze so often shifts to the differences we see in others? When we ask questions about God, why do our answers often end up being about people? In essence, we try to satisfy questions we have about God by pointing out the problems in other people. "I may not know the answer for sure, but you're definitely wrong," is the mentality we tend to take toward controversial religious topics. 

Let me clarify, if I want to know all about a specific type of dog, I'm not going spend all my time arguing with cats about the nature of dogs. That would be ludicrous. If I want to know about dogs, I’m going to have to focus on dogs. 

The same is true of God. If I want to know about God, I’ll have to focus on God, not on the ways other people think differently about Him. Theology, like geology or biology, is a science—the science of God. And science revolves around things that can be tested. Interestingly enough, Scripture says, “You must not test the Lord your God” (Luke 4:12)

The Scientific Method dictates that I should ask a question, observe the subject, form a hypothesis, perform an experiment to test my hypothesis, and then draw conclusions. Can this be done to God? We can certainly ask questions, but the Scientific Method fizzles out from there. We cannot observe God Himself. Scripture indicates that to see God with our eyes would actually kill us. Scripture also tells us, however, that we are without excuse for not believing in God because the things we can see put God’s attributes on display. “Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20)

Scripture warns about the consequences of literally observing God. Scripture itself provides us with all the description of God we need, thus hypothesizing is futile. Scripture forbids us from testing God. And Scripture has already made the necessary conclusions about God through Jesus Christ revealing Him perfectly. It sounds to me as if God is not even remotely interested in being subjected to the Scientific Method.

God is not even remotely interested in being subjected to the Scientific Method.

So, if we can’t see God and we can’t test God, how should theology (a science) be developed? The answer is simple: Scripture. Scripture is what the intellectuals refer to as Special Revelation or Specific Revelation. Scripture, along with nature and the human conscience (General Revelation) is what God has revealed to us about Himself, and it can be questioned, observed, hypothesized about, put to the test, and concluded about.

It seems to me that God has purposefully set up two types of knowledge as it pertains to Him: 1. Knowing about Him, and 2. Knowing Him. As we established, God is not interested in having us treat Him like a dissected animal in biology class. He does, however, delight when we pick apart all the living wisdom residing in the body of His Word. God absolutely wants us to learn about Him, and the Word is foundational to that process. But God also wants us to get to know Him, and while Scripture is also integral to this process, it is not designed to replace a relationship with God, the person.

God seeks for us to know Him personally. This involves many things: talking to Him, listening to Him, spending quality time with Him, learning from Him, honoring Him with our talents, and a host of other things we would do with and for any person we claim to love. I honestly believe God is hurt when the extent of our “relationship” with him is achieved through the Scientific Method. He isn’t a textbook to be studied; He is a person to be known and loved. And like many people, He isn’t as predictable as we would like to believe.

When Theology Becomes Idolatry

I also think we can create an idol out of theology. Our pride abounds when we think we understand God better than others do. That’s not worshipping a God we know personally; that is worshipping ourselves by parading our intellect. This idolatry causes two terrible evils that contradict the Greatest Commandment: 1. It divides us from God the person by exalting God the concept and 2. It divides us from God's people, which is equally detestable to God. According to the words of Jesus, to be divided is to be disobedient.

To be divided is to be disobedient.

What is God’s purpose for us? Jesus spells it out as clearly as possible in John 17:21 “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one…” God wants us to be unified with Him and with each other. When unity is not our number one priority, we are scoffing at the work of the cross. When we elevate our individual understanding of God above our desire to be one with Him and with each other, we are no longer aligned with Christ’s purposes and His perfect methods for achieving them.

If our goal is to spread the Gospel, then our greatest tool is unity. “May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” (John 17:23) Thinking we know all about God will always divide us, but knowing God will always unite us. When we are united the Gospel is spread, the Fruit of the Spirit is grown, and the focus is taken off of us and put back where it belongs—on God.

The “My Way or the Highway” mentality will always keep the Gospel out of the highways and hedges.

Laundry Lessons

An Inspiring Story About Socks 

This morning, while preparing for a run, I was rummaging around in a small pile of clothes for the companion to one of my favorite athletic socks. I held its counterpart in my right hand and a small bundle of clothes I had hastily grabbed to move out of the way in my left hand, all while shuffling other clothes in the large pile around with my tightened fist. Finally, after about two minutes of searching, I gave up, assuming that the sock was still in the wash with another load of laundry. But, when I laid down the bundle of clothes I was holding, I discovered that the twin sock had been nestled in that tiny heap the entire time.

I know this story was incredibly gripping and moved you to reevaluate the entire course of your life. I promise, it really does have a point.

Sometimes, we spend our lives searching for the very thing that we already hold in our possession. The “grass is always greener” is a concept infecting the thoughts of many. We are blessed with so much, and yet we keep searching. I think this happens for a lot of reasons, but here are two that I see often (and relate directly to my exciting sock story).

1. We forget how precious each blessing is.

The truth of the matter is that it is human nature to underappreciate. Entitlement is a disease infecting us all, and the strongest strain of that disease is most definitely in America, the land of abundance. Whether it’s material possessions, family, basic human rights, or even faith, so many begin to look at these things as if they are owed to us, when in reality they are gracious gifts of God. In the midst of this faulty assumption, we find these blessings growing ever more dull and often fail to see their value any longer.

How sad when we complain about not having enough, when we hurt our families because we forget how intrinsically precious they are, when we take for granted the rights men and women have given their very lives to protect, when we treat God like a vending machine instead of our closest and truest Friend all because we fail to assign proper value to these things. 

2. We let these blessings get buried under piles of life.

Like my favorite sock, blessings can be hidden under piles of unnecessary clutter. Sometimes, we get so bogged down with work, school, programs, church events, destructive relationships, etc. that we lose sight of the most important things in life. When our souls come up empty, we head over to the “laundry pile” of our lives to try to find the satisfying element. The saddest moment is when we realize that it had been at our fingertips the whole time, completely accessible to us, and buried under mounds of the unimportant and unnecessary. If we refuse to let the useless junk go, we will find ourselves continually miserable, and we might just lose those underappreciated gifts (especially if those gifts are people).  

A Good Long Look

I encourage you—if you are searching for something today, take inventory of the life you have before setting out to add to it. If you take a good long look at what already fills your hands, you might find that you had what you were looking for the whole time.

Politics, Explosions, America, Christians, Ebola, and Sheldon Cooper: This Should Be Fun

Starbucks

As I sat with my family around the table at Starbucks a few nights ago, we spoke on the subject of America, which led to the subject of politics, which led to the subject of war, which led to the subject of nuclear explosions and the seemingly subjective morality surrounding weapons of such magnificent power and brutal repercussions. As we began to "solve the world's problems" together, I came on rather forcefully when I said, "This is all stupid."

As a child, I tended toward the typical conservative “bomb everything, close the borders, and poor people should get a job” viewpoints that lace the psyches of so many Conservative Christians. I adhered to those beliefs because they were popular in my circles. However, I don't feel the same way about many of the things I believed as a child. I made the choices to develop into my own man and reorganize my beliefs accordingly. 

Now, before dismissing this post as a political commentary, please read on because it is not my intention to create more division in a world that is already more divided Sheldon Cooper’s sixth grade science binder.

If you live in America, then you know that these political topics are more contagious than Ebola. Most likely, everybody reading this post has already given them plenty of thought (and probably force-fed several others a hearty spoonful of their opinions). My goal here is to cultivate some thought about priorities.

The Unseen Division of Distance

It’s so easy for humans to disassociate the faces, names, and intricate lives of their same-species counterparts based on a factor so trivial as distance. We are divided physically by distance, but it also divides us mentally, emotionally, and, often times, spiritually. It causes us to trivialize important things, idealize terrible things, and euphemize awkward things.  

Since it’s already been mentioned, let’s just use the Ebola scare as an example: why didn’t people in America blow up Facebook with news about Ebola or any other pathogen claiming the lives of hundreds or thousands before it threatened Americans? That terrible disease has been wiping out droves of people in Africa for years, but those people are far away.

Because most of us aren’t faced with the harsh reality of substandard hospitals and rampant spread of lethal illnesses, we don’t really give much thought to what that is like. Kind of like when we aren’t having bombs diminishing us to ash or chlorine gas suffocating us, we don’t give much thought to the men, women, and children this is happening or has been happening to in many volatile middle eastern nations. Distance is the murderer of empathy.

The Part About Christians and America

I won’t pose an ethical question like: is it justified to bomb nations filled with innocent people because there are guilty people hiding behind the numbers of innocent? But, I will ask this question, why aren’t Christians wrestling with questions like that and coming to honest, biblical conclusions? Those conclusions will ultimately define our convictions. When we are talking about something, anything—pathogenic, explosive, oppressive, violent, unjust etc.—compromising the lives and wellbeing of unsaved people, shouldn’t our first response be, “No! I will do anything and everything in my power to make sure these people hear the Gospel before it is too late,” or is there another option?

Recently, someone important to me made the difficult decision to walk out of my life—at least most practical aspects of my life. But, I decided that I would not allow this person to make such a decision without being positively certain that they had considered completely all the ramifications of their actions. I wanted to be sure that there was no doubt as to the seriousness of the situation, so I sent a few messages outlining every possible contingency I could think of and made sure that the person was informed and understood where I was coming from. I didn’t want that person to make the wrong decision out of ignorance.

Now, that person still made the choice to be distanced from me, and that’s okay because my conscience is clear. They knew how I felt and did not walk away uninformed. I’m at peace because of my certainty that I have done everything I can. I’ve left everything else in God’s hands and handled it only in prayer.

This principle should apply to the infinite power with something as fundamentally important to human lives as eternal salvation. People have the right to know about Jesus, and that supernatural right trumps our American rights to determine who gets blown up, or told to leave the country, or whatever else we like to fight about. If vast distances and a desire to live “safe lives” prevent us from loving and opening our hearts to people everywhere, then we have truly missed the point of our purpose on this earth. The only reason Christians are even still here is to be the hands and feet of Christ!

Conclusion

Should we make American borders airtight? I don’t know, and I won’t attempt to argue that question with you. But why are so many American Christians more concerned with the closing of American borders than they are with the openness of Jesus’ arms? Why are they more concerned about being temporarily safe in America than the lost being eternally saved in Heaven? When did our politics become intermingled with our piety?

I don’t know if it’s right or wrong to blow up a nation full of people (my gut says it’s wrong), but I do have serious problem with a nation full of people never getting the chance to hear about Jesus before some trigger-happy politician melts the skin off their bones with the touch of a button. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong to close American borders to the outside world, but I do know that Christians better be penetrating the borders of every nation with the truth of the Gospel and that we must retain open hearts. I don’t know if the government should be feeding poor people, but I know the Church has no excuse to not be feeding them.

When did our comfort become more valuable to us than our calling? Why are we more concerned with making arguments than with making disciples? These are the questions that should be driving us to our knees with conviction and keeping us awake at night. It’s time the Gospel takes precedence over government, that sacrificial love replaces sentimental legalism, and that spiritual leadership replaces “sanctified” lethargy. It’s time that we stop trying to save people’s souls with the word of the Constitution and start seeing them saved by the Word of God. It’s time that we close the gaps of unseen distance in our hearts, minds, prayers, and actions so that we can ultimately close the distance between heaven and hell for those who are lost.

The Long-suffering Process of Duck Herding

Quilts

What if the defining elements of our uniqueness are not what set us apart from our fellowman, but the things that knit us together? What if our individual characteristics are designed to be small, beautiful shapes sewn within a massive quilt of pristine patchwork? What if individualism is not about rising above other humans on the ladder or isolating ourselves from them, but finding out how our own skills, talents, desires, and personalities unite around a common thread that runs through us all?

Perhaps the most glorious thing about each unique feature of every human being is not how it accentuates one person, but how in contributes to one intricate whole. What if that “whole” has nothing to do with socioeconomic status or political preference and everything to do with genuine compassion for the other patches in this quilt? What if we didn’t need some governmental entity to force us into helping our fellowman because we were too busy helping them by choice?

These are just thoughts—hopes and wishes really. I’m a bit of a realist, but I’ve also learned not to be so arrogant as to assume what “reality” can or will entail. I know, however, that humans have a ridiculous proclivity toward selfishness and have trouble caring about other humans past those other humans’ levels of “usefulness.” We all need to learn to love better. We need to discover our places in the fabric and lovingly accept the other pieces attempting to find their places. That’s what this is about.

Hatred

I haven’t ever understood why some say things like, “I hate people,” or “This life would be fantastic if it weren’t for the people,” or even worse, “Ministry would be awesome if people weren’t involved.” What a terribly selfish and disgusting way to live.

People aren’t the problem; depravity is. People don’t need to be wiped out; sin does. You know how I know that all people are worth saving and being patient with? Because every last one of them are worth the life of the Son of God. If God considers all people worth the life of Jesus, who am I to say differently?

If you hate people, it’s your heart that needs to change, not the people around you (they may need to change, but not because you hate them). If you think life, or work, or school would be better without them, then you’ve obviously never attempted to live without the loving arms of a family, keep an entire company running with only your two hands, or educate your own mind with no outside help whatsoever. And if ministry would be better without people, then obviously you have missed the entire purpose of ministry: PEOPLE. Who are you going to minister to without a love for people, a pond full of ducks perhaps?

Ducks

I was sitting by a lake in Waxahachie, Texas last year, watching some ducks waddle around. It was amusing to observe the ducklings as they stumbled over each other in their attempts to follow their mother and as they spent about twice as much time on their heads as they spent on their feet. Watching Mama Duck patiently make circles around the throngs of yellow fluff had me thinking that she knew some exact science to duck herding that I was incapable of seeing.

           

I took a cell-phone video of this comedic, but altogether beautiful moment in time. I looked back at it recently, and it got me thinking: What if the Church is like those little ducks? We’re all pursuing direction and favor from the powers that be. We all want to be the first to get God’s approval and to arrive where He is leading, and we are willing to spend half our lives jumping over our brothers and sisters to get it.  And I wondered if, just like the little ducklings, we too spend an unnecessary amount of time falling on our faces.

           

Then I wondered if God is like Mama Duck, seeing some kind of cosmic science or supernatural sschematic laid over all of our competitive and foolish attempts at obtaining His seal of approval. I wonder if, from His viewpoint, we look like a throng of multicolored fluff, waddling over the weak and the “ugly ducklings” in order to, as we say, get close to Him. It’s funny that we still feel it necessary to seek God’s approval when Jesus already has it and we already have Jesus.

Getting it Right

Jesus Himself said, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (emphasis added)

If the Spirit of Christ resides in each believer, then we already have God’s seal of approval because the Father sees us like He sees Jesus, and His seal is upon Jesus. We should look like a gorgeous quilt of God’s various expressions of Himself through humankind, working together to form something breathtaking and spectacular, not a bunch of segmented pieces of fabric cut up by our bitterness and lack of acceptance. Jesus is that common thread, running through us all. This should cause us to embrace and appreciate our differences, so that we can embrace and appreciate each other.

Just like the next man, I want to get this “relationship with God thing” right. But Jesus makes it clear that getting our relationships right with each other will make or break our ability to get our relationships right with Him. God wants His ducks in a row, walking together, learning and growing to maturity. We should be willing to follow each other peacefully as we all follow Him. Thank God that His feathers aren't ruffled so easily by our traffic pile-ups and pointless competitions. He is so patient with us. 

Ministry is amazing because of the people. Life is a kaleidoscope of beauty because of our differences. And hatred has no place in this Kingdom God is establishing through us.

I'm Done Just Being Myself

SCREAMING CHILDREN

A few nights ago, I was lying awake as I often do. When all the plates I'm spinning on any given day come to a halt, they hand over free reign of my mind to my internal thoughts. Unfortunately, my nighttime thoughts are usually more like energetic children begging for another bedtime story than loving companions stroking my hair as I doze off. But the thoughts demanding my attention this particular night felt as if they could lead some place I wanted to go, so I rubbed my eyes, sat up, and prepared to hear a bedtime story. 

Acne

Personal reflection is something every one of us would probably say is vital and profitable until we actually realize what that word reflection means: essentially, attempting to look at oneself the way one actually is, like a face in a mirror. This night, one particularly disturbing zit popped up clearly on the face of my personality. At first I didn't realize it was there because it was one of those that seemed to be concealed beneath the skin. But it was surfacing, and I knew I had to deal with it. 

So, let's deal with it. When I talk to people, I have a tendency to be obnoxious or say things jokingly that unintentionally hurt their feelings. Boom. There it is. I said it. It's true. I know about it; isn't that enough? 

No. 

Just Be Yourself...Or Don't 

Naturally, I started wondering about effective ways to change these tendencies. I thought about becoming more introverted. Yeah, I could be the silent type. If I was quiet, then I would have no opportunity to say something stupid or outright offensive. Then I thought, "Maybe I just need to associate more often with people who can take the remarks I dish out, so that I'm not trying to completely undo myself and start from scratch in the way I converse with others." I realized that these expressions extend from a part of my personality and, by default, a part of my identity.

Obviously, I shouldn't go trying to change something at the core of my personhood. After all, I need to be myself. Some people won't like me, fine. But most people love authenticity. Then, another thought occurred to me: no matter what the hipsters say, people don't love authenticity for the sake of authenticity. If I'm authentically a jerk, people won't even be able to stand being around me, much less like me. 

All of this was getting too scattered for me to handle, so I prayed, "Lord, how can I 'stay true to myself,' as goes the adage, without hurting people?" His response, as often His responses do, took me off guard. 

"When have I told you to 'stay true yourself?'" He asked. I thought about it for a moment...not a single time. My entire idea about staying true to myself had no grounding in God's Word. It was only something I had been told to do in books, or on television, or in songs, or even by authorities in my life. 

Don't get me wrong, God loves us the way we are, but He says nothing about leaving us the way we are. There is nothing biblical about the "just be yourself" mentality that we were all raised in. We should be ourselves, but we shouldn't just be ourselves. If all we think the Gospel is is a free pass on selfish and wrongful behavior, we have another thing coming. The Gospel doesn't say, "Come and be yourself." It says, "Come and die to yourself." 

I'm not called to just be myself; I'm called to be like Jesus. I'm called to be transformed through a mind-renewing process directly tied to my relationship with Christ. 

God loves me. Actually, God genuinely likes me. He made me, every part, even the currently obnoxious ones. But through relationship with Him there is an identity shift. I'm no longer the man I was, and while the expression of my Christlikeness will be different than the expression of your Christlikeness, it will NEVER be an excuse to hurt other people.  

Being Ourselves Like Jesus 

So, here it is: be yourself, but be the yourself the way that only YOU can be like Jesus. If there is a part of yourself that you are labeling "unique" that is actually just hurtful or sinful, it isn't like Jesus. There will always be enough of Jesus to fill the gaps in our identities left by old sinful traits and habits. 

The Church is filled with variety, and it SHOULD BE. God is infinite, and I can't imagine Him being satisfied with an earth full of cookie-cutter people. But because God is infinite, becoming like Him can be expressed individually in an infinite number of ways. There are billions of people throughout history, who can all look and be drastically different from each other while still looking and being like Jesus. That's an incredible thought to me. It's a comforting thought too. It's one of those thoughts I can sleep peacefully to...