Rain in the Desert

Right now it's raining in Tucson. It's the "monsoon season" here, and pretty much every day it rains. But the storms are very localized, and often very intense. It's quite a sight -- the sun, still very much present, cuts through the dark rain clouds, and rainbows pop up everywhere.

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So much to respond to in your last post! Let me take a crack at some of them:

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers and sisters, and besides, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:26, LITV)

This is a very challenging passage. As I've come to understand this, this is Jesus using a bit of hyperbole, which was (as I understand it) a common form of rhetorical speech in ancient times, particularly by the Jews. What Jesus is doing is emphasizing the critical importance of putting him first, to the exclusion of everything else. He is saying that if someone comes to him claiming to be his disciple, that someone has to get his allegiances properly sorted out. Jesus does not want disciples who view him (Jesus) as second or third in the priority list. He comes first ... and only then come the others listed above. The use of the word "hate" in that passage is jarring, but if one takes it as a rhetorical tool and not a literal command to hate one's own family, then the overall passage starts to make some sense. At least that's how I've come to understand that passage.

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Each to his ability and each to his needs? Or, are all Christians equal but some are more equal than others?

There are differences in the degree and manner in which different Christians manifest their faith. Heck, all I need do is look around me and see that. But I think that's the whole process of life -- allowing the Spirit to take more and more control of our lives so that we become increasingly conformed to the image of Christ himself. That's the message of the book Pilgrim's Progress, and that's the theme of many of Paul's epistles.

I'm reminded of this from the mouth of Jesus:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27, MKJV)

This, I think, is what the Risen Christ (in Revelation) was getting at regarding those who are neither cold nor hot -- God knows what is in our hearts, and those who are simply half-hearted in their submission to Christ as Lord are like the Pharisees -- perhaps outwardly "righteous," but inside only lukewarm. They are like "whitewashed tombs" -- touched up and looking nice on the outside, but still a place of death on the inside.

Note: the comparison is faulty because the Pharisees were actually quite outwardly religious. The indictment here is what was going on inside. A lot of "lukewarm Christians" of today are neither -- outwardly no different from the unsaved, inwardly only half convinced of the truth of Christ.

I'm reminded of something I read in a Bible Study workbook, something that really stuck with me:

"God does not reveal himself to the curious, but to the obedient."

The question for me is: am I merely curious, or am I willing to put Christ first and be truly obedient? God knows what's in my heart. I pray he convicts me of whatever lukewarm-ness.

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You wrote:

The general lack of belief in Jesus is more to do with the lack of evidence of Him I believe. Yes maybe science has helped close our eyes to Him.

Certainly the lack of convincing, first-hand proof of Christ's claims does hinder us. That was Thomas' problem:

Then He said to Thomas, Reach your finger here and behold My hands; and reach your hand here and thrust it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed. (John 20:27-29)

Note: darn it ... what is the rule for possessive when a person's name ends in "s" -- should that be Thomas' or Thomas's?

But even with first-hand proof some will not believe. Judas was of the inner circle, and he did not believe. (Yes, I know that he had committed suicide prior to the resurrection, but Peter confessed Jesus as "the Christ" before the crucifixion -- Matthew 16:15-16).

I think science has definitely "raised the bar" for us, making us less likely to accept things that evidence suggests quite likely is true, but for which positive proof is lacking.

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As for the issue of Intelligent Design and my claim of the refutation of that being incompatible with Christianity ... what I was getting at is that by refuting the notion of there being a creator one must (I think) necessarily be subscribing to a universe that simply is. In other words, if there is no designer, then there is no God. If there is no God, there is no Christianity. Ergo, for a Christian to refute the general concept of creation being the work of God, then by my thinking that necessarily means a refutation of God himself.

Note: my guess is that what's really going on is this -- Christians who refute the concept of "Intelligent Design" are really refuting the literal account in Genesis of the six days and the creation of man in one fell swoop. They're holding to the concept of evolution, but not seeing that "in the beginning" all this stuff had to come from somewhere. Or perhaps seeing, but not tying that to their understanding of "Intelligent Design."

What I'm not clear on is your statement: "which intelligence created God?" One of the central tenets of the Judeo-Christian faith structure is the notion of God being eternal, not created, self-existent outside all other powers. An almost impossible concept to truly grasp, I'll grant you. But if the door is opened to wonder if God himself is created, then necessarily something is greater than God. And the theological house of cards comes tumbling down if that's the case.

Are you suggesting that God is himself a created being?

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You wrote:

But then I got to thinking that I do actually like most people and wish to get to know them. And don't we all have a right to choose our friends? But no, a Christian must love everyone ... that's hard to do - as "miserable old b'stard" syndrome sets in, I am beginning to appreciate that more and more.

Ah ... you're in good company on this score, my brother. I must confess I simply do not fully understand how to do this. I've heard some preachers explain it like this: "You may find other Christians to be quite irritating, but you must still love them." Okay, what does that mean? How can I be irritated with someone and still love them? Honestly, I just don't get it.

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Today I officially joined St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona. This is the first time in my whole life that I am officially a member of a church. Why Presbyterian? No reason, especially -- I don't find the denominational differences to be worth arguing over. But when I first visited that church a year ago, I heard the name of Jesus Christ preached without hesitation, and I found that particularly refreshing. A lot of churches try to soften the message by referring to "God" but not "Jesus Christ." I don't like that ... the name "God" is too vaporous in this modern age. So when I heard the preacher unapologetically use the name of our Lord with conviction, I felt there was something here. I pray I've found a church home.