Determined to Believe?

"...some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation."  John Calvin

Are people predestined for heaven or hell before they are born? Some Christians believe it, other Christians reject it, and some wrestle with whether it is true or not. It is the classic "free will vs. determinism" debate: Do we have a choice in whether we believe in God, or is it out of our hands?

John Lennox wades into these deep waters in his book "Determined to Believe: The Sovereignty of God, Faith and Human Responsibility".

This topic came up at a recent wedding reception, where I overheard a preacher discussing one difficult implication of determinism - specifically, if God is responsible for everything, as determinism teaches, then isn't God also responsible for evil? The pastor explained that since God is good, he can't be responsible for evil. Later, I asked him if he was Reformed (1) and he responded "Absolutely!" (2) When I asked him why, he said emphatically "Because the Scriptures clearly teach it!", and he proceeded to quote several verses from the New Testament. I took the opportunity to question him: "Would you say that God caused Adam and Eve to sin and thus, humanity to fall from grace? "Yes", he affirmed, "ultimately it will bring more glory to God". I continued my questions: "What about some of the most heinous actions people commit against others such as murder, rape, and torture, would you say God also caused that?" He affirmed that as well, although he seemed less comfortable with that assertion. He went on to explain that God in his Sovereignty can bring good from all things.

Wrestling with Determinism
Now, I believe that God can bring good from all things. (3) But I have trouble believing God ordains heinous acts of people against others, or even that some people are doomed to eternal damnation before they were born. But if the Bible really teaches that, then who am I to question it? Yet I've always been uncomfortable with this teaching. After all, If God predetermines the eternal destiny of people before they are born, what does it say about his character? Is he really loving and good? How can he be a God of love and justice if he preordains some to damnation but yet somehow holds them responsible for failing to see what they couldn't see or do what they couldn't do?

John Lennox, author of many
excellent Christian apologetic
books, including "Determined
to Believe?"

It was my conversation above with the Reformed preacher that finally motivated me to read Lennox's book, and I'm so glad I did. Lennox challenges theistic determination and its implications in a respectful tone. With logic and intellect, he examines the key Bible verses used to support determinism (4), including within their larger context, their interpretation from the original Greek, and some potentially alternate meanings of those verses.

After reading his book I have more peace about this topic because I know there is strong Biblical support for what my intellect and heart have sensed all along. Namely, while I totally believe in the Sovereignty of God, I also believe he gives us the free will to choose or reject him; to believe, or not to believe, in Him. 

Is God a Moral Monster?
Because the doctrine of determinism appears to many to call into question the love and goodness of God (as described above), it alienates some people who are beginning to think about Christianity. Some Christians also wrestle with and think deeply about the big topics of God's sovereignty and human freedom and responsibility. These are serious issues, and are the primary reasons why Lennox wrote his book.

A Couple of Brief Examples:
I thought about trying to summarize the book in this post, but that would be difficult because it is such a weighty book. However, at the risk of ignoring many parts of his book, a couple of examples may be helpful. Here are two verses from the Bible, with comments following each of them by Lennox:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.  John 3:36.

Lennox:  "It is hard to imagine how this statement could have been made if men and women did not possess the capacity to believe.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16.

Lennox:  "It doesn't say "whoever has eternal life believes in him". (5)

Of course, there are other verses that indicate determinism and Lennox addresses each of them, as I mentioned above. (4)

Conclusion
Lennox is careful to avoid labels and acknowledges his respect for those Christians who espouse determinism. And to be sure, there are varying degrees of determinism, and not all "determinists" would say that God preordains some people to eternal damnation or to commit heinous acts (6). Nevertheless, when such influential Christians like John MacArthur, John Piper, R.C. Sproul, and Jonathan Edwards emphatically teach (or have taught) it, the topic of determinism must be reckoned with. Lennox also notes a number of well-known Christians who have rejected, or at least questioned, determinism or portions of it such as C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, C.H. Spurgeon, John Wesley, A.W. Tozer, Alvin Planinga, William Lane Craig, N.T. Wright. (7) 

If you are a Christian, or a person considering Christianity, who is troubled by the implications of determinism, this book could be extremely helpful to you. I highly recommend it.

Note: Lennox also discusses (and believes in) assurance of salvation, a huge and important topic. But in the interests of space and brevity, I haven't summarized it herein.


Footnotes:
(1) Reformed Theology teaches determinism.
(2)  In my experience, those who believe in determinism are very adamant in their views.
(3)  Romans 8:28.
(4) E.g., Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 1:11-12.
(5) In Chapter 10 of "Determined to Believe?", The Irreversibility of Regeneration.
(6) For example, the Lutheran Church teaches unconditional election to salvation but rejects predestination to damnation.
(7) Lennox also quotes Martin Luther quite a lot, but Luther's position, at the risk of oversimplifying, seemed to fall somewhere in the middle.

The Secret of Life

"Do you know what the secret of life is?"  Curly (City Slickers)

If there was a true secret of life, would we be willing to believe it? In our post-modern world where many don't believe there are absolute truths, this is a relevant question.

Post-Modern Answer
In the movie "City Slickers" there is an intriguing scene in which Billy Crystal portrays a man going through a middle age crisis. He is beginning to see that his time in this life is limited, and is struggling to find meaning in it all. He is chatting with an old cowboy (Curly) about life when Curly asks him if he knows what the secret of life is (see YouTube video clip below or at this link: (https://youtu.be/X1cmvzRKCCg).

For me, the intriguing aspect of the scene, as characterized by Billy Crystal's character, is the display of yearning we all feel for something beyond ourselves that gives us true meaning, purpose and happiness. Curly's answer (which is basically, you have to figure it out for yourself) seems to carry some weight, but in the end is disappointing and leaves me unsatisfied. Why? Because no matter how much we try to assuage the ache of our mortality with our own anecdotes (money, sex, power, fame, even kindness or love) it doesn't change the fact that life is all too brief and in the end, in the secular worldview, none of it will really matter. Theologian Tim Keller summarizes the implications of the secular, post-modern worldview:

"What if human civilization lasted a billion years? In comparison to the oceans of dead time before life, and the oceans of dead time after the sun burns out, human civilization is just a blip. No one will be around to remember anything that’s been done. Nothing you do has any significance at all. Everything you do is insignificant whether you live a good life or a bad life." (1)

Astonishingly, in contrast to this bleak picture, there is a much better answer to the "secret of life" question, one that is filled with hope, joy, and peace. (2)

Jesus giving his famous "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5-7).
Painting by Carl Heinrich Bloch (Danish painter, 1834-1890).

"Whoever has ears, let them hear", said Jesus Christ to a crowd after one of his public teachings. (3) Later, when his close followers asked him about the meaning of his teaching, he said “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you....Don't you understand...? (emphasis mine) (4) Despite their slowness, he patiently and graciously went on to explain the meaning of that teaching to them. 

The same could be said of you and me. Do we want to "hear" about the secret of his kingdom? If you have an open mind and earnestly desire to know the "secret of life", I urge you to consider Jesus' message, which isn't really a secret at all. It is freely available and has brought hope, joy, meaning, and purpose to billions of people over the centuries.

Good News!
Jesus lived a remarkable life of "mighty works and wonders and signs." (5)
Here are a few of his teachings:

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (6)

"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (7)

"...there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” “Behold, I make all things new." (8)

Of course, anyone could have said these things, although one would have to wonder about their sanity. However, Jesus backed up his claims by his mighty works and, especially, by his Resurrection from the dead after his brutal crucifixion. (9, 10)

Road to Emmaus, by Robert Zund (1826-1909).

"Seek, and you will find", taught Jesus. (11) He has the same patience and graciousness towards you and me that he had for his followers when they didn't immediately understand his teachings, as mentioned above.

I love the painting of Jesus on the Road to Emmaus, walking with his followers after his Resurrection from the dead. As they walked, Jesus explained the secrets of the kingdom to them. After the journey his two followers exclaimed “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”(12)

Do you want to know the secret of life? 
Will you follow him? It doesn't mean your journey will be easy, or that you will always understand everything that happens to you. But it will be a lifelong journey of learning his truths and being increasingly filled with the hope that one day he will make all things new, including you.

Beautiful!


Footnotes...
(1) Tim Keller, Notes from his sermon "Sickness Unto Death". https://paulvanderklay.me/2013/11/07/notes-on-tim-kellers-sermon-sickness-unto-death/
(2) Romans 15:13
(3) Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9, 23.
(4) excerpts from Mark 4:11-13.
(5) Acts 2:22.
(6) John 11:25-26.
(7) John 16:33
(8) Revelation 21:4-5.
(9) Acts 2:23-24.
(10)  There is significant evidence of his Resurrection for those interested, but that is beyond the scope of this discussion and I have covered it in other posts:  Ressurection from the Dead; and Risen - The Movie
(11) Matthew 7:7
(12) Luke 24:32 

Scotland, Freedom, and Turfgrass

"Go back to England and tell them...Scotland is free."  William Wallace

My wife and I recently visited Scotland and England. Here are a few photos and thoughts from our journey... 

Edinburgh Castle, an imposing sight from the streets of the city.

Statue of William Wallace, flanking one side of the entrance gate to
Edinburgh Castle along with Robert the Bruce on the other (not shown here, but
can be seen at a distance in the picture immediately below).

Scotland and Freedom


It seemed impossible not to think about freedom and liberty during our visit to Scotland. At Edinburgh Castle there are statues of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce flanking the entrance to the castle. Both are national heroes of Scotland because of their leadership in the fight against English tyranny in the 1200's and 1300's AD. William Wallace, you may recall, was portrayed in the movie Braveheart, who paid the ultimate price by being brutally executed at the hands of the English. 

(more thoughts below)

My wife Jannis standing before the arched entrance of Edinburgh Castle. Statues of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce
can be seen on either side of the archway entrance to the castle.

View of the city of Edinburgh from Edinburgh Castle.

Freedom and Tyranny Have Many Dimensions
We also visited the Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland, where we had an interesting discussion with a man from San Francisco. We were visiting with him about travel, life, and work when he made a curious statement, mostly in regards to work. "As long as we are okay with it in here", he said pointing towards his heart. Somehow his words transcended the moment, notably because we were at a monument dedicated to freedom. His statement caused me to pause and reflect...

Am I at peace in my heart about how I spend my days? My work? None of us are getting any younger, and if we aren't passionate about what we do, if we are afraid to do the things we are called or made to do, which may require risk, then I believe we can live under a sort of self-imposed tyranny and not really free; not really living. Perhaps that is what led William Wallace to say:

"Every man dies, not every man really lives"     

And the Psalmist to write: 

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" Psalm 90:12

Are you passionate about your work and life? How do you handle fear and risk?

The view west from Abbey Craig, the site of the Wallace Monument, towards the city of Stirling, Stirling castle, and the
site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge (see below for details). Courage and risk in the face of fear was required by the Scots
who fought against the odds in this battle to gain freedom for their people.

The Universal Yearning for Freedom
As an American, these topics of liberty and freedom in Scotland resonated with me. I love this excerpt from our Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"
                                                                                       
 Interestingly, I found the following quote in my passport, which seemed to parallel the themes discussed herein:

"It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win." John Paul Jones, naval commander, Revolutionary War.

Risk is scary, because we stand to lose something. There were Scots in Wallace's day who would not fight because they feared losing their land, possessions, or lives. Wallace risked it all and paid with his life, but he also inspired a nation and his legacy endures to this day. He was a man who "really lived".

Risk for you and I may not mean facing a physical battlefield, but perhaps stepping out of our comfort zone and into the unknown. It could be starting a new business or job, going back to college, pursuing your dreams, pursuing happiness.

Jannis by Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald Roman Fort, UK. The wall was built by Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD,
who apparently decided it was better to try to keep the Scots out of the Roman Empire than fight them! The
Scots enjoyed their freedom, even 2000 years ago!

Spiritual Freedom and Tyranny
 How did Wallace develop his deep convictions about freedom? I believe they came at least in part from his Christian faith in the Creator who endows these Rights. Wallace was educated by his uncle, the priest of Dunipace. In his studies he undoubtedly was influenced by the Bible, in which freedom is a common theme. Does that surprise you? For example:

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  
                                                                                               Jesus Christ (John 8:32)

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" 
Apostle Paul (Galatians 5:1)

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there the heart is free"
Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 3:17)

[Christ] "stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets."  [Therefore], "because of [the] Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do...it is what God is doing...Apostle Paul (Colossians 2:15; Galatians 6:15, The MSG)

Why should I fear if God calls me into the unknown, to follow the dreams in my heart, dreams that were placed there by Him? Where failure seems possible and the price could be high? Why am I too often paralyzed by what others think about me? Clearly there is more to unpack here than there is space in this post, such as how to discern what God may truly be calling you and me to do in our lives. Though I still sometimes fear, I also know the Lord is near, and I'm both challenged and encouraged by my faith.

St. Margaret was an English Princess, a Scottish Queen, and a pious Christian
who undoubtedly knew about the freedom taught in the Bible. This stained glass
panel is in St. Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh's oldest existing building (it is located
in Edinburgh castle), probably built in the early 12th Century.

Turfgrass
So what does all of this have to do with turfgrass (as indicated in the title of this post)? Well, as my turfgrass colleagues know, golf originated in Scotland. And Jannis and I were fortunate enough to visit the Old Course at St. Andrews, which is the oldest golf course still in existence today.

Me at the Old Course!

Jannis and I at the Swilkan Bridge, between the 1st and 18th fairways at the Old Course.

Actually, the main reason we were in the UK was to attend the European Turfgrass Society Conference. There were many excellent presentations by turfgrass scientists from around Europe and also the US. Thanks to Drs. Stewart Brown, Claudia de Bertoldi, and Bernd Leinauer for organizing and coordinating this event! Thanks also to the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) for partially funding my research presented at, and my travel to the conference.

You can tell this is a bunch of turfgrass enthusiasts since they are down inspecting the turf, here at Manchester City Stadium!

Attendees of the European Turfgrass Society conference at Campey Turf Care Systems Headquarters, near Manchester.

Dr. Christian Spring, research operations manager at the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute) at Bingley, UK, explaining
their research plots.

Below is a video and a few other photos from our visit to Scotland. The video was taken outside the gates of Hollyrood Palace in Edinburgh, where we happened to stumble across the Royal Regiment of Scotland. They were entering the grounds to honor the Queen, who was in residence while we were there. It was amazing!

The sun sets late this far north; sunset after 10 pm and sunrise at 4:30 am. Twilight never stops. This is Portobello
Beach, near Portobello, a coastal suburb of Edinburgh.

Ruins of the 12th century St. Andrews Cathedral, once the largest cathedral in Scotland. St Rule's tower is the tall structure
to the right, which predates the cathedral. Visitors can climb the stairs for a great view of St. Andrews and surroundings.

West Sands Beach, beside St. Andrews Golf Course, stretches for almost 2 miles. This where a famous scene from the movie
"Chariots of Fire" was filmed, where Olympian Eric Liddell ran along the beach. Eric was a devout Christian who said
"when I run, I feel His (God's) pleasure". I could almost hear the theme song from the movie "run" through my mind as we
strolled the beach. It is beautiful!

The Scottish countryside is beautiful. This is in the lowlands, southwest of Edinburgh.

Broomhall Castle, at Menstrie, which is near Stirling, Scotland. We stayed for one night. It was a fun experience!

We flew via Icelandair, landing at Keflavik, Iceland, on our way to and from the UK. This was the view out the window as
we were descending to land in Iceland.

Finally, this is northeastern Canada, with ice floating offshore in the ocean (left). We also flew over Greenland, which
had many snow-covered peaks, too. I think it would be fun to visit some of these remote places someday!

Risen - The Movie

“I have seen two things which cannot reconcile. A man dead without question. And that same man alive again”
                                                - Clavius, Roman Military Tribune

The Resurrection from a Skeptics Perspective
If you haven't yet seen the movie "Risen", I highly recommend it. With a great cast, impressive production budget, and of course a great story line, you will be entertained and find yourself pondering the events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

This movie isn't just for Christians. The producers worked hard to maintain Scriptural authenticity while balancing it with cinematic creativity. They had a broader cross section of cultural society in mind for an audience (rather than Christians only) as they produced the movie, and I believe they hit their mark.

A Personal Journey
The movie is the story of a man's personal journey. Clavius is a military leader assigned with the task of ensuring that three criminals being crucified are dead before sunset, even if he has to hurry it along. He apparently is aware that one of them claimed to be a king of some kind, but he is indifferent. By the time he arrived at the site of the crucifixion, Christ had already died.

To me, the scene of the crucifixion is amazingly haunting and thought provoking. And of course as a Christian I was moved by the depth of love that Christ exhibited for me (and all his followers) by suffering and dying that way. Later in the movie I was also moved by the tenderness of the resurrected Christ towards Peter and Thomas as they wept over their earlier denial and doubt, respectively, of their leader Y’shua (Jesus). It is a beautiful picture of Y’shua's posture towards all of us who follow him, yet are imperfect.

But I get ahead of myself! After Christ's body disappeared from the tomb, Clavius was ordered to find the body at all costs in order to put down a rumor beginning to circulate that the man Jesus had risen from the dead. So Clavius began a relentless search, which required him to play the role of detective. He aggressively chased down and interrogated anyone who had spoken of Christ being alive again, and also searched for his disciples and close followers who may have known where the body was. But the evidence he found was not what he expected, and eventually it led him to write down the words quoted at the top of this post.

The Implications of The Resurrection
This movie is not preachy or cheese ball as some Christian-themed movies of the past have (unfortunately) been. But it does explore a historical event that is foundational to Christianity. For as the Apostle Paul himself said: "...if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1). But he then went on to say: "But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries." (2) If that is true, then the implications of the resurrection are profound for your own life and is at the very least worth serious consideration, including an examination of the strong historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ. (3)

However, regardless of what you think of the resurrection story, this movie is worth viewing.


Footnotes:
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:14
(2) 1 Corinthians 15:20
(3) William Lane Craig wrote an excellent article on the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ at this link:  http://www.reasonablefaith.org/the-resurrection-of-jesus

Below is a lecture by William Lane Craig on the same topic, presented at Yale University.

A Star to Steer By - Revised!

The beautiful Portland Head Lighthouse on the Maine coast.

It was the flash from this lighthouse I could see from the

balcony of my hotel in Ogunquit, far to the south.

No finite point has meaning without an infinite reference point.

                    Jean-Paul Sartre

 
I am the light of the world.

                    Jesus Christ  (Matthew 5:14)

I stood outside on the deck of my hotel listening to the surf quietly lap the beach. It was a beautiful Maine evening, with stars blazing overhead and a gentle breeze blowing warm for early October. Out in the darkness my eyes traced a dim line of lights running along the shore of the peninsula that jutted far out to sea. Where the lights ended, I assumed, was lands end and where the open sea began. I was curious then, when I saw a light flash much farther out to sea. It didn't take long to realize that the flash was from a lighthouse, which marked the true end of land. It was plain to me then how a lighthouse could make the difference between life and death to a ship sailing off the coast.

My friends and I had to laugh when
we saw this sign in Beijing, China,
north of the Forbidden City. It reminded
us all about the perilous journey of life.

A Point of Reference
As I thought about a ship sailing along the coast in rough waters without a reference point to warn it where it could run aground, it occurred to me how similar this is to navigating through life. Who could argue that life is not perilous? And how many lives have been shattered on the rocks of despair, meaninglessness, alcohol and drug addiction, bitterness, anxiety, etc.

How helpful it would be to have a point of reference to warn us of the dangers in life.

Even John-Paul Sartre (quoted above), a famous atheist existentialist, recognized that we finite human beings need an infinite reference point in order to have meaning. However, because Sartre didn't believe there was an infinite reference point (God), he concluded that life is meaningless. "Man is absurd", he said, "but he must grimly act as if he were not". Sartre had worked through the implications of life without God, and his conclusion perfectly illustrates the hopelessness of the atheistic and secularist worldview.

The flash of the lighthouse interrupted my thoughts. Each time I saw it, I was amazed at how far out the shore really ran.

Worldview
All of us have worldviews that, consciously or unconsciously, guide us through life and affect our daily decisions...decisions that could move us closer to or farther away from dangers that could destroy our lives. Francis Schaeffer noted that our worldviews are based on "presuppositions" (1). For example, the presupposition that is championed at the secular university (and widely in our culture) today is the "uniformity of natural causes in a closed system". Because, it is believed, the system is closed, then there can be nothing outside the system (i.e., God) and therefore, intervention from the outside (miracles or revelation from God) is impossible. With this presupposition, as Oxford mathematician John Lennox so eloquently stated, "we can’t even answer the simple questions of a child: Why am I here? What’s the meaning of life? And so on" (2). This is why Sartre, who believed in the closed system model, concluded that man is absurd.

If, on the other hand, you believe in the "uniformity of natural causes in an open system", into which God can act, then revelation and miracles are entirely possible. We can receive answers to the simple questions of a child because there is a God who can speak into our system (such as through the Bible). He is our lighthouse.Then the statement by Jesus Christ that he is the light of the world (quoted above) makes sense.

View from my hotel balcony on the coast of Ogunquit, Maine.
At night I could see the Portland Head Lighthouse flashing in
the distance at the far right.

A North Star
Francis Schaeffer went on to say that the Bible gives us an adequate reference point, a North Star for our lives in the infinite-personal God. God is infinite (and thus, provides us a needed infinite reference point), and at the same time personal. How was he personal? The apostle John wrote that God came into the world as a human, a person, whose name was Jesus Christ (3). Jesus reached out and touched the lepers (4), which everyone else was afraid to do because they didn't want to catch leprosy! He restored the lame (5) and even brought the dead back to life (6). Its hard to imagine getting more personal than that. In fact, read the New Testament and you will learn of many broken lives that, when touched by him, were healed and restored. Truly his mission had profound implications for those whose lives had been shattered on the jagged rocks of life.

Amazingly, the good news for us is that Jesus is still at work, healing and restoring life to all who accept him!  (7)

The lighthouse flashed again. Its no accident that Jesus described himself as the light of the world, or that John called him "the true light that gives light to everyone" (8).

It was getting late and I was growing tired. But I went back into my hotel room with a supernatural assurance that God was with me. As John wrote about Jesus: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (9)

Footnotes:

This is Your Life

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead.
 Yesterday is a promise that you've broken.
Don't close your eyes, Today is all you've got.
This is your Life, Are you who you want to be?
Is it everything you dreamed that it would be,
 when the world was younger and you had everything to lose?

                                             -Switchfoot

This song by Switchfoot is inspiring and perhaps a bit haunting. It causes a person to ponder their own life (listen at left or click here to listen to the song on YouTube). When was the last time you've thought about yours? Given the fast pace of life in our culture, or perhaps because we are afraid of what we might find, we probably don't do it nearly often enough.

Think About Your Life
What were your hopes and dreams when you were younger? Who are you now? What are you becoming? Where are you going? These are just a few questions to consider, and others may come to mind as you read this. Are you living from your heart...from the core of your being? Are you passionate about the things you do? What are your relationships like? Do you have close friends, or do you feel alone? Most of us want to make a difference in the world and know that our lives matter.

Existential Angst
There is a general sense of angst running throughout humanity that may tend to discourage us from thinking too deeply about our lives. This existential angst is an intense feeling of apprehension, anxiety, inner turmoil, or even dread and despair about our future. Solomon, whom God blessed with exceptional wisdom, put it this way: Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. (1) Solomon actually wrote this to describe every one of us, that one day all of our joy will end in grief. Think about it: Eventually you and I are going to lose everything our heart wants out of life...our health, our loved ones, our very life...everything will be taken from us. Solomon is saying that deep down inside we all know this, even if we try not to think about it, and it causes an underlying sense of sadness.

This is my life: My wife Jannis and I on the deck of
the aircraft carrier USS Midway in San Diego, CA.

Secularism addresses this angst by explaining that we just have to create our own meaning during the brief time we are here. But let's be candid, if we are really here by chance alone, and nothing we ever do in this life will be remembered across the vast oceans of dead time, long after man is gone, then there can be no significance to our lives and no hope. Consequently, unless we have a way of ascribing REAL meaning to our daily activities and to our lives - a meaning that death won't steal - we will live with this chord of sadness. (2)

Loneliness
Solomon recognized something else about human beings too. He wrote: Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy. (3) What he means is that each of us is unique, and the inner motions and movements of our hearts are so complex, so inward, and so hidden that there is an unavoidable solitude about human existence. In the end, nobody, not even your closest friends, will ever completely understand you. Nobody will be able to walk with you everywhere you go. In that sense, you are alone in the world. And we can all sense this too. Maybe its no wonder we don't ponder our lives too often!

Christians have a powerful remedy for the dilemma of loneliness. Namely, we can have an intimate ally in God. Jesus told us that he considers those who put their trust in him to be his friends. (4) Furthermore, God knows us better than we know ourselves, and he is always with us. (5) However, if God is only an abstract concept to you, or if you don't believe in him at all...if he isn't an intimate friend to you, then you are utterly alone in this world. With this kind of isolation, none of us can live the "rich and satisfying life" that Jesus offers. (6) We are men and women created in the image of God, and we are made for relationship with him. (7). As John Eldredge put it: "our deepest need as human beings [is] to live intimately with God." (8)(2)

This is my life: My daughter Erin and I.

A Living Hope

The Apostle Peter explained why followers of Jesus also have an answer to the dilemma of the "angst" mentioned above, and to the problem of death eventually stealing from us all that we hold dear. Peter wrote:

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Do I really believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and that I and all who put their trust in him will eventually rise from the dead too, into an eternal life where we will have it all - life healed and whole? You bet I do. In fact, to the Christian, that hope is the "anchor of the soul, firm and secure". (9) The evidence for the truth of this claim, which is beyond the scope of this post, is much more than you might think. (10) If you haven't taken the time to ponder your life lately, or to investigate the claims of Christianity, then why not start now? It could be a life changing...and a life saving experience!

Footnotes:

Something to Believe In

Popular music is filled with lamenting over a brokenness, an emptiness in humanity that we all feel. The Good News of the Gospel speaks directly to that very real dilemma.

Tattoo of a cross on the arm of
Bret Michaels', lead vocalist of

the rock band "Poison".

The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
    because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
    heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
    pardon all prisoners.  Isaiah 61:1

Pain in our post-modern culture 
I was working out in the (newly expanded) Kansas State Recreation Center recently and heard blaring over the speakers an old song by the band Poison from the early 90's called Something to Believe In. The song resonates with something that runs deep in all of us. Namely, that we need something beyond and bigger than ourselves to anchor us, to hold onto. We need it at all times, but especially when storms of life come, such as through the death of a friend or family member or even when we become disillusioned by the widespread pain, corruption, hypocrisy, etc. in the world around us.

I always liked the song, so I looked it up online and listened to it on YouTube (listen below if you like). As I listened, I read some of the comments posted about the song. Here is a sample:

"Listened to this song after I got fired from a job I was at for 8 years. I was just having a lot of problems...I felt I lost everything that I held close to my heart."

"Sitting here and i am lonely, but hopefully there is someone who loves me or is thinking about me.."

"This song hit me like a ton of rocks. I'm always hiding behind a cloak of icy coldness and trying to act tough and be accepted. But inside, I'm just a lonely dude who has few friends...Girls won't even give me the time of day, or so it seems. Like I said, I'm just another lonely soul."

That last comment reminded me of another comment written in 2007 by Brad Delp, who was the lead singer in one of my favorite 1970's bands Boston. Delps wrote in a note: "I am a lonely soul", and then he committed suicide.

Clearly there is something written into our DNA that causes us to yearn for something meaningful and deeply personal in our lives.

Something - Anything, or Something True to Believe In?

Speaking for myself, I need something that is true, substantive, and that speaks to the deep, gnawing questions that wake me in the middle of the night. I have written elsewhere in this blog about why I believe faith in Jesus Christ meets all of these criteria and thus, provides true hope that is "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (1) (2)

Consider the things Jesus told us:

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me" (John 7:37-38)

"...surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)


Also, consider these excerpts from God's Word that have comforted me during troubled times:

"God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging." (Psalms 46:1-3)


The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
    he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
    through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me. (Psalms 23:1-4)

For Those Familiar with the Song Mentioned

If you are familiar with the song Something to Believe In, it raises questions about the dishonesty of some preachers, the problem of pain in our world, and even the striking disparity between the very poor and the very rich in our world. All fodder for rich discussion, perhaps in future posts if you are interested. It is helpful for me to realize that the folks who gave Jesus the most trouble were the religious leaders of his day. I implore you not to reject Jesus and all he offers simply because you may have encountered unjust preachers or perhaps self-righteous, hypocritical "Christians" who claim to represent Jesus. Take an honest look at the man himself, consider the words he said and the life he lived, and decide for yourself.

Jesus IS the real deal and he loves us all. He is the answer to loneliness, meaninglessness, hopelessness, and all other maladies of our human condition.


Footnotes:

Our Need for Adventure

"There is no substitute for exploring, crossing over into the unknown to see what's there. And that goes for all exploring; the physical, the intellectual and even the spiritual. Often they are all combined." 
Peter Jenkins, author of Walk Across America.

My First Skydiving Experience 
I'll admit I was scared as I hung from the strut of a Cessna 182 airplane, the wind blasting 70+ mph in my face, waiting for the nod from my skydiving instructor to let go and begin my 3,500 ft solo descent to the ground. Of course, my hope was that it would be a slow and gentle descent, but there was no guarantee. As I released my grip I was citing these words: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it (1). (click on the link below, or http://youtu.be/lCddpdOOL58, to witness my first skydive!).

Risk or Resignation
What did Jesus mean when he spoke about the necessity of losing our lives for his sake? I think it means that following him will require letting go of that which seems necessary, in order to find that which is vital (for example, finding our calling or individual purpose for being here). Jim Elliott, the famous missionary who was killed in South America by the natives he was evangelizing, put it this way: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. This "letting go" requires trusting God, following his call, and stepping out into the unknown. Alternatively, we can play it safe and avoid that risk. In my opinion, too many people have done that, with the result being what Thoreau described as the mass of men [leading] lives of quiet desperation.

This path seems to invite one to explore the wonders
of the Pacific Ocean! Shore Acres State Park, Oregon.

Gracious uncertainty - the mark of the spiritual life
In Genesis 1, God created the world...which included a lot of spectacularly wild and unexplored places...he then called it all good and told us to "Take charge and be responsible for them" (2).  This challenge was to be conducted in tandem with God, which required that we trust his goodness and leading. Following God means that he may ask us to step into the unknown, out of our comfort zone, in order to accomplish that which we were created to do. Oswald Chambers said that To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should rather be an expression of breathless expectation (3).

Walking along the Oregon Coast north of Florence. There
is something mesmerizing, almost eternal about the ocean
waves.

Into the Unknown
When I let go of that airplane that day in 2004, it was symbolic of my desire to let go of everything that hinders...[and to] run with perseverance the race marked out for [me], fixing [my] eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (4).

Moving into the unknown doesn't have to mean jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Relationship with God means that he will prompt you to move in the direction he is calling you. Our ability to hear his call may require a break in our routine, to get away from the noise and distraction of daily life for awhile. Perhaps this could mean traveling to a new place to explore unknown nooks and crannies. Or perhaps simply moving out of your comfort zone.

Howard Macey said The spiritual life cannot be made suburban...it is always frontier and we who live in it must accept and even rejoice that it remains untamed. My prayer is that you and I will find our place in this frontier and learn to rejoice in all that it means.

Footnotes:

The Magic of Christmas- After Christmas

My doctor sure knows how to decorate his landscape for
Christmas! We had to stop and gaze awhile.

Angels are in Flight.
It's the magic of the night.
Enya, The Magic of the Night

Christmas Day (2012) is over. Many folks suffer effects from After-Christmas Blues, Post-Christmas Blahs, etc. But how can the thrill of Christmas that was felt just a few days ago have vanished so quickly?

The Thrill of Hope, A Weary World Rejoices
I recall lamenting my after-Christmas blues to a Christian friend more than 30 years ago and I've never forgotten his startling answer. "The thrill doesn't have to go away", he said, "For me, every day is like Christmas". I have contemplated the meaning of his statement occasionally over the years (usually right after Christmas), and to me it means this:

Because of what Christmas represents...God becoming human through the birth of Jesus...God can now reside in our hearts every day and every night! (1,2) We can carry within us continuously that "thrill of hope"  mentioned in the song O Holy Night, that "Deeper Magic" referred to in The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis).

Not that we will always FEEL that thrill, or that we will always be happy, but it can give us a genuine sense of peace...a peace that only true hope can bring. After all, Jesus was called the "Prince of Peace" (3)! The Good News is that this thrill, hope, and peace is available to anyone asks for it! 

The Magic of the Night
I love this song by Enya, and even after Christmas Day it brings me joy to listen to it. If you haven't heard it, or if you have heard it and would like to listen again, I've posted it in the link below (if you can't see the link, click here: http://youtu.be/zp3eL3nRfSo). For some reason it won't play on mobile devices, as of this posting.

 Question: What does my friend's comment about carrying Christmas with oneself every day mean to you?

Footnotes: