Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Oversimplified?
Talking with the WAY kids and reading their blogs recently has really made me wonder if my faith is too simple. (And by "wonder," I mean more in the rhetorical sense, rather than "wonder" causing me to rethink/doubt.)
I mean, reading Lee Strobel's The Case for Faith hasn't really made me think too much. Sure, some of the arguments/illustrations make me think, "Hey, that's a great illustration. It's makes a lot of sense" but in terms of my faith, it doesn't really change anything. Certainly I believe that my faith is consistent with rational/logical thought, but it doesn't rely on it, if you know what I mean. For example, you could show me absolute proof of evolution--all the missing links lined up, bang bang bang---and I'd still believe in God the Creator and Christ the Saviour. Bill Craig (in his interview with Strobel) probably described this best:
'Ultimately, the way a Christian really knows that Christianity is true is through the self-authenticating witness of God's Spirit," he said. "The Holy Spirit whispers to our spirit that we belong to God. That's one of his roles. Other evidence, though still valid, is basically confirmatory.'
Certainly I've doubted everything else--the extent of my own belief, the Biblical interpretations of others, the institution of the church--but I don't think I've ever really doubted that God exists and that he sent Jesus Christ to save us. And as much as I overanalyze things, doubt things and myself, and basically give myself a lot of grief, this easy certainty and faith in God has really saved me from a lot more heartache. In times of turmoil and questioning, I can always turn to God for comfort (even if I don't always feel it) because I believe in him while everything else is mixed up in my head.
Unfortunately this very simple faith makes it more difficult for me to explain myself to others. Sure I may know many of the rational arguments, but deep down the only real reason for my belief is the conviction/faith God has given me. It's kind of circular, I guess?
Another thing I accept very simply is God's works in my life--or what I've called, since junior high and the Christy Miller Series (by Robin Jones Gunn), "God things." For example, I've got two essays due next week. The Chaucer one due on Monday requires quite a bit of reading and research, which of course I haven't really started. Yesterday when I went to Woodlands, I was in school for all of first period before I found out that the teacher I work with in second and fifth wasn't there. So I went to the library and read Chaucer (instead of sitting in with the supply teacher) while I waited to go to the third period class I assist in. When I got to my third period class, I found out that that teacher was also away. So it turned out I didn't need to go to Woodlands at all that day!
Here's where the "God thing" comes in. If I had found out earlier, say first thing when I got there, I would've gone home right away and I wouldn't have had those first two periods to do my readings. It was probably also a "God thing" that I had most of the day off and therefore had more time to do my homework/assignments, but of course I didn't take advantage of it and watched anime all day instead. ^^;;
So then I was feeling guilty watching anime and thinking that I should probably go out and study after dinner, when Howard called and asked me if I wanted to go out to study! To me that was most definitely a "God thing"! See, on Sunday I had planned to go out to study too, but without someone else prompting me, I ended up staying at home and reading/sleeping. ^^;; Howard's call was like God saying "I know you won't go out and do the work you need to do without a push, so...*SHOVE*"
I totally believe that was God. And almost invariably all the little good things that happen to me, I consider them "God things" (whereas anything bad is usually my own fault, bad luck, or a natural consequence of the way the world works). Sure such things as a fortuitously timed call can be called coincidences, but if thinking of them as "God things" helps me to see more of God in my life, why worry about whether it's really God or just a coincidence? (And it's not the same thing as believing in God because it's beneficial rather than actually believing in God, because the difference between perception and actual faith is significant in that case.) I mean, whether you perceive things as coincidences or "God things" doesn't actually change the reality or outcome of the situation anyway, so why not choose the interpretation that's most beneficial?
At least that's the way I look at it.
But, like I said in the beginning, maybe that's just too simplistic of an approach.
Talking with the WAY kids and reading their blogs recently has really made me wonder if my faith is too simple. (And by "wonder," I mean more in the rhetorical sense, rather than "wonder" causing me to rethink/doubt.)
I mean, reading Lee Strobel's The Case for Faith hasn't really made me think too much. Sure, some of the arguments/illustrations make me think, "Hey, that's a great illustration. It's makes a lot of sense" but in terms of my faith, it doesn't really change anything. Certainly I believe that my faith is consistent with rational/logical thought, but it doesn't rely on it, if you know what I mean. For example, you could show me absolute proof of evolution--all the missing links lined up, bang bang bang---and I'd still believe in God the Creator and Christ the Saviour. Bill Craig (in his interview with Strobel) probably described this best:
'Ultimately, the way a Christian really knows that Christianity is true is through the self-authenticating witness of God's Spirit," he said. "The Holy Spirit whispers to our spirit that we belong to God. That's one of his roles. Other evidence, though still valid, is basically confirmatory.'
Certainly I've doubted everything else--the extent of my own belief, the Biblical interpretations of others, the institution of the church--but I don't think I've ever really doubted that God exists and that he sent Jesus Christ to save us. And as much as I overanalyze things, doubt things and myself, and basically give myself a lot of grief, this easy certainty and faith in God has really saved me from a lot more heartache. In times of turmoil and questioning, I can always turn to God for comfort (even if I don't always feel it) because I believe in him while everything else is mixed up in my head.
Unfortunately this very simple faith makes it more difficult for me to explain myself to others. Sure I may know many of the rational arguments, but deep down the only real reason for my belief is the conviction/faith God has given me. It's kind of circular, I guess?
Another thing I accept very simply is God's works in my life--or what I've called, since junior high and the Christy Miller Series (by Robin Jones Gunn), "God things." For example, I've got two essays due next week. The Chaucer one due on Monday requires quite a bit of reading and research, which of course I haven't really started. Yesterday when I went to Woodlands, I was in school for all of first period before I found out that the teacher I work with in second and fifth wasn't there. So I went to the library and read Chaucer (instead of sitting in with the supply teacher) while I waited to go to the third period class I assist in. When I got to my third period class, I found out that that teacher was also away. So it turned out I didn't need to go to Woodlands at all that day!
Here's where the "God thing" comes in. If I had found out earlier, say first thing when I got there, I would've gone home right away and I wouldn't have had those first two periods to do my readings. It was probably also a "God thing" that I had most of the day off and therefore had more time to do my homework/assignments, but of course I didn't take advantage of it and watched anime all day instead. ^^;;
So then I was feeling guilty watching anime and thinking that I should probably go out and study after dinner, when Howard called and asked me if I wanted to go out to study! To me that was most definitely a "God thing"! See, on Sunday I had planned to go out to study too, but without someone else prompting me, I ended up staying at home and reading/sleeping. ^^;; Howard's call was like God saying "I know you won't go out and do the work you need to do without a push, so...*SHOVE*"
I totally believe that was God. And almost invariably all the little good things that happen to me, I consider them "God things" (whereas anything bad is usually my own fault, bad luck, or a natural consequence of the way the world works). Sure such things as a fortuitously timed call can be called coincidences, but if thinking of them as "God things" helps me to see more of God in my life, why worry about whether it's really God or just a coincidence? (And it's not the same thing as believing in God because it's beneficial rather than actually believing in God, because the difference between perception and actual faith is significant in that case.) I mean, whether you perceive things as coincidences or "God things" doesn't actually change the reality or outcome of the situation anyway, so why not choose the interpretation that's most beneficial?
At least that's the way I look at it.
But, like I said in the beginning, maybe that's just too simplistic of an approach.
