Seeking Understanding

                                                          

                                                         Seeking Understanding
Below is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to my niece.  We had a great conversation about differing beliefs.  More needed to be said but we didn’t have the time.  I hope it can be helpful to others as we seek to engage our culture with the only Truth that can set us free.

I recognize more and more that my beliefs are quite radical in a culture that is 'evolving' in a different direction than I am apparently headed.  The difficult part of a conversation like we had is that we start right in the middle of the cultural conversation without understanding how each of us got there.  What usually happens is that the two parties express their opinions, voices are raised, they reach an impasse and the conversation is over without each learning from the other.  I appreciated your willingness to listen to me and Tracy and I hope you felt like you were heard.  As a pastor, it behooves me to listen more than talk because many of us think we have it all figured out and there are many voices that go unheard.

What I would like to do in a 'hopefully' brief manner is to lay out, not where I stand on the issue that we were discussing, but to help you understand why I have a certain belief system and what that system is.  I mentioned last night that I believe in "Truth" with a capital "T".  This is radical because most people like to say they have their 'truths' and and others have 'theirs'.  This is called relativism…a manner of believing in which the individual gets to decide all by themselves what is true and what is not.  I, on the other hand, believe in an absolute Truth.  The idea that a Creator, i.e. God, made this universe and just like we have the absolute constants for gravity, the oxygen/nitrogen mixture we breathe, the distance the earth is from the sun, all the atomic elements, etc. , we also have his absolute decrees which enable us to live successful, fulfilling lives all the while recognizing him as our creator and sustainer of all of life.

To recognize that there is this God in charge means that I don't get to make up what I believe is true or not.  It means that I am subject to certain laws, that when lived accordingly, will produce a fantastic life.  If I disobey those laws, harm will come to me.  Back to gravity…I can't decide one day that I don't like gravity so I'm going to fly out of my 21st story window.  Sort of a cause and effect.  Obey laws = good life.  Disobey laws = not so good.  Not so different than our jobs whether we work for a boss or multiple customers….we have to obey certain principles in order to be successful.  "Doing our own thing" will cause us to be fired.

So, I believe in a God that created a good universe in which he gave people the choice to follow him or not.  He set it up with his standards with blessings for obedience and consequences for disobedience.  But he didn't stop there.  He cared so much about this place and us that he provided a solution to the separation that exists between our understanding of him and even the separation between fellow human beings.  He sees and feels the pain of our existence when we long for meaningful relationships, when we fail others and are failed, when we suffer in apparently needless ways and when we feel our hearts are broken beyond repair.  He invaded our earth in the form of a baby (Christmas…you probably figured that  out), coming with the sole purpose of dying on the cross.  This dying...his Word, the Bible tells us was necessary so that Jesus could take all of our pain, suffering and imperfection upon himself and restore the relationship between God and people.  But He didn't stop there.  He didn't stay dead.  Yes, this is crazy..radical…if you will…he rose from the dead.  One of the most historically proven facts in history: eyewitnesses, empty grave, and most importantly changed lives of those who have followed these crazy beliefs.

Finally, before I get too long-winded….I hope you are beginning to see that when I chose to believe in this message…this Truth…I realized that I could no longer decide on my own what was right and what was wrong.  I am accountable to my boss in heaven.  My message, my beliefs are not my own, but those of a God who has chosen to reveal himself to people in strange and radical ways. When I finally recognized all that he had done for me, I could not longer go my own way…I wanted what he wanted.  And I find out these things as I daily read the Bible…the constantly #1 selling book in all the world….the most validated book in history…it has never been proven wrong or inaccurate.  All I need to know is written there.

I have a lot to learn about people.  I desperately want to communicate effectively not to bash people over the head with version of life, but to tell them about a God who loves them.  I know…it sounds corny, but isn't this what we all need?   Am I loved?  Am I important?  Do I have a hope and a future?  Does my life have a purpose?  God, through Jesus Christ, says "YES" to all of these.

Consider what I have said.  Investigate it yourself.  Google it!  If you discover that these things are a bunch of sappy, sentimental ideas, then you can be confident that the way you choose to live your life is completely up to you.  On the other hand, it you discover what I have said has some merit…then you will have begun a journey that will only lead to greater understanding of yourself, the people around you and your God.

God Bless,

Uncle Allen


Addendum:  Some may find holes in my attempted theological treatise.  I would not disagree.  I have purposefully left some things out in order to simplify my case but remain true to the gospel.  As a important footnote, it is not always essential that we get the whole message across in one sitting.   Evangelicals often overwhelm people with our “4 Spiritual Law” approach.  Each situation dictates what is needed at the time.  God is in charge of changing our hearts.  Allow the love of Christ to flow and speak words of salt and grace.

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Colossians 4:6