Q: As you share your faith with your friends, what are some things you need to keep in mind to be an effective witness ?
A: Personally, this is something I struggle with, knowing what to keep in mind. My passion for truth often threatens to overtake my rational mind when speaking to nonbelievers, and I begin to lose that precarious balance between checking my heart and working towards theirs. So for me, one thing i need to keep constantly in mind when I start to slip is Balance: between heart and mind, between the ideal and the real, between my worldview and the view of the world. However, the one thing all Christians should keep in mind when witnessing is Love. Not necessarily deep, passionate love, but that low, ever present, burning love that the Christian can find themselves blessed with when they are in a right relationship with God.
Okay, so how does that help me ? Well, it becomes easier to understand when we look at Paul's words to the Corintians in I Corintians 13. verses 4-7 characterize love thusly:
4Love is
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I know we all know these verses. However, what we sometimes forget is that Love is not an emotion, it is a choice, just as being patient, or kind, or calm, or protecting is a choice. When it comes to witnessing, what we choose to love is an even more important choice. When we choose to love the Word, we are taught to hate sin. However, too often we confusing hating sin with hating those who sin. When we love the word, we are also choosing to love humanity as God did. This means being patient with your friends' misunderstandings of truth; this means being kind and considerate towards their points of view. This means eliminating any feeling of pride in your "special Christian knowledge" that these "pagans are too lowly to understand". There is no special knowledge, only maturity. That being said, our love must also be mature. Mature love humbles itself to the point of being able to admit when it may be wrong. It always will look to understand the heart and, therefore, views of those it is speaking with to the best of it's ability. This means asking questions and dialoging, not just attacking and defending, and doing so with the utmost patience, because your Love is representing Christ and His Love. It also means letting some attacks brush by you, and not letting them ruffle your feathers. All in time.
And yeah, it can be frustrating, especially when we fall from Loving. There is a song by Saosin called "Why Cant You See?" i feel that unprepared (or misguided, or mistaken) Christian witnesses can relate to. The chorus reads "Why cant you see with my hands holding your eyes open ? it's hard for me to think straight when your mouth is moving". We may feel sometimes that no matter how much straight-up truth we throw at unbelievers, they still wont see it, and we will only get more rialed up the more they say back that opposes what we told them. I been there, and i am sure i am not the only one. But that usually means we were approaching the issue incorrectly. And yeah, we wont win every argument. And well we shouldnt, because we should never be arguing. We should be dialoging with respect and with a mind to understand. Now i am getting redundant, but my point is we basically have to remember that, when our Love slips (as it will, we are only human), there are views outside our own created from very real life experiences held by other very real, God-made human beings, and only teachers can get away with expecting others to learn and accept by cramming information down their throats ;)
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
"Earthvision"??? No, Silly! "Worldview"!
The big question: What is a worldview and how do we develop a Christian Worldview ? ........follow-up question: why did i capitalize those words ??? It's still a mystery...
Anyway...
A worldview is essentially self-explanitory. That is, it is the lense through which one views the world. Carol Hill defines worldview as "the basic way of interpreting things and events that pervades a culture so thoroughly that it becomes a culture's concept of reality — what is good, what is important, what is sacred, what is real. Worldview is more than culture, even though the distinction between the two can sometimes be subtle. It extends to perceptions of time and space, of happiness and well-being. The beliefs, values, and behaviors of a culture stem directly from its worldview." The idea of a worldview can be further simplified as it applies to not only the culture, but the individual. However, culture can often have a very power influence on an individual's worldview. For example, when one speaks of developing a Christian worldview, we find that Hill's definition of a worldview is what so drasticly muddies the waters of our comprehension of what that entails. Why ? Because Christianity always was and forever will be not only counter-culture, but counter-nature. Human nature, that is.
To steer clear of culture's trench of conflicting, pick-and-choose answers, or, as is often the case, to correct it within the self, one must be able to carefully ballence the weight of what others say against the personal research you do and conclusions you make on your own. This means that you will be studying your Bible, you will be refering back to the backgrounds of the authors - their experiences and whatnot -, you will be studying the culture of Bible times, and you may even give understanding abit of Greek a shot. However, and I would argue most importantly, you will need to discuss. Even the commentaries from the smartest Bible scholars say some crazy stuff, and, especially in the case of a new Christian, one cannot tackle this information alone. This may lead to even greater confusion. A strong, reliable mentor or two is so key in assisting the new Christian with sifting through that which is true and that which is bias, and discussion becomes a strong reinforcer of the Faith as your mind considers everything it must before makin a solid conclusion, as opposed to blindly accepting the conclusions of others.
This discussion extends beyond that of peer-to-peer or peer-to-mentor discussion, however. Even if one is not fully convinced of the legitimacy of Prayer, opening oneself to God's guidance is most key of all. If one is seeking to understand God yet rejects the relationship, he will essentially "lose track" of God. There need not be this massive conviction at first, just a general opening of self to try and understand God's words, will, ways, and works. Forget being afraid of "not doing it (Christianity) right" or "being in the right place (of mind)" before opening yourself to this, or before becoming baptized. It isn't about fear, or happiness, or readiness, or any other emotion one might associate with what the general consensus lables as a "heart-based" religion. One must approach trying to understand God - through the afore mentioned approaches to Biblestudy - with the idea in their head that Christianity will make their lives easier, or happier, or better. Rather, we are "victims of a broken world", as Weisman put it. We will probably even be subject with more trial than Mr. Average Joe. Essentially, what I am saying is that one must forget themself, because Ultimate Truth must invariably exist and extend beyond the circumstances of the individual.
This means we must always be cautious. If anyone makes a claim about the Bible or what a Christian should think or feel, let your yellow flags go up. Do not let your reservations keep you from associating with that person or engaging in discussion if what they said feels off. Rather, discuss it; research it in all respects of the word (what the Bible says, the context in which it was said, by whom and why; and keep your heart and mind open to the workings of Truth.
We musnt forget about the outside world though. We need to remember that most everyone else will have very different worldviews and very different ideas from those which we persue. To counter these, or at very least to understand their follies, we must study them quite nearly as much. We must be as Paul: as great an expert on the beliefs of the culture and other religions as those who would follow them on pain of death. Ignorance is not bliss, it is death. Never stop searching, and, trust, God will never stop providing.
Anyway...
A worldview is essentially self-explanitory. That is, it is the lense through which one views the world. Carol Hill defines worldview as "the basic way of interpreting things and events that pervades a culture so thoroughly that it becomes a culture's concept of reality — what is good, what is important, what is sacred, what is real. Worldview is more than culture, even though the distinction between the two can sometimes be subtle. It extends to perceptions of time and space, of happiness and well-being. The beliefs, values, and behaviors of a culture stem directly from its worldview." The idea of a worldview can be further simplified as it applies to not only the culture, but the individual. However, culture can often have a very power influence on an individual's worldview. For example, when one speaks of developing a Christian worldview, we find that Hill's definition of a worldview is what so drasticly muddies the waters of our comprehension of what that entails. Why ? Because Christianity always was and forever will be not only counter-culture, but counter-nature. Human nature, that is.
To steer clear of culture's trench of conflicting, pick-and-choose answers, or, as is often the case, to correct it within the self, one must be able to carefully ballence the weight of what others say against the personal research you do and conclusions you make on your own. This means that you will be studying your Bible, you will be refering back to the backgrounds of the authors - their experiences and whatnot -, you will be studying the culture of Bible times, and you may even give understanding abit of Greek a shot. However, and I would argue most importantly, you will need to discuss. Even the commentaries from the smartest Bible scholars say some crazy stuff, and, especially in the case of a new Christian, one cannot tackle this information alone. This may lead to even greater confusion. A strong, reliable mentor or two is so key in assisting the new Christian with sifting through that which is true and that which is bias, and discussion becomes a strong reinforcer of the Faith as your mind considers everything it must before makin a solid conclusion, as opposed to blindly accepting the conclusions of others.
This discussion extends beyond that of peer-to-peer or peer-to-mentor discussion, however. Even if one is not fully convinced of the legitimacy of Prayer, opening oneself to God's guidance is most key of all. If one is seeking to understand God yet rejects the relationship, he will essentially "lose track" of God. There need not be this massive conviction at first, just a general opening of self to try and understand God's words, will, ways, and works. Forget being afraid of "not doing it (Christianity) right" or "being in the right place (of mind)" before opening yourself to this, or before becoming baptized. It isn't about fear, or happiness, or readiness, or any other emotion one might associate with what the general consensus lables as a "heart-based" religion. One must approach trying to understand God - through the afore mentioned approaches to Biblestudy - with the idea in their head that Christianity will make their lives easier, or happier, or better. Rather, we are "victims of a broken world", as Weisman put it. We will probably even be subject with more trial than Mr. Average Joe. Essentially, what I am saying is that one must forget themself, because Ultimate Truth must invariably exist and extend beyond the circumstances of the individual.
This means we must always be cautious. If anyone makes a claim about the Bible or what a Christian should think or feel, let your yellow flags go up. Do not let your reservations keep you from associating with that person or engaging in discussion if what they said feels off. Rather, discuss it; research it in all respects of the word (what the Bible says, the context in which it was said, by whom and why; and keep your heart and mind open to the workings of Truth.
We musnt forget about the outside world though. We need to remember that most everyone else will have very different worldviews and very different ideas from those which we persue. To counter these, or at very least to understand their follies, we must study them quite nearly as much. We must be as Paul: as great an expert on the beliefs of the culture and other religions as those who would follow them on pain of death. Ignorance is not bliss, it is death. Never stop searching, and, trust, God will never stop providing.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Unpacking Lewis's Mind...and My Own
The quote: "You can be good for the mere sake of goodness: you cannot be bad for the mere sake of badness" (Lewis 44).
...haha, I accidentally wrote "Lewish"......(haha, made you check, I know how to hit backspace!!!)
AAAANYWAY... Analysis..
This quote was one in a long sting of thoughts that can be wrapped up in a few basic ideas. The first idea is that Goodness is the predecessor of Badness, and Badness is but a product of what Lewis calls "spoiled goodness". Essentially, badness, or wickedness, is the product of seeking something that in itself is good, but in the wrong way or excessively. He explains that this idea does not invalidate the concept of "being wicked" or "wicked people", as those who fall to wicked deeds surely can be wicked. The point is, what these people often seek after is something good, such as power, money, even sex. Yep, I said it, sex. These things in and of themself are not bad. Money feeds your kids, power keeps them in line, sex creates them. It is the perversion of these things rather (and in these cases, often the overwhelming desire for more) that turns the act of gaining power or accumulating cash or seeking sex into something that is wicked. Here's the kicker: the reason the persuit of these things is so easily corrupted is because they feel good to have, but their presence is incapable of sustaining that good feeling. Then the persuer becomes ensnared in obsession to capture them again. If the obession grows enough, even the object of the persuit becomes wicked to some degree. Power becomes bad power, tyranical power, abused power. This is also where we get sexual perversions and acoholics and whatnot. But the point of the quote is this: one can be good or do something good and not feel good, but one does not do something bad just for the sake of doing something bad. Rather, doing bad is the product of wanting to feel good. That bad thing was, at the time, "pleasant or useful" (lewis 44) to the doer. Good stands alone, appart from the selfish human desires, but badness cannot exist alone. This can be seen in even the world's worst people. Hitler's initial message was not "kill the Jews". He could not have won over the hearts of so many Germans with such a brutal front, duh. Hitler's rallying cry began with a plan to restore Germany to pride and power after the embarassing closing of the first World War, as WWI's Treaty of Versailles left Germany with the blame and the debt of a war they did not even start. Desiring a good face for his country was not evil of Hitler. It was how he then went about it... how he went mad with it. As Lewis's quote suggests, Hitler was not being bad for the sake of being bad. He just went WAAAAAAAAY overboard trying to promote the Germans and the Aryan race. Like, by alot. Undestatement of my life. The funny thing then is this: this is what makes being good so hard sometimes. We dont want to, or dont feel like it, or come up with a myriad of other excuses as to why we didn't do something good when the opportunity presented itself. Goodness is Goodness without our intervention. Lewis is claiming that, heck, it can be completely neglected and still exist. I am inclined to agree.
Yep, I am agreeing that Hitler was not the spawn of Satan. Weird, I know... saying "Hitler" and "NOT spawn of Satan" in the same sentence. However, as I have said countless times in class and in writing (at least, I feel that way..sorry for the repetition), I am a 110% believer in the initial Goodness in every man and the power of tapping into it. Too bad Hitler didn't have someone to keep him on the right track, because eventually he did become abit of a devil's child. Okay, maybe alot. Anyway...yeah. People can be wicked. People can even be completely wicked, caught up in the Pride and Greed that they allow to consume their hearts, "grab them by the wrist and direct them where to go" (to quote a favorite Green Day song of mine). I can almost hear Bob in my head, though, saying somebody could rob a bank or something just to see if they could get away with it, or just to test themselves and see if they could even do it to begin with. That could almost be seen as being bad solely for the sake of badness. However, I would argue that they do it for the thrill. If they were to rob a bank and feel nothing or get nothing out of it, I seriously doubt they would do it at all. It is rather that need to feel superior, or the adrenaline, or the pride in your own cunning that would drive you to do such a thing. The desire then to go rob a bank is the "persuit gone wrong" of the sought-after "thrill" or feeling of accomplishment. Pride is seperate; it is a sin in and of itself. On the flip-side, I have seen amazing things come out of appealing to the initial desire for that something good every man seeks to fulfill but, without God, knows not how to satisfy. The guy who drinks too much alcohol just doesn't want to hurt anymore and doesn't know how to stop..either the hurting or the drinking. And it doesn't even have to be pain he is trying to escape. Whatever is keeping him there is not something pleasant, even if that guy thinks being drunk is enjoyable. There's always that moment where you wake up the next day, feel like crap, and ask yourself why you do this, even if it lasts a nanosecond in your subconscious brain. Appeal to what drives that nanosecond's thought, and God can work wonders. <3
...haha, I accidentally wrote "Lewish"......(haha, made you check, I know how to hit backspace!!!)
AAAANYWAY... Analysis..
This quote was one in a long sting of thoughts that can be wrapped up in a few basic ideas. The first idea is that Goodness is the predecessor of Badness, and Badness is but a product of what Lewis calls "spoiled goodness". Essentially, badness, or wickedness, is the product of seeking something that in itself is good, but in the wrong way or excessively. He explains that this idea does not invalidate the concept of "being wicked" or "wicked people", as those who fall to wicked deeds surely can be wicked. The point is, what these people often seek after is something good, such as power, money, even sex. Yep, I said it, sex. These things in and of themself are not bad. Money feeds your kids, power keeps them in line, sex creates them. It is the perversion of these things rather (and in these cases, often the overwhelming desire for more) that turns the act of gaining power or accumulating cash or seeking sex into something that is wicked. Here's the kicker: the reason the persuit of these things is so easily corrupted is because they feel good to have, but their presence is incapable of sustaining that good feeling. Then the persuer becomes ensnared in obsession to capture them again. If the obession grows enough, even the object of the persuit becomes wicked to some degree. Power becomes bad power, tyranical power, abused power. This is also where we get sexual perversions and acoholics and whatnot. But the point of the quote is this: one can be good or do something good and not feel good, but one does not do something bad just for the sake of doing something bad. Rather, doing bad is the product of wanting to feel good. That bad thing was, at the time, "pleasant or useful" (lewis 44) to the doer. Good stands alone, appart from the selfish human desires, but badness cannot exist alone. This can be seen in even the world's worst people. Hitler's initial message was not "kill the Jews". He could not have won over the hearts of so many Germans with such a brutal front, duh. Hitler's rallying cry began with a plan to restore Germany to pride and power after the embarassing closing of the first World War, as WWI's Treaty of Versailles left Germany with the blame and the debt of a war they did not even start. Desiring a good face for his country was not evil of Hitler. It was how he then went about it... how he went mad with it. As Lewis's quote suggests, Hitler was not being bad for the sake of being bad. He just went WAAAAAAAAY overboard trying to promote the Germans and the Aryan race. Like, by alot. Undestatement of my life. The funny thing then is this: this is what makes being good so hard sometimes. We dont want to, or dont feel like it, or come up with a myriad of other excuses as to why we didn't do something good when the opportunity presented itself. Goodness is Goodness without our intervention. Lewis is claiming that, heck, it can be completely neglected and still exist. I am inclined to agree.
Yep, I am agreeing that Hitler was not the spawn of Satan. Weird, I know... saying "Hitler" and "NOT spawn of Satan" in the same sentence. However, as I have said countless times in class and in writing (at least, I feel that way..sorry for the repetition), I am a 110% believer in the initial Goodness in every man and the power of tapping into it. Too bad Hitler didn't have someone to keep him on the right track, because eventually he did become abit of a devil's child. Okay, maybe alot. Anyway...yeah. People can be wicked. People can even be completely wicked, caught up in the Pride and Greed that they allow to consume their hearts, "grab them by the wrist and direct them where to go" (to quote a favorite Green Day song of mine). I can almost hear Bob in my head, though, saying somebody could rob a bank or something just to see if they could get away with it, or just to test themselves and see if they could even do it to begin with. That could almost be seen as being bad solely for the sake of badness. However, I would argue that they do it for the thrill. If they were to rob a bank and feel nothing or get nothing out of it, I seriously doubt they would do it at all. It is rather that need to feel superior, or the adrenaline, or the pride in your own cunning that would drive you to do such a thing. The desire then to go rob a bank is the "persuit gone wrong" of the sought-after "thrill" or feeling of accomplishment. Pride is seperate; it is a sin in and of itself. On the flip-side, I have seen amazing things come out of appealing to the initial desire for that something good every man seeks to fulfill but, without God, knows not how to satisfy. The guy who drinks too much alcohol just doesn't want to hurt anymore and doesn't know how to stop..either the hurting or the drinking. And it doesn't even have to be pain he is trying to escape. Whatever is keeping him there is not something pleasant, even if that guy thinks being drunk is enjoyable. There's always that moment where you wake up the next day, feel like crap, and ask yourself why you do this, even if it lasts a nanosecond in your subconscious brain. Appeal to what drives that nanosecond's thought, and God can work wonders. <3
Monday, September 12, 2011
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