Reflection

"A King Like David"
No one like Jesus

This reflection made me think of an interesting conversation I had with a close friend who is almost devoutly anti-Christian. I won't say atheist because she hasn't repudiated all faiths, just the one she grew up in and became disillusioned with, which happens to be Christianity.

The talk made me think of how I view Christianity and how I've also come to change and be changed by this view.

I grew up in a Christian family. Like my friend, I quickly became disenchanted with what I perceived to be a false world view used as a crutch by ignorant people to overcome their irrational fears of death and the unknown.

I naturally succumbed to many different modes of thought that I found satisfying as I "matured" from the faith. Darwin gave a new explanation of our origin. Freud explained why we think the way we do. Nietzsche offered a way to think critically of certain truth claims. Marx explained why the world was the way it was and how it could be changed.

All these, and so many others, helped to satisfy a part of a question that ached to be answered when I turned my back on Christianity. I felt smart, enlightened, justified, and rational.

I realize now that I was never really convinced. All the clever ideologies, causes, and movements started by human beings were equivalent to fool's gold and it was bankrupting my soul.

When God brought me back- I was able to witness not only what Jesus offered or promised, but what He already gave on the cross.

My complete surrender has been difficult, I'll admit it now. But I cannot deny the real sense of fulfillment and joy that I've found in what can most truly be described as the "bread of life" and "living water."

There's been a lot of questions these days that pop up as my life is being rocked to its core. I think P. James can definitely attest to this. I bombarded him with these questions when we ate over omelette's at Denny's.

But what I find amazing is that the same God who was faithful to the ancient people of the biblical text is the same God who is faithful to us. The God that delivered the Israelites from captivity and redeemed the whole world is the same God patient enough to love us and answer the deep questions of our hearts.

To be sure, there is still a deep mystery but not the kind where we are uncertain. It is a calm and profound mystery that is also personal and life changing.

This leads me to my final point of reflection related to the Stott devotional and Bible text. Inasmuch as Christianity can be described as vibrant, intellectual, logical, dynamic, fulfilling, personal, and relational, I think it is also important to see the great adventure behind our faith.

It is a thrilling adventure that does not exclude us. We are connected to the ancient past from the formation of the earth and we are involved in this epic until the ends of the world, right into eternity.

We were redeemed in love by the one true Messiah who fulfilled ancient prophesies and struck down an ever present enemy. We were woven into the redemption story that ties in all those who believe throughout the history of the whole world. Even with an outcome that is assured, God invites us to take part in the adventure by affording us real opportunities to make a true and lasting impact on the Kingdom.

As a wannabe spartan warrior, it doesn't get better than this