Behind Every Question

This blog is designed to give people an inner look at a devotional life. Taking time each day to spend time with the Lord. The hope is if you travel on this journey with Rev. Jacob Shaw, you may be more inclined to spend time with the Lord as well. I encourage the use of a devotional, a scripture reading and prayer, then finally some form of artistic mark to tie it all together. 

Today's devotional is taken from: Zacharias, Ravi. The Logic of God: 52 Christian Essentials for the Heart and Mind. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019. [E-Book] Chapter 1: Behind Every Question

Opening Thought: In my opinion, defending the faith usually starts by defending the faith against yourself. Often our minds can ask puzzling question we do not have the tools to decipher. Many people I have met over the year who have lost faith or are have trouble seeking faith are in that position because their minds are stuck circling around a conundrum or two and they can’t move past it. This is because they are locked in a world view which they have formed over time, and that world view runs counter to the Christian world view. (I use that generously because there are multiple variants to the Christian world view). Since most people are not verse in a subject they have not dedicated time to, it is easier to avoid faith than engage with the conversations need to give faith a chance. Also, when you engage in conversation about faith or belief with others suddenly world views collide and that can be a good experience but often people experience it as contentious, repulsing or nullifying. Often, we avoid talking things like religion and politics because we know world views can cause friction.

Zacharias begins his book affirming that he will defend the world view of Christianity, but he encourages the reader to remember that all worldviews have a worldviewer, meaning that there is a person behind the ideas you may disagree with. I am pleased that this is noted. One of the things I personally get frustrated with is how much aggression is found in disagreement, and though this has always been the case, the current digital age seems to be polarizing issue so rapidly, it create more war than harmony. We no longer see people as equally valuable and the ideas they hold as varied in worth, rather we value people by the ideas they hold, and cast them as other if those ideas are not our own. By remembering there is a person behind the positions that disagree with you, you will be humbler in your conversations and even debates.  

The devotional begins with: 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Second Thought: When you come across a passage like this, what you are seeing is a larger structure of theology at work, and that theology is reflecting a world view. Zacharias notes that world views aim to answer four necessary questions: “origin, meaning, morality and destiny.” If you follow any of Zacharias’ talks or other books, these words will arise in your path. I think he has hit the nail on the head, because these, in my experience, seem to be the things that people long to answer, even if they do not know they are searching for them. If a person can find what they believe are answers that work well to address all four, it is hard to get that person to reconsider their position.

I do not have the gift for proactive evangelism, I have never been great at going up to a person and trying to get them to find faith within a conversation or two. I prefer to tell the story of the gospel or discuss it in a sermon and lecture. However, there have been a few times, where I have felt an individual I was talking to was searching for faith but they were struggling to overcome a previous world view. One time, I remember I did my best to bring them to the faith, but I hit a wall in the conversation which was, that since they were so use to their current worldview, (atheism), and even though they logically agreed with my position, they were so engrained by their worldview, they could not bear to part with it. Before the conversation ended, they said something that shocked me, they said, “I wish I could believe it I just can’t”.    

Continual Work: Before you go and try to convert or even defend the faith, practice talking to those in your life who share your faith. Ask tough questions about your faith, beliefs and worldviews and do research, consult a pastor or reverend and number one – dive into your Bible for insight. Do as much learning as you can and see what you can discover.  

What Rev. Jacob is Working On: One additional point Zacharias makes about truth is that when people have a world view, the world view is tested by three factors, “logical consistency, empirical adequacy, and experiential relevance.” I believe I have always been rather gullible person. I was always the kid falling for the classic, “made you look” gags in school. Now when I come up to religious, socio-political, or even scientific explanation or theories, I find myself running these three points as a background check. I am often surprised when I find myself not agreeing with many things that are in the mainstream popular opinion. I think when something is a world view of the masses it often serves those in the power positions, whether that be politicians, media powers, social media moguls, and of course the monopolies of capitalism. People will spin “false truth” to maintain to gain power and wealth. I find any people who are truth seekers automatically put themselves in opposition to the masses as the mass feed the machines they build, while truth seekers feed the soul.     

Rev. Jacob’s Scripture time: John 18:36

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

We need to remember in our conversations, whether we are trying to make a defense for our faiths, or we are just having a chit-chat. All we do in faith is to serve the Kingdom of God. The image of the kingdom in Isaiah is a peaceable Kingdom, if we can speaks as though we are living within the kingdom, with kindness and compassion, listening and sharing than we are more likely to not only defend the faith well but live it out.

Closing Words: I hope you enjoyed and were lifted by this devotional time; it is truly important to take time for God each day. By doing so, you welcome God into your life, and in turn you will be able to better see the world through the eyes of God, rather than God through the world's eyes.

Prayer for your day: Gracious and loving God, grant us the curiosity to discover more about Your glory, grant us the humility to understand our knowledge is limited, and give us the courage to challenge and defend the faith as we feel called by You. In Christ name we pray, Amen.

Artistic Close: One of the best ways to know all worldviews have a worldviewer is by being willing to listen to what others have to say, this does not mean you have to agree or adopt any of their idea, rather you just need the ears to listen. Here are some of God’s creature with wonderful ears.

Townsend's Rocky Mountain Hare (Lepus Townsendii) from the viviparous quadrupeds of North America (1845) illustrated by John Woodhouse Audubon (1812-1862). Original from The New York Public Library. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.