826 - Naturally at Odds
Friends,
Here is Common Christianity column #826 (9-13-22), “Naturally at Odds.” Not everyone is a candidate for the Christian hard-sell, but sticking up for the truth is basic to Christian faith. See the column below. Blessings! Bob
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Spirituality Column #826
September
13, 2022
Common
Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
Naturally at Odds
By Bob Walters
“The
first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an
atheist. But at the bottom of the glass,
God is waiting for you.” – Werner Heisenberg, 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics,
theory of quantum mechanics.
I often run
into my engaging and friendly neighbor Jeff on my evening walks with our little
dog Kramer. Jeff is a sports fan, knows a lot about auto racing, has two kids in
budding journalism careers, and was a college lecturer in philosophy and
writing.
Jeff’s obvious
life interests closely mirror my previous (and I might add, long ago)
career in sports writing and sports / auto racing media relations, so our
conversations are lively. I’ve worked
with a lot of people he’s read about.
Truth be
told, while I stay in touch with a handful of good friends from my sports days,
for the most part I truly no longer “follow” sports. For example, as I write this on Saturday, I
know it is the opening weekend of the NFL but have no idea who the Colts are
playing, or where. I couldn’t tell you
who is leading (or won?) the Indy Car points.
As I
mentioned last week, in retirement I now drive a school bus. I still write a lot, and virtually all of my
writing is about faith life in Jesus Christ: this weekly column, our weekly
Mustard Seed Bible study packets, a monthly sermon / service at a senior
living center, an occasional church communion homily, and various
correspondence.
Plus, I’m
reading all the time – virtually all of it “religious stuff” or cultural /
political commentary. Like Dolly Parton
once said, “I have opinions about everything and everybody,” but here, to
preserve the focus, we stick to the central topic of life in Christ.
Which brings
us back around to my evening walks with Kramer.
Jeff is a
wise, erudite, chatty, and world-worn guy … with no use for God.
We encounter
folks often, don’t we, who are not candidates for the Christian hard-sell? Jeff is one of those guys. He knows of my Christian writing, but I think
the only thing of mine he’s ever read is a Dale Earnhart obituary I wrote in
2001. Jeff knows I believe in Christ and
for now that’s enough. We intellectually
spar and laugh.
In a recent
evening chat Jeff mused, “You should talk to my brother,” who I was surprised
to learn is a Christian minister … though in a denomination not noted for its, um,
biblical precision. My knee jerk
question to Jeff was, “Does your brother believe the Bible?” And Jeff’s (not his real name) knee jerk
answer was, “Yes … but not literally.”
“Good Lord,”
I responded. “You’re not supposed
to believe it literally. Does your
brother believe the Bible is true?” “I
suppose he does,” was Jeff’s smiling response.
Sigh. That’s about par for philosophers; they think
it is their job to be the definers and purveyors of truth, when that job
belongs to Jesus Christ. The Bible is stories,
poetry, parables, metaphors, symbolism, allegory, history, God’s word … and the
truth.
But, “Jesus
lived, died, was buried, and resurrected?” That’s one “literal” part folks
reject, but the fact of the resurrection – its literal occurrence – is the
cornerstone of faith, forgiveness, and salvation. If that’s not literal and
true, there is no Bible or Church.
It’s an unfortunate
development of the past 150 years, as theology has tried to compete
academically with science, that “proving the Bible literally” has become a
thing.
Faith is
lived, not proven. It’s what philosophers would call a “category mistake.”
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com)
invited Jeff to church; Jeff still prefers CBS News.
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