Beliver? Agnostic?

Why is it that when a Christians are talking about agnostics the most common response is disgust? David Dark tells a story of him beginning a class with the question "What is an agnostic?" after receiving answers like "someone who doesn't want to believe" and "someone who chooses not to believe" he was finally able to get the right answer of "someone who doesn't know". From there is stats that not only is he an agnostic but so is his class and the problem is that he thinks that they think that they need to pretend to know in order not to go to hell and that this isn't the case. Why is it that as Christians we feel like we have to know everything in order to get into heaven? that by admitting that we do not understand the Trinity or the Resurrection or the act of Communion we will go to hell, is it because we were taught this or is it a problem that is located among American Christians and our extreme sense of individuality and "be the best you can be"? Before coming to Spring Arbor I was confident in my knowledge, not that I bragged and claimed to know everything but I knew what I knew and was proud of it. After one semester I realized how little I actually knew; after one class with Ken Brewer I had at least 100 new questions running around in my mind. Each question had about 5 follow-up questions and I could not answer a single one of them. After taking Greek it took me twice as long to read a passage from the Bible because I would analyze the verses and try to pick it apart and put in the correct Greek words as well as other English words that could make the meaning more succinct. At times I feel incredibly stupid for having all of these unanswered questions...but isn't that a part of wisdom? Knowing that you don't know everything and accepting that fact whilst at the same time trying to not only answer your unanswered questions but finding even more to ask?

helpful rage...

In the book Soul Survivor by Phillip Yancey, there is a story of how he found out about Robert Coles, a journalist. At the time Yancey noticed a climb in businesses that were "Christian" like journals and phone books, book stores and coffee shops but Coles was writing poignant Christian-focused articles for secular places like the New York Times and Medical Journals. Yancey was surprised by this and that kind of bothers me. It is true today though as well. I find it disconcerting when I hear the amazement that some people have for others like Robert Coles. Yes as Christians we are supposed to be set apart but does that mean that we have no connection to the secular world? NO! Christ spent everyday of His ministry with those who did not believe in Him; He walked through the cities and towns preaching and teaching knowing that some would follow and some wouldn’t. Why does it surprise us when we see an article like Coles wrote in the New York Times or see a well-known Christian actor be among his non-Christian peers? If we are not among the non-Christians everyday then how are we to witness?! Of course there is a point where we, as Christians, kind be so absorbed in the secular culture that we lose touch with our Christian brothers and sisters. Is this the reason we tend to seclude ourselves? On a totally different note but still involved with my homework, in the beginning of Chapter 3 of Prophetically (In)Correct the authors use a story of some college students discussing their motives for writing. Most of them say that Jesus motivates them but a girl named Alex says Rage. Rage at the problems with the world, hunger, war, suffering; all of this motivates her to work and gives her a muse. This gave me pause because most of the time rage is considered a negative emotion but if it is used correctly rage can be very helpful.How to work through the rage is the most difficult part, being able to take it and use it constructively instead of destructively is where Christ comes in to play. I'm still wrestling with the idea of using rage as inspiration but I think it is a better use of it than punching something.

Freely a Slave

I'm currently reading Soul Survivor by Phillip Yancey and these two quotes totally blindsided me. “Apparently it matters little to God whether we approach Him out of desperation or out of longing" This idea that God does not care why we come to Him only that we do is not one that is proclaimed very often and yet it is probably a phrase that is needed around the world. Most Christians know the story of the Prodigal Son and the lesson we most often get from it is that parents should love unconditionally and that of course applies to God as well, but the focus should also be on the fact that the reason the son decided to go home was purely selfish. It was not because he was sorry for what he did or that he missed his family, no he missed the way he lived with his family and was tired of the situation he got himself into. "…apparent freedom can actually mask deep bondage, a cry from the heart of unmet needs” What hold me captive? What is my freedom covering up? I think of the passage in 1 Corinthians 9 where Paul talks about being a slave to everyone and being held under the Law of Christ. It seems contradictory to say we are no longer slaves but free and are held under Christ but in reality it is a freely given bondage, a slavery that we go into voluntarily instead of one that is forced unto us. Yet how many of us feel we are forced to go to church? Forced to pray? Forced to read the bible? At what point do we stop “forcing” ourselves and go of our own accord? I’m not there yet, perhaps you aren’t either but we can be! Too often I see people walk down the street with a fake smile plastered on their face and when asked they will say that they are fine. How can this world be fine when we are living not according to God? This mask that we all wear because of our "apparent freedom" is not only hiding our true self from those around us but unfortunately from our own self.