This Whole Faith and Science Debate

There is a great article in the New York Times regarding this tension between reason (logos) and faith (mythos).

Paul Davies concludes his column with the following, which supports the point I was trying to make in my last post:

"It seems to me there is no hope of ever explaining why the physical universe is as it is so long as we are fixated on immutable laws or meta-laws that exist reasonlessly or are imposed by divine providence. The alternative is to regard the laws of physics and the universe they govern as part and parcel of a unitary system, and to be incorporated together within a common explanatory scheme.

In other words, the laws should have an explanation from within the universe and not involve appealing to an external agency. The specifics of that explanation are a matter for future research. But until science comes up with a testable theory of the laws of the universe, its claim to be free of faith is manifestly bogus."

You're Not a Weirdo if....

People who profess Christianity sometimes feel like fish out of water. In a world seemingly driven by scientific evidence and the demand for "proof", it is often difficult to appear credible.

Scripture tells us we are not of this world. We are citizens of the kingdom, that is for sure, but our way of thinking, shaped by our faith in a sovereign God sometimes makes us feel awkward.

Let's face it, the world is a "what you see is what you get" kind of place. Can't see it? Can't show it? Can't prove it? Then it must not be so. If you do "believe" without concrete "proof", you must be some sort of weirdo.

But "seeing" is not always "believing." Sometimes what is seen, what is known, only scratches the surface of what really "is."

Why the disconnect? Why the tension? It's pretty simple, we who live by faith, are placing our proverbial bets on some things which cannot be seen, which cannot be proven. It is the definition of faith. (Hebrews 11).

The modern mindset is built on the foundation of logic (logos). But an even deeper foundation is realized by the Christian. The "footer" of the Christian mindset is based in a mysticism (mythos) that is not explainable or measurable.

Mysticism conjures up a number of negative images to many Christians, but let's seriously think about this. The New Agers have no claim on the concept of mysticism. Mysticism is the realm of the unexplainable. I'm not talking about poltergeist, demons, or the power of crystals. Christianity is mystical. It's essential elements rely on faith, not reason, for explanation. It's okay for Christians to claim we are mystical by nature. I think we need to recover this ground from the New Agers.

But let's not get caught up in semantics. The point is that there are essential--even fundamental elements of our faith that rely on the dynamic of the mythos, rather than logos. And it this reality manifests itself on various levels.

Our spiritual formation: Try rationally explaining the change God is making in your life with a non-believer. Many will look at us like we're crazy, but we know God is at work. We can't explain it, but God transforms us in a miraculous manner. People who encounter Christ are profoundly changed. Changed in a way that cannot be fully explained. Some things just have to be taken by faith (mythos).

Faith and science: I think it is interesting that many Christians feel compelled to "justify" their faith by attempting to use reason to explain the mysteries of the Bible. Let's face it, when God is involved, science and reason are limited tools. We do not possess the ability as humans to adequately explain the God of the universe. Every time we put that rascal in a box, he either jumps out or break our box. Any serious scientist will acknowledge the limits to the tools of science. Telescopes can only see so far and microscopes can only probe so deep....and then even officers of science must rely on faith to explain the rest. (Isn't it interesting that after all the effort to get men to the moon, the astronauts on the first Apollo mission to orbit the moon chose to quote Scripture to express their feelings? Nothing else really could explain that which they were experiencing.)

The Resurrection: This is the ultimate example of the need to rely on a dose of mythos. There is no ability to prove, let alone explain the physics of the Resurrection of Jesus from the grave. But it happened. We cannot use reason or logic to prove that Jesus rose again, but hundreds experienced the risen Christ before He ascended into Heaven. Some may argue conspiracy or fabrication of facts. How else, though, can the dynamic growth and spread of Christianity be explained but through the pivotal, crucial occurrence of the Resurrection? Again, reason and logic alone fail to deliver the goods. A dose of mythos is necessary to pull it all together.

So the next time your made to feel like a "weirdo" for your faith, keep your chin up. Reason and logic have their limits. Faith and mythos are essential to pull it all together and make any sense out of it all.

Weirdos? Actually, I would say people of faith are living with a more realistic world view than those who rely solely on "the facts."

One Nation Under God

There always seems to be an underlying debate regarding the spiritual roots of America. An article on the editorial/opinion page of the New York Times provides some interesting historical insight regarding how a nation of Christians does not make a Christian nation.

Many Christians get offended if one suggests that our Founding Fathers do not share the views of the evangelical, fundamentalist persuasion.

The article in the Times hits this issue head-on, suggesting that believers should not be wasting time and energy fighting for a label that really doesn't matter in the Kingdom of God:

According to Scripture, however, believers are to be wary of all mortal powers. Their home is the kingdom of God, which transcends all earthly things, not any particular nation-state. The Psalmist advises believers to “put not your trust in princes.” The author of Job says that the Lord “shows no partiality to princes nor regards the rich above the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.” Before Pilate, Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world.” And if, as Paul writes in Galatians, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” then it is difficult to see how there could be a distinction in God’s eyes between, say, an American and an Australian. In fact, there is no distinction if you believe Peter’s words in the Acts of the Apostles: “I most certainly believe now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is welcome to him.” The kingdom Jesus preached was radical. Not only are nations irrelevant, but families are, too: he instructs those who would be his disciples to give up all they have and all those they know to follow him.

From a Kingdom perspective, I think there is value in making sure we keep our priorities in line:

Priority One: Spreading the Gospel in word and deed, including an emphasis on teaching the Word, helping the poor, and living authentic lives that are radically changed by Christ.

Winning the "Christian Nation" label game should fall much further down the list. If it doesn't, we need to evaluate our priorities and get back on track.

Yom Kippur, Communion, and the Death of a Cousin

How do the death of my cousin, Yom Kippur, and Holy Communion all fit together?

My cousin Randy passed away last week at age 42. Randy was disabled from birth. He was legally deaf, legally blind, and suffered from mental retardation. As a child, I remember that Randy didn't play like the rest of the kids did. As I grew older, I realized that even though Randy wasn't able to enjoy life like I could, he could feel love and love back.

I'm struck by how Randy's passing has magnified just how much his life has to teach me. By the world's standards, Randy would have been considered a burden. To my aunt and uncle, Randy was a challenge, but he was a blessing also. In spite of his challenges, flaws, and disabilities, they loved Randy deeply.

Randy was worth all the extra effort to my aunt and uncle. I could clearly see that in his father's mourning eyes at the funeral last week. Randy's parents loved him deeply, flaws and all. Witnessing that love expressed in the grief of my uncle physically and emotionally shook me to my core.

I think it is wonderful that this relationship between my uncle and his son truly reflects the way God views each and every one of us. We are spiritually flawed, spiritually disabled--retarded even, by sin in our lives. Sin mars us and makes us unholy and undesirable--yet God, our loving Heavenly Father, loves us deeply. In spite of the yuck in our lives, He reaches out to us, wanting to restore us.

God loves us and has gone to so much trouble to redeem us and restore us so we can have a right relationship with Him. I know without a shadow of a doubt that if my aunt and uncle could have done something to "fix" Randy's disabilities and challenges, they would have done so in a heart beat.

Wonderfully, God is able to fix us. He has provided atonement for us--atonement, redemption, and restoration through the death and resurrection of His Son, Christ Jesus.

My mind was drawn to this reality much of the day following the funeral (which, by the way was Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement). I was drawn to the fact that a price has been paid by God to "fix" my problem of sin. And then on Sunday morning, as we celebrated the Eucharist in our worship service, the reality of God's love for me seemed very real-very tangible. It was a special time of worship and reflection for me.

As I took the bread and drank from the cup, I couldn't get out of my head the love I saw in my uncle's eyes for Randy at the funeral..

Spiritually, we're all much like Randy--flawed, but so fortunate to have a Father who loves us in spite of the flaws.

We are fortunate to have a heavenly Father who can "fix" our flaws, if we'll just embrace Him.

Reflections on Roxanne and Redemption

Okay, I admit it: I'm a pretty big fan of the 80's rock group, The Police.

I've listened to their music since I was a kid. The Police were eclectic, but cool in the 80's and they've stuck with me as a favorite.

Tonight, on the drive home from work, the song "Roxanne" popped up on my iPod. I've listened to that song hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

But tonight, it hit me. The words to this song paint a beautiful picture of how God loves us. This insight runs contrary to the shock on my momma's face when she found out I was listening to a song about a man in love with a prostitute.

Isn't that the story of Hosea, though? Didn't he seek out and marry an unfaithful wife?

Isn't this the story of humanity--God reaching out to an undeserving, unfaithful people who have rejected him for other lovers?

Consider the lyrics (sorry if you are offended, but you really can find worse in the pages of Scripture). Picture the singer as God, reaching out to us in our sinfulness.

Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night
Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right

Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light, put on the red light
Put on the red light, put on the red light
Put on the red light,

Oh I loved you since I knew ya
I wouldn't talk down to ya
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy
I know my mind is made up
So put away your make up
Told you once I won't tell you again it's a bad way

Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light, put on the red light

Until today, this was just another rock song from my youth.

Are you struggling with temptation today, your own red light? God says: "You don't have to put on the red light...I won't share you with another...Those days are over.."

Are you struggling with the fact that God really loves you, in spite of your sin? God says: "I've loved you since I knew you...I wouldn't talk down to you...you don't have to put on the red light."

God loves us. Even in our prostitution to sin, he's reaching out to us, imploring us to come back into a relationship with Him.

Are you Roxanne? You don't have to keep on being a slave to temptation and sin. You don't have to "walk the streets for money."

God loves you. Smash the red light and return to Him.

At some point, His offer of redemption will no longer be available. God says: "Told you once, won't tell you again, it's a bad way." Sin is a bad way.

God wants us back.

Thanks Stewart, Sting, and Andy for reminding us of the Truth (even if you never meant it that way)!

Taking God Out of Prisons: Unintended Consequences

The New York Times reports today that there is a movement afoot in New York state prisons to remove most religious books in an attempt to quell violent, religious-based acts. The fear is that our prisons have the potential to become breeding grounds for Islamic terrorists. The solution--get rid of all religious materials, including the book that teach about love, redemption, and spiritual growth.

This is another example of taking it too far. To quote the times story:

A chaplain who has worked more than 15 years in the prison system, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is a bureau employee, said: “At some of the penitentiaries, guys have been studying and reading for 20 years, and now they are told that this material doesn’t meet some kind of criteria. It doesn’t make sense to them. They’re asking, ‘Why are our tapes being taken, why our books being taken?’ ”
Of the lists, he said, “Many of the chaplains I’ve spoken to say these are not the things they would have picked.”

This is too bad. Another "knee jerk" public policy decision that throws the baby out with the bathwater.

Why Republicans Continue to Lose Ground

Over the past 20 years, conservative Republicans have made great strides in gaining political power through the exploitation of religion--namely Christianity. However, GOP strategists have failed to realize the flaw in this logic. The moment Republicans took the "moral high ground" by exploiting conservative Christian values and by leveraging wedge issues such as abortion and prayer-in-school to move the faithful from the pews to the polls, the battle was lost.

Why?

By claiming to own morality and "family values", the GOP also had to accept the consequences of human failure. Consider the resignation of Senator Larry Craig, or the plight of Florida's Mark Foley. These moral "lapses" undermine the credibility of the party that righteously claims to own God, morality, and justice.

It will be tough times for all Republican politicians in the next several years. For every politician who exposed for acting outside the lines of Christian morality, the credibility and influence of the party is eroded.

Religion and politics do not mix well, particularly in a society that is becoming increasingly secular and less oriented toward religion.

If people of faith put their hope in changing the world through public policy, they will be sorely disappointed.

While we must continue to vocal about moral living and justice, Christians cannot depend on government alone to make things happen. If we do depend on government, we're going to just get more of the same disappointment as the media pounce on "hypocrites" who have positioned themselves as Christians. In reality, not only are these individuals victims of sin, they are also, sheep in wolves clothing. They put on the appearance of Christianity and flouted it through campaigns and public policy proposals.

What they've really done is to undercut the credibility of the Christian faith in the eyes of not only our country, but also of the world.

The backlash is just beginning.

My faith is in God, not in man (or man's politics).

So if politics isn't the solution, what is a Christian to do?

Change starts with each of us, not with the government. Hope comes from Jesus, not the nominee for 2008. Credibility comes as each of us lives an authentic life dedicated to the pursuit of God right where we are.

Real change will come from the bottom-up, not from the top-down.

It is time for the church to spend less time investing in politics and more time in actually living a life that influences our culture right where we stand.

The Dark Night: Common Even Among Saints

For those who feel a dryness in their spiritual walk, take heart.

Time reports on a new book based on Mother Teresa's writings. Even this saint of the 20th century experience a prolonged "dark night of the soul." The Time article overviews the implications of this new discovery---yes, even Mother Teresa was human.

Spiritual dryness is part of the human experience. Atheists may attempt to use this new revelation to further arguments about the futility of faith, and I pity their shallowness.

The reality we all must face is that the spiritual walk is not, nor was it ever intended to be, based on our emotional experience. It is to be based on faith, which the Bible defines as "confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see." (Hebrews 11:1, New Living Translation).

Having an emotional experience does not equate to faith or to verification that God is right here with us, right now. The warm fuzzy's are not confirmation of God's existence.

Christians risk bringing their faith life crashing down if it is based on such a passionate foundation. A healthy relationship with God and faith in Him is based on having settled the question in our heart and mind that 1) God is right here, and 2) God loves you.

Even when we don't feel loved, God loves us. Even when the circumstances of life come crashing down, God loves us.

The world often desires to equate God's love for us and life circumstances. But God's love moves beyond earthly, temporal confinement, including emotions. God has provided eternal redemption for humanity. In other words, for she who believes that Jesus saves her from her sins, there is nothing--nothing in this world that can destroy her, not even death!!

The world would argue, "Oh, she died. That must prove there is no God." But for she who may have died a temporal death, God has provided much more and much better than anything this life can offer.

I'm glad to know even Mother Teresa experienced prolonged spiritual dryness in her walk with God. In spite of her "dark night", God still used her life and is using her legacy in a poignant way.

May we all aspire to be used in the same manner.

As for me, I find a bit of a spiritual oasis in this new discovery.

Is Dewey Outdated?

Melville Dewey invented the system we all grew up with to best utilize our public library--the Dewey Decimal system.

The Dewey system is the numerical ordering paradigm upon which most public libraries organize. It is a useful tool to help you and me find the books we want, without scouring the stacks for hours on end.

Nowadays, Barnes and Noble (and other chains) is a direct competitor to the local library, so much so that the New York Times is running a story about how one system in Arizona is ditching Dewey in favor of more of a "bookstore" feel.

There will always be value in the Dewey system. I'm don't have a point of view on its future. It has been useful to me.

To a broader point, however, I think our public library systems can learn from the "Barnes and Noble" model. I find the B&N I frequent a better resource for material than my local library (and I have to pay at B&N!!). That's the impact of marketing.

My local library recently renovated, and the improvements are very good! My kids love it. But I was struck that I prefer the bookstore as a resource. Dewey is not dead, and local libraries will continue to play relevant, resourceful role into the future. But the increasing sophistication of the internet and the revenue that chain bookstores bring to the table are likely confounding to the public library systems that feel outgunned and out-financed.

We'll see how the experiment in Arizona works out.

Interestingly enough, it is highly likely that the B&N's of the world will come and go, but I'm pretty sure my local library is around for the long-haul.

Which do you prefer? Your public library or the B&N?

South Carolina Fire Tragedy Update

At times, the journey upward declines into valleys.

Authorities are starting look into why nine firefighters died in Charleston, South Carolina on Monday. It was just a matter of time before someone started asking questions about what started the fire and why. There are some interesting reports out there regarding why the structure collapsed.

Fire Engineering seems to be a good site to keep track of the developing scrutiny on this tragedy.

Over the next several days, many critics will begin to pick apart the decisions of the Charleston FD leadership organization on how this blaze was fought.

Hard questions need to be asked to help other fire fighting agencies learn as much as possible to prevent this type of thing from happening again.

But before the media frenzy picks up, let's take time to honor the nine noble men who gave their lives, doing a job they loved, for the sake of people they don't even know. The families of these nine heroes have also given more than they ever expected. Let us all pray for these families and this community in this time of deep grief and loss.

These men gave their all....and deserve the attention and respect of the world!

May we all endeavor to be so noble.

Sidewalk repairs

I read with interest a passing comment in the local paper that a new sidewalk renovation program for the "historic" center of the city is off to a slow start. The city wants to replace aging sidewalks to improve access to downtown. Under the program, the city is offering to pitch in $500 for repairs and have residents pay for the rest.

A few observations about the "slow start". My sidewalks are not in need of replacing, so I don't have a dog in the fight.

1) "Most people don't know about the program." I'd say this is an incorrect assumption. It has been widely reported in the local paper, and I've heard my neighbors talking critically about the program (their argument in a moment). I would speculate that the real issue is that the city is only putting $500 to help incentivize residents to participate. Money talks, but for this project, $500 isn't enough to motivate action.

2) Unrealistic expectations. The last time I looked at the "historic" district of Marysville, it probably reflects the lower income segment of the population. It's tough for people to pay for gas, bills, food, taxes, etc and then layout the additional funds to replace what they perceive to be "the city's sidewalks." Local policymakers will fall back on city ordinances that state upkeep of the side walks are the property owners responsibility. That is fine on paper, but in reality, many of the folks (many of whom are seniors) just can't afford to choose between prescription medication or food and repairing the sidewalk. This is the plight of my elderly neighbors. I empathize with their frustration (their walks are made of brick (see picture), which I think has more of an historic appeal than fresh concrete). Bottom line: most of the people being asked to "pony up" just can't afford it, even with the additional cash layout from the city.

3) Already over-taxed. A broader issue may be related to the fact that people can't afford to participate because they feel over-taxed by the city. For instance, folks who live in the city of Marysville but who work someone else no longer get a discount on their local taxes based on the amount they of local tax paid to their employers city. City leaders repealed the discount, effectively penalizing or "raising taxes" on anyone who works outside of Marysville.

People are aware of the "sidewalk" program. But naturally, they are not going to participate because they get little in return for the investment (relatively speaking) they've made. Surely some creative individual in city government can find some sort of grant from the state or federal government to cover the costs.

The dollars are likely out there, but no one has bothered to find them.

The city has a history of not being aware of the assistance available to help deal with these types of issues. For instance, the closing of the 5th street crossing due to safety reasons could have been avoided years ago, had someone bothered to pick-up the phone and ask the state PUCO or the state Rail Commission for dollars to upgrade the crossing (it clearly qualified). Instead, we have a significant road shut down until the next cycle of funding is available.

Has the city searched for funding elsewhere to pay for this historic endeavor?

And then I think about the wonderful people we helped in Puerto Cortez and their plight and I realize just how warped our priorities really are in America. They need clean water and hope.

Meanwhile, we fuss over sidewalks.

Ever thought about how far $500 would go in an economy where 20 of their dollars equals one of ours? And just how absurd is it that there probably is some federal sidewalk renovation fund available to help us out while the folks in La Esperanza struggle to exist?