As Americans, we exist in relative ease. Even in our current economic state, we can see that we have much more than a large portion of the world. Perhaps the tragedy in Haiti has brought this fact to the attention of some. The comfortable, yet busy, lives we put so much value on allow us to place our trust in ourselves. We don’t really need God, or so we have decided. Therefore, it would seem that many “Christians” have an extremely small view of God. I understand this because I spent the majority of my life thinking of Him as some distant being who exists for the purpose of granting or denying applications to heaven and keeping my family safe as they travel. A deeper look into Christianity exposes a vision of God that is much greater than this limited, and quite frankly, insulting view of Him. In his book Crazy Love, pastor Francis Chan encourages Christians to see that God - creator of the vastness of the universe, and the infinitely minute details in nature - desires to have a close, personal relationship with us. In light of this, how can one continue to live a "normal" life, which shows no interest in this offer, while carrying the label "Christian?"
Notice that what Jesus says is a commandment, not a passing recommendation. It is mandatory that Christians love God with everything if following Him. So, what is love? Aristotle defined love as “doing kindnesses; doing them unasked; and not proclaiming the fact when they are done." This definition clearly states that the person possessing love will do things to show it. Aquinas expanded on Aristotle’s definition, using the term agape, by expressing the paternal love that Christians receive from God and reciprocate. The Christian life should be defined by love. Shouldn’t this love for God, then, be noticeable to spectators?
Our time on this earth is short and fragile. Most have had someone close to them taken away prior to reaching old age. Someday we will all be six feet deep and no one will care how well dressed or popular we were. This reality should prompt a paradigm shift, causing Christians to live lives that count for something important - something that doesn't die with their bodies.
Works Cited
http://www.iep.utm.edu/love/
I would like to point out that you, as a young kid, didn't believe as you do now, because people change as they learn more about themselves and what they believe in, just as you did. I don't think that this is insulting to God at all, he has a plan for you and it may be to educate others about what you used to believe in and how you came to believe what you do now.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing I want to comment on was on the First Commandment, it quotes "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This doesn't suggest that you have to publicize your love for him; you just must love Him with all your heart and all your soul. You can do this in the privacy of your home, you shouldn't have to show the entire world about your relationship, it is one between God and yourself, and no one else needs to be involved. I would not say that the relationship NEEDS to be private, because, as Aliprandini says, “Christians hold a variety of beliefs regarding the role of Christianity in private and public life, and the degree to which Christian principles should serve as moral guidelines..." It is fine to be outspoken, but everyone has a slightly different take on how to be Christian and should not be judged as wrong.
Work Cited
Aliprandini, Micheal and Wagner, Geraldine. “Christianity in the
United States.” Points of View. 1-1,1 (2009). Points of
View: Reference Center. Web. 3 March 2010.
In a sense you make a valid point regarding how our perceptions of God change as we grow in our relationship with Him. Although I maintain that this is an insulting view of God, I do concede that the purpose of grace - God's willing forgiveness of us based the gift of GOD'S SON for our sins - is to erase this error from our records. God will willingly forgive us every time we "mess up"; however, here in America, everyone has access to the Bible and therefore has no excuse for not knowing what is in it. Christians MUST be constantly growing in their relationship with, and knowledge of, the God they claim to serve.
ReplyDelete2 Peter 3:18 – "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…”
Your thought that Christians shouldn’t spread their faith to others directly contradicts a statement commonly known as “The Great Commission” among Christians. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands his disciples saying, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,…” In a recent CNN article discussing the controversy surrounding Tim Tebow’s Anti-Abortion Super Bowl Ad, CNN Political Analysis, Roland Martin addresses the Great Commission with, “The Christian faith calls on believers to spread the word of God. There is nothing wrong with that.” He goes on to call the critics analyze their opinions. “The criticism isn't unique. For many folks, they would rather Christians treat their faith like a buffet: Take a little bit of this, a little bit of that, ignore this and that, and go on your merry way.” His message: Christians! Believe what you claim to believe!
I will most definitely concede to you that there are different roles that Christians play in the process of spreading the gospel. Christians need to be careful to know what they believe, because spreading the Gospel without a spiritual maturity often brings a condescending and condemning message to the world. People that speak in this manner typically do more damage to the cause than good.
Works Cited
Martin, Roland. “Nothing Wrong with Tebow Super Bowl Ad.” CNN Opinion. 06 Feb 2010. CNN.com, Web 8 Feb 2010.
Zondervan NIV The Quest Study Bible
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. Print.
I would like to say that I believe both of you are correct. As children, we are highly uneducated on everything and anything, even though we would like to believe that we know everything. And as you both mentioned, we learn more about God as we grow in our faith. Just like with our lives, the older we get, the more we know. If a person asks another person to drive a car at the age of eight, that would be ridiculous, but as we get older, we start taking classes on how to drive a car and that gaining experience when we actually do drive a car. Now I am not saying that learning about faith and God is like driving a car, that again would be ridiculous, but in a way the process is the same. An eight year old would not, and should not, be able to explain the power and love of God. Even an eighty-eight year old might not be able to explain the power and love of God. However, just like driving a car, the more we read the Bible or talk to people about the Word of the Lord, the more we are able to know.
ReplyDeleteI do see the point that Shane is making that we should always be learning more and more about the relationship with God. When you are spreading the word of God, you probably wouldn’t be doing that in a church setting anyway. That would be the job of the pastor. You should be spreading the word of God to others who are not avid churchgoers, as myself. Children need the most education of all, they are just beginning to learn what it means to be a Christian. I also believe that the kind of relationship that you have with God has a lot to do with what beliefs your parents hold. This could be one reason why I believe what I believe - because this is what I was taught to believe. This is not to say that young children should not get information from more people than just their parents, but sometimes those are the only people who really talk to you about it.
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