Last semester I was looking for one more class to fulfill
my minimum credits. As I wandered through the list of possibilities, I spotted Major
Religious Figures focusing on authors C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Well,
naturally the nerd in me was pretty thrilled. Lewis was a favorite and I
admired Tolkien as well. A whole class devoted to reading and analyzing their
works? That was right up my alley. When I saw it was an upper level philosophy class;
however, my heart dropped a little bit. I had a horrible fear I was going to be
the only 18 year old female in the midst of 50 year old men with long bears who
probably really enjoyed playing chess in their free time (Nothing against the
game, I’m just incapable of it). I remember asking my mom whether or not she
thought I should take the class. I mean, would it be above my head? “Emily,”
She said, “You hear a philosophy lecture every Sunday morning.” Needless to
say, I registered for the class.
My mom was right, as usual. The senior pastor at my
church is not one to dumb down to his audience. By this I don’t mean he uses
impossible to pronounce words and application only fit for 16th
century church reformers. Just the opposite. He somehow explains theology and
the difficult to grasp verses helping us to make sense of things, while always
bringing it back to the truth of the gospel and our salvation in Christ alone.
However, he has a personal theme that he has encouraged our church with that is
taken directly from Romans, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will” (12:2). That
idea of renewing our minds, staying aware of our culture, and intellectually
involved with God’s word are his encouragements for living a daily Christian
life.
As a young woman in college it becomes more and more
evident to me that my faith is not stagnant but growing and needs nourishment.
This happens through the heart when faced with things I want that I can’t have,
through the soul as I learn to trust and feel God’s presence, and even
physically as I often have to force myself to have quiet time praying and
reading God’s word. However, the verse that I am not so subtly eluding to
included one more facet, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark
12:30). I think the popular church culture of our day is often missing the
“mind” component of worship (and yes, I do believe it is worship). I find
myself often running in to two different kinds of Christians my age. First, the
opinionated but uneducated ones. These Christians are the ones who are
passionate about church and their faith, but have never been exposed much to
theology or different thinking. When issues arise they are the first to stand
their ground, but unfortunately their ground shakes fairly violently as they haven’t
thought much about why they believe what they believe and begin trying to argue
with a PhD professor. These encounters tend to be awkward and embarrassing. You
want to encourage their bravery, but because of their lack of knowledge and
skill their arguments easily turn against them and do little to help the situation.
Their defensiveness can also have a tendency to become very close-minded.
Instead of listening and deciding to think critically about what they hear from
their professors or classmates they automatically assume there can be no truth
to their statements at all. The second kind of Christian is the easily swayed. These
Christians have some background with the faith and have claimed it, but after
hearing the educated, logical, and persuasive views of professors and experts things
begin to cloud over (listening to the weak arguments of the first Christian
doesn’t really help the situation either). Without strong roots or other people
to go to with their thoughts and questions, their commitment to the church and God
begins to fade.
At this point I want to make it clear that I myself
don’t claim to be better than either of these Christian stereotypes I’ve
pointed out. I find myself often a coward and could use the bravery and
forwardness of the first type. Similarly I’m just as confused and doubtful as
the second. However, this is where I am blessed. It was after listening to
certain lectures or engaging in certain ideas at school or with friends that I
ran where I was taught to go; to my church and my family. I sat down with other
people (some who also have PhDs I might add, although as one of them told me
once “intellectualism is overrated”) to discuss what I heard. I went through my
notes pointing out everything with question marks, sarcastic comments, or frowny faces next to them.
I asked my questions and raised my doubts. I’ll be the first to tell you I did
not always get all the answers either. I’m still stuck on certain issues
sometimes, and I still have a great deal to learn. But I’ve come to terms with
that, for now anyway. I think that’s how God intended it. It’s through my delving,
researching, and questioning that I’ve come so much closer to him. After all,
how can you love someone you don’t know? The effort of coming to know who God
is, his character, his plans, and his ways allows me to love him more. Just
because God “moves in mysterious ways” doesn’t mean that he doesn’t show you
every now then. You just have to be looking.
So, this is a call, as you will, to ask our churches,
Christian homes, and parents to share in the importance of loving the Lord with
your mind. Teach it to your congregation and your children. Our “cool, hip”
Christian settings are not going to cut it when the tough questions are asked. It’s
time to raise the bar a little bit and help each other as Christians to be
prepared to live “in the world but not of it”. Yes, it is the belief in the gospel that saves
you. Yes, it is through Christ dying for our sins. Yes, it is by faith and
grace alone and that is the essential truth. However, we live in a world of
science and logic. And wasn’t it God who created those also? Didn’t he give us
minds and curiosity and a desire to seek the truth? Shouldn’t we wonder about
our church history, about why some adopt doctrines and creeds and others don’t,
about what different denominations believe? Then from that pursuit to form an
opinion of our own and a deeper relationship with God. As Lewis, always so
efficient and eloquent, put it, ““God is no fonder of intellectual slackers
than He is of any other slacker.” In this time of fear and change that can so
easily become overwhelming, let us fight. Let us fight for the Lord with our
heart, with our soul, and with our strength, and let us show the world that we
can fight with our minds as well.
