Love With Your Mind

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 16^th 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.