Is it not obvious to people seeking the truth about mankind’s reality that they have a serious problem in establishing a permanent peace, prosperity, place, progress and perfection? Since the Tower of Babel (let’s say around 3000 BCE) when the people decided they would create their own path to replacing God and make for themselves a great name, mankind has been tragically confused and combative(Gen. 11:1-9)! Space limits my elaborating on the philosophical, anthropological and theological implications of this story of long ago, but the basic truth taught is right on target! Even a beginner’s knowledge of human history testifies to mankind’s never ending wars, violence, brutality, conflict, tyrants, prejudice, greed, foolishness and enslavement, etc. etc.
The bottom line is that all of us, the creatures of creation, are bankrupt in their own wisdom and power to handle earth life as the Creator intended it to be! Even in the Garden of Eden (Delight in Hebrew) Adam and Eve blew it by their insane experiment of ignoring their Creator and trying to be fully human on their own! History is the evidence that shouts “It can’t be done!” All honest seekers know that we truly have their “Edenic genes”! Like it or not, we are all participants in a cosmic battle between good and evil! None of us can escape choosing which option we will strive to live and die for.
I am excited about a summary statement to the above by the Apostle Paul in II Thessalonians 2:9-12. My paraphrase from the Greek goes like this: “Satan has deceived the people who are perishing (Greek…wasting away in secondary meaninglessness) because they refused to seek and love the truth in order to find and possess the Creator’s wholeness, justice, joy and fullness! For this reason God allows them a powerful delusion so they will believe what is false! They will experience crisis they can’t control because they have rejected truth and delighted in their own lies and deception!”
I know I’m in rather deep theology here but feel a necessity to at least touch the subject. Some of my readers no doubt have trouble with the concept of Satan, but to those of us believing in the authority of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures the issue seems clear! If I were to have a friendly discussion with any of you, I would begin with two questions: Where does the “energy of good” come from? Where does the “energy of evil” come from?
I would then end my personal argument by pointing to the person of Jesus Christ! He changed the world for good more than any other “human” who ever lived. Most of us who strive to understand and follow Him believe He was actually “God in the flesh”! This conclusion leads us to our primary and authentic search for truth about ourselves, others, creation, purpose, what is right, government, moral issues, the church, the nations, suffering, death, etc. etc., etc. The earnest cross embracing Christian learns, as I see it, there are only three major issues to master—or attempt to—while we walk the earth—God’s love, the Savior’s cross and our personal relationship to both! Striving to capture the how of this triune obsession will put all the truth we need into our mind, heart and will that is necessary to survive, thrive and arrive!
America’s current, ongoing crisis of discord, violence, trauma, conflict, division, deceit, lies and hostility is the worst I have experienced as an 87 year old citizen! I weep for my country and its people! Nevertheless the Scriptures, as well as world history, reveal to me the Lord is still in charge of His creation! Nothing happens He does not allow in order to prove His point! We must learn that all people need to seek and yield to His plan for their delight and not to seek to be “the god” of their own plan.
When I first began as Chaplain of the Razorbacks I was attending an afternoon practice and watching one of our favorite coaches put his players through some intense blocking drills. As we walked off the field at the end of practice I could see the men were exhausted, sweating profusely and some were bleeding from cuts and hits. I commented to the coach, in my novice coaching wisdom, “Looks like you have some great players here Coach!” His reply is with me still, fifty years later! “I don’t know yet, Reverend! I have to figure out which ones just want to be football players and the ones who really want to play football!”
Every person who calls himself or herself a Christian faces the same distinction. Are you content with being labeled a Christian and wearing your “church uniform”? Or is your heart reality truly set on seeking and taking up Christ’s cross? Regardless of our nation’s current, deep problems, those who really want to sacrifice to play the game of truth and reality will personally overcome and contribute their best to our country’s hope for healing!
[Note: This article was originally published in September 2020.]
