Making Sense of the World

 (I understand that some of you will believe this essay to be bias, and you are correct in that thought.  For those who believe 2+2=4 are bias in believing that mathematics are correct.)

You see in every “Christian” community, people trying to make sense of world  in the context of the Gospel, and it becomes remarkably hard to cope with. The reason behind this, I believe, is because we are attempting to make sense of the world like we [Christians] make sense of the Gospel.  To an eye that has been opened, it is easy to see how the Gospel makes perfect sense, but to those who “see” and those who “do not see”, the world does not.  Yet this is to be easily understood…

                First we must look at why some might not choose to see the Gospel as truth, yet look to the world’s concept of truth.  My personal belief is that those whom have a hard time relating to the Gospel in a worldly view is because the Gospel is a world view of its own, very much unlike the common world view today.  For if we could use religion to make sense of the world we could be come God Himself; knowing all, seeing all.  To some, this is the ultimate dream, to be God.  To the Christian this is a worthless desire…

“If I were God, we would all be dead”-Byron Ellis

                So the reason we Christians find comfort in not being God is because it relinquishes the requirements of God.  It allows us to search for God, with results portioned (but not exclusive) for the individual. 

                See, most, if not all, truly desire the existence of God, not only that, but desire to either be that “god” or to have what ever “god” affirm with them. (To agree with what they believe to be true)  The true desire of all of humanity, is of course, affirmation.

                (I understand I have lost some of you at this point, but please bare with me, we are going somewhere)

                Affirmation, we Christians believe, is to be found in Christ, not because He agrees with us, but because He is truth whether we choose to believe in Him or not.

                [Yet, it needs to be said that affirmation is not found in the theory of idea or even teaching of God, but the Person of God Himself.  The sole reason behind this is because a theory or idea or teaching of God does not require God to be alive. (In many cases those who have theories or such of “God” have already concluded, in their hearts, that He is dead.)  Yet, those whom affirmation resided in the Person of God must, for logical reason, conclude that He is alive.]

Now back to the original question of making sense of the world…

                There is one fact clearly expressed in the world and which might not make complete sense to us, but does answer a lot of questions and seems to fall into agreement with the biblical explanation.

                                -The world is a fallen, broken, disfigured place.

                If you were to disagree with this you must make either of two assumptions…

1) There are no defining terms to label the worlds current state of existence, fall or not fallen are a matter of opinion based on how the world should be.  Whereas since you agree that the state of the world is naturally correct you could never logically prove that any of your complaints ever are reasonable.

2) That you are, in fact (not opinion), a blind moron.  To which I would wish “good luck.” For I believe, luck might be more important to you than you think.

                So since the world is in fact broken, to make sense of it, is not only to seek what cause it to be broken but also to fix it’s brokenness.

                Now, we run into our first conundrum; if the world is in fact broken, than so are we.  So, for us to fix something broken, we ourselves must not be broken (For if the tool itself is broken how is it to work in fixing the problem).  So we find the most common secular view in action, by fixing the world around us we fix ourselves in the process.  Yet our efforts are futile for we see this in the history of Human Kind in the example of every revolution ever taken place for the efforts to fix the world (Christ did not come to fix the world, but to save it from itself){Matt 10;34}.  For, even if our efforts are honest, they are ruined by our nature to be selfish, complacent, and comfortable.

                So, we create things to cover up our brokenness by changing the bar of standard.  No longer are virtues important but functionality in society, yet, since society is broken our ability to function in it must be a distorting of virtue. (If we are virtuous than we would find it hard to fit in)  So our endeavors are no longer to correct society, but to fit to its mold and make it work. 

[How unfortunate the generations after us.  For if it is difficult to live virtuous now, it will be much more difficult to live virtuous in the future.]

                Since correcting ourselves is far beyond our own ability, the world will always look to correcting the issues outside our current state of unrighteousness.  So, we find the common thought of society more complaint than solutions, especially to those outside our individualistic train of thought.

                Since fitting into the mold is the new social standard, there is no confusion to why scripture is contrary to society.  Scripture points to the solution to the problems and does not attempt to cover them up.  This is also why we have difficulty sorting through the correct interpretation of scripture, because it does not logically fit into molding us for society, but rather leans on the transformation of character, something society has abolished for the simple reason that the majority thought determines truth, not logic.

                This is why Christ is deemed as a revolutionary to humanity.  He is something we all want to believe in, but runs a close second to what the world says is desirable truth.

                It is important we pray for ourselves and future generations because it is naturally to not “want the pain of the scab, but to want the scar.” (Iron and Wine)

                It is a dangerous game, to enter into this world; to breathe its air, to feel the warmth of it’s sun, to see the untimely death of those innocent and the flourishing of those guilty, to be hurt by those you love, and to participate in retaliation.  (It is good to have a sympathetic God, who has breathed the same air and felt the same feelings, who has suffered the same betrayal.)

                I can not comprehend the logic of molding to the common thought of the world but I do cringe at the thought of fighting against it for truth.  And, if we refuse to fight for truth than we are encouraging a society who finds delight in the brokenness of the world.

                                The question becomes this.  Do we desire truth more than Comfort?  For, truth would not be truth if it did not make you uncomfortable in a fallen world.  Virtue would not be virtuous if it fit well into a world that has fallen away from righteousness.

And so I end with a quote, “their worldly wisdom a false jewel, skillfully and deceptively composed, and their sacred freedom itself too often and too easily serves self-interest.  They are never earnest with anything that goes beyond palpable utility.  All knowledge they have robbed of life and use only as dead woods to make mast and helms for their life’s voyage in pursuit of gain.”

                                                                -Friedreich Schleiermacher

How shall we make sense of this?