The evangelists are coming

A man moved into a new house and a lady from the local church approached him with an apologetic expression: "I think I did something I should't have done, I told your neighbours you were an evangelist." The word "evangelist" can make some people uneasy, even queasy, and I wouldn't want an "evangelist" coming to town and living next-door to me - not if it meant a superficial person who constantly badgered me to convert to his quirky religion: the kind of person constantly grinning at you from next door. However, an evangelist is simply "one who tells other people the good news" and Christian evangelists are not fake and flashy, they're clear and sincere communicators of the Christian faith. They're not pushy and pretentious, they're ordinary Christians prepared to share, and if you're a Christian, wherever you live, an evangelist has come to town because that evangelist is you.

Faith Seeking Understanding

The fairytale king who celebrated his new clothes had faith they were the finest ever seen, but the trouble was they were unseen and when the king could see the truth he could see he wasn't wearing anything. Everyone has some kind of faith, even those who only have faith that they-have-no-faith, and in each case faith entails trusting in something unknown. However, faith without understanding - the kind that leaves us intellectually naked - is neither wise nor biblical. Faith is important in the context of belief but faith seeking understanding is the key to developing unshakeable faith. The most important element of Christianity is the fact it is true and Christians must be equipped to defend the truth claims of the Christian faith, ready to engage non-Christians, and prepared to offer a reasonable explanation for the truth of Christianity.

All beliefs are not created equal

We live in a day and age where equality is celebrated and equal opportunity is trumpeted, but not everything is subject to equilibrium. In the world of ideas, some beliefs are clearly better than others. However, many are striving to establish a world where all beliefs are created equal. You just have to pick up a newspaper to realise some actions are right and others wrong. Deep down we recognise this but in a popular culture that has undermined the basis for moral absolutes it's no longer as obvious as it should be. Cultural confusion has pounded people into submission and many are afraid to comment on the beliefs or behaviour of anyone, regardless of how extreme it may be, but all beliefs are not created equal. Christianity can help us make sense of right and wrong, because it helps us understand the absolute standard for goodness - the way things ought to be - grounded in the character of God.

Dealing with truth decay

Scepticism (failing to ascribe authority to any belief) inevitably leads to Pluralism (in the modern sense, ascribing equal authority to all beliefs) and we are experiencing truth decay. In the age of McTruth: you can "have it your way" and the popular mantra "all beliefs are equally true" sounds good until a family of hungry cannibals move in next door. When we stop and think about it we understand all beliefs are not true because some beliefs are better than others. The real issue: can I know the truth? In the pursuit of truth Christians believe they have a distinct advantage, because Christians believe they have truth on their side and a belief that corresponds to reality. There are many arguments and evidences for the truth of the Christian faith and Christianity can help us make sense of the world, increasing our confidence and strengthening our faith in the one who said: "I am the truth!" - Jesus Christ.

How you see the world influences how you see yourself.

Recently a report in Scotland highlighted a statistic that more young people are suffering from depression. The cause, according to the report, is primarily genetics, diet, and lack of exercise. While I don’t doubt physical factors influence our general disposition I found it amazing (but not surprising) the report didn’t consider an alternative (or additional) explanation. How about the fact young people spend six hours a day, five days a week, forty weeks a year, for fifteen to twenty years learning to look at the world from this perspective: we come from nowhere (no value), are here for no reason (no meaning), and are going nowhere (no hope)? Our education system is not philosophically neutral, it implicitly (and often explicitly) endorses and encourages a worldview without God – and that has consequences. There is something deep inside us that longs for more and the Christian worldview holds the key: we are created by God (absolute value), God has a purpose for our lives (meaning), and he wants us to spend eternity with Him (hope). This is not wishful thinking, this is truth grounded in reality that helps us make sense of the world and of ourselves. It is a positive way of looking at the world that can positively impact young people today, they just need to know!

Heavenly-minded IS earthly good!

I recently watched a TV program that sensationally highlighted the dangers of “Christian End-Timers.” The suggestion: it is reckless to teach the world is going to end because people will no longer choose to live responsibly – I mean, why would you bother? I wrote to the host of the program, to enlighten him. Every Bible-believing Christian is an “End-Timer,” in a general sense, but the Bible teaches one day everyone will have to stand before God and give an account for their lives. We are responsible for every action (and inaction) and in the words of General Maximus (from the movie Gladiator), “what you do in life echoes in eternity!” John Lennon sang and encouraged us to imagine an ideal world where there was no heaven or hell, but the removal of eternal consequences does not inspire temporal responsibility – in fact, as history has shown, the opposite is true. Some continue to argue heavenly-minded is no earthly good, but the reality is heavenly-minded people are a lot of earthly good, we could do with a lot more of them, and you can be sure we’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Sawing-off the branch you are sitting on...

When a prominent religious individual is criticised for [allegedly] criticising another prominent religious individual why do people not see the contradiction? To violently criticise another for being violently critical is like sawing-off the branch you’re sitting on. I support a society that encourages serious discussion on religious and moral issues, so I am always troubled by any who seek to close the mouths of all who disagree with them. Don’t be fooled by those who claim, in matters of religion and morality, “keep your mouth shut about other people,” because in making this demand they always open theirs.