The Epistle of James is one of the most practical and straightforward documents one will ever read about Christian life. It is one of those literary instruments admitting life as it is, and God as he is, to extrapolate common sense applications for living in nature and society. Some of James’ remarks support success in both common grace and divine. In common grace, the Apostle supports goal orientation (I will do this or that.), while living also in divine grace (If the Lord wills, I will do this or that.) (4:15) The wisdom of the Christian is to learn how to function effectively as a member of both earthly and heavenly societies. Some Christians never quite get it, and so in overly accenting one or the other lose some of the benefits of both. In distortions carnality may grow. Distorting emphasis invites religiosity or fanaticism. The tests of balance, according to Scripture, appear in various ways relating to life and responses. These last are topics for other Pages. Our purpose here is to be fulfilled Christians in the world. This has become known as holistic Christian life. Spiritual and natural issues come together in unity for life.
Many studies have been made related to long life span, with satisfaction presumed in those who live long life. One study, begun the year I was born (1923), continues at this writing 90+ years later, goes well beyond the death of the first researcher. That study dealt with various child issues that lead to effective adult life. The most negative influence, at this point in summary, has been divorce for parents during a child’s formative years. A sense of life direction found early was an affirmative point. Various studies show that setting goals, related to the nature of the person setting the goals, is a significant factor in the success of the person. For example, allowing for the speed of assimilation and development in the person makes considerable difference in not only reaching goals, but providing a sense of worth and satisfaction in the person. This addresses the old story of the complexity that any issue becomes in the life of individuals and society. Once we have some evidence of what works for the long lived, successful persons in society, it becomes clearer why the delinquent is as he or she is and is becoming. It is striking that an enlightened society does not address what it knows to assist the children to maturity, with long and happy lives. Both parenting and education, as we have them from the past and since the great wars of the 20th century; and, the dilution of values along the way, have garbled society. Church and general society can do better.
Education has historically been cultivated in several contexts, including science, mythology, parables, experience, presumptions, common sense, religion, and the like with logics for each one. They were chosen to accomplish the goal of finding truth and living by it. The goal is the unifying factor in the variety of intellectual environments. All may be used if the goal is kept to the forefront so to offer unity for the various orientations to learning. The focus is not primarily on whatever is presumed or found to be wrong in any context, but what may be learned from it. Whatever is found to be wrong is to be addressed in the terms of how it may be fixed or corrected in application. Truth offers light, error casts shadows. If the wrong is used to degrade the admittedly useful context the seeker of truth then becomes a defender rather than primarily learner and teacher/model. There may be a detour that slows the learning process. The learner/teacher who is an atheist can use religion as a means for learning. The unbelieving student ought to approach the matter with the concept that if there were a God, how would God perceive family, culture, government, business, and whatever else involves the human being in search of truth useful for the improvement of life and nature? Even the humanist, if applying the concept, would admit an enormous public mass into the entrancing business of searching for nature’s truth and usefulness. A key that makes this proposal more than an interesting game-playing process is that virtually all persons admit to a desire to know the truth of anything, whether it be the life of turtles in the Galapagos Islands or deity at Olympus. Having attended institutions that include admission to search for divine truth, and institutions that deliberately evade it, I have gained much in my education by assuming God. My assumption turned to faith. That faith helped me in learning nature’s truths. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020