Things New and Old

We return to an intriguing exercise, the treatment of a theme in two acceptable contexts – human and divine.  On many occasions they run parallel to each other, and that is comforting.  On other occasions they appear to be running, and are doing so, in contrary, even contradictory directions.  Truly objective naturalists holding only the context of nature for all things human, when running into contradictions will, with Einstein, call them paradoxes which are seeming contradictions, perhaps to be explained in some future era when more has been discovered related to the arena of earth and space.  As exciting, perhaps even life- saving, as that research related to nature’s terms may be, the first interest of Christians relates not to outer nature, but inner human nature.  The search for life on Mars, as challenging as that may be, is a modest objective contrasted to the need for search for earth meaning, health, family, education, government, and ultimate resolution of human life.  These are primary earth concerns for Christian.  To live well in nature for many decades, as I have been gifted for a time period, is meaningless, except for radically different definition of meaning for believing and acting than is common.  Even persons possessing no identifiable concepts of God and/or heaven acknowledge that human life in nature’s laws is temporary unless we search life mystery for better orientation.  Plays like Waiting for Godot, either address the matter or imply it.

The biblical Christian interprets life differently than the naturalist so facts may have different meanings.  Marriage was second to both my wife and me than our spiritual relationship to God.  We both felt that we were better mates to each other by being made second to God.  A good secular marriage puts the mates in first place to each other.  They might excuse cheating and stealing for each other.  We believed we would not violate morality for each other, and if in moments of weakness we would do so, we had to find recovery both with God and with each other that we had violated ourselves and each other’s ideals.  An ancient saint on the brink of martyrdom signed a recantation of his faith so to save his life.  In the immediate aftermath he was so stricken with the lie of denial that he sought out authorities and recanted his recantation.  As the fire rose to encompass him, he thrust his hand into the fire so to feel the judgment of the hand that had signed the first recantation paper.  The history of Christianity is deeply dotted with the thousands of persons who thought quite differently about their faith than the citizens who executed them.  If we knew enough we would likely discover that when we speak of the fear of God it is likely that we mean we fear a life without God.  I do, and nearly all my family does as well – as also do the majority of my friends.

As a Christian I might, rightly or wrongly, be jailed for a real or alleged conduct violating society. My cellmate might complain bitterly that his freedom had been taken away.  I would feel just as free in that cell as I do here in my study.  Treatment I receive from any person or institution does not take away the sense of freedom within.  My civic freedom has been reduced but the freedom I value infinitely more, that may be identified as spiritual freedom, can’t be taken away – unless God would choose to do so.  If disavowed I would quickly feel it in my conscience and seek to gain restoration.  I have no spiritual fear in that I am totally convinced of the Fatherhood of God for those he identifies as his children.  There is spiritual recovery.  The Apostle Peter found it after his rejection of Jesus at the fire.  Judas chose self-destruction.  There would have been forgiveness for him in repentance.  He never really joined the disciples of Jesus, although, in the human context, he identified with them during the three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  Such self-betrayal occurred for persons before Judas, and in history since.  The politics of it fools us.  The future is going to be different than the past – as it always has fluctuated.  The coming of drones may drive persons to escape, perhaps to underground living, or seeking constancy in some repellent, or abandoning urban centers, or whatever may be found for temporary safety.