Thursday, February 26, 2009

Thoughts on G.K. Chesterton's "Orthodoxy"

I finished reading Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton today. It's chock-full of careful ruminations that are carefully written. There are at least 30 places in the 150 page book where I stopped and had to write things down in the margin because his comments were so thought provoking. It's hard to believe this book was published 100 years ago because it is as if he is rebutting the agnostic, atheist, and "spiritualist" thinkers of today. But, as C.S. Lewis stated in Surprised by Joy and Chesterton stated himself in this publication, the truth is truthful no matter what age it was discovered in. We cannot simply assert that our ideas today are better simply because they're newer. (This fallacy is called Appeal to Novelty.) **edit** C.S. Lewis calls it "chronological snobbery" - the thought that, because it's the most current year or age, we therefore are smarter, more advanced, more logical and have it more figured out than people did in ages past.

Anyway, there's nothing that will prove that the Bible holds the truth to life, the universe and everything, but there are a lot of things that you can try and test, and if there is such a thing as Truth (with a capital "T") then it will stand up to all trials.

There are a couple of things that I would like to share here that I found relevant to me. (Hey - it's my blog!)

1. Chesterton writes in the chapter "Authority and the Adventurer": "All the real argument about religion turns on the question of whether a man who was born upside down can tell when he comes right way up. The primary paradox of Christianity is that the ordinary condition of man is not his sane or sensible condition..." Which is to say here, Christians believe we were created perfect by God. Then we rebelled (Original Sin), which brought upon us death and all kinds of bad things. Man is living today in a state we were not meant to be in; we have a perfect creator and we also have evil in our world.

As a Christian it is so difficult to argue with people about religion, and in particular Christianity, because we're starting with different assumptions. It doesn't even make any sense to argue: you can't convince somebody of the logical steps of your argument when that person isn't standing on the same staircase. So I will not argue. I have made up my mind to never argue.

I will love. I will explain. I will answer sincere questions about Jesus and the Bible and Christianity sincerely from those who are wanting to wait a moment to listen to an answer. But I will not argue. I'm 25 years old and I can't believe it took me this long to realize this necessity.

2. Earlier in the same chapter Chesterton writes: "But my own positive conviction that personal creation is more conceivable than material fate, is, I admit, in a sense, undiscussable. I will not call it a faith or an intuition, for those words are mixed up with mere emotion, it is strictly an intellectual conviction; but it is a primary intellectual conviction like the certainty of self or the good of living."

It is true that the Bible states faith is necessary for salvation. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith..." (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus says to a woman in Luke "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50). I don't think Chesterton here is denouncing the necessity of Faith. I think he's resisting the current day's definition of the word "faith." Maybe Chesterton's statement above helps us better understand Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

I, too, have been blessed with a rock-solid faith insomuch as I am convinced that the Bible is true, that man is sinful and damnable, and that grace through Jesus is our only hope. I've known this as long as I've been able to know. However, I have not always reacted to this knowledge with obedience, to my salvation with good works, and that is my great sin. To be blessed with such conviction, yet to flail about in a cesspool of profligateness.... I shudder to think what will happen if I'm still living that way in equal measure on the day I fall into the hands of the Living God. This is a completely different discussion, but one I am quite happy to talk about because I have seen Jesus changing me in revolutionary ways since this past November 1st.

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I am not alone

This morning, chocolate tasted like chocolate again. I stood in that moment and sighed, before opening my door to the world.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

I've forgotten what warm weather feels like.

It doesn't get as cold here as Minnesota, but my school and my apartment don't have insulated walls, and my school isn't heated. The offices have air-conditioner like heaters, but none of the classrooms has any sort of heat. It hangs around in the 40s while we teach in the wintertime, and sometimes drops down low enough to see your breath inside the classroom. It's quite terrible. You may say, "Well, 100 years ago most school houses in Minnesota didn't have electricity. They toughed it out." No, they had stoves. Kids lit a fire in the classroom each morning so that they could concentrate on their studies. We have the irony of a "modern" building that isn't heated, and being "modern" won't allow for fires being lit in the center of the room. I really don't know how students are expected to perform to their full potential when the only word I hear from them during an entire lesson is "Samui!" - "Cold!" Kids huddle together before class starts and fight over the seat in the sun.

My apartment also has an air-conditioner heater thingy, but it's only in 1 of my 5 rooms, and about 3 minutes after I turn it off it's cold again because my walls are so thin and I have 3 huge sliding glass doors. The only 2 places I'm ever warm is in the shower and in my bed. And people wonder why they lose motivation during the wintertime.

I'm not super-upset about this, and you might think it's complaining, but for the most part I've grown used to it. (There are so many things you have to just shrug your shoulders at when living in a different country and culture, hoo, believe me...or in the case of cold "hunch" your shoulders...) The winter can't last forever, but it's lasted long enough now to the point where I can picture myself wearing a T-shirt, but I can't picture myself being comfortable while wearing one. I really miss being comfortable and relaxed and warm...

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Sunday, February 22, 2009

2/22

Jesus is really changing me, it's amazing!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Update

I'm sorry I've been bad about writing here over the past month+. The truth is, I've been going through a lot of changes, and doing a lot more writing in my journal. (And I've picked up reading again.)

Things are going really great. And I tend to not write as much when things are great.

The novel experiences have begun to wear off. That's not to say crazy stuff doesn't keep happening to me, I can assure you, I've many a time waited for clocks to start floating around me, having just fallen down the rabbit hole. But I'm seeing these events as inherent to my time here -- no -- my life here. (Just today I was reminded by a friend that this too is real life!)

Most of my changes are God-centered. I've discovered repentance. I've discovered the joy of getting to go back and do it right this time, of receiving the freedom from Christ to pursue what's "true...noble...right...pure...lovely...admirable...excellent...and praiseworthy." I'm truly very happy here with my little plot of life I'm living in Japan because I have a living God who loves me, who has kept no good thing from me, and because I have a lot of hope for the future - encouraged by the promise of my good and fruitful efforts now leading to affirmation on the day of judgment. "I've been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...", the father having taken Christ's life for mine, and the power of grace having spurred me on will say, "Well done good and faithful servant." This is certainly the steady assurance I have in everything.

And, there are a lot of things to be worked on. My character must change. My obedience must align with Jesus'. I must hide the Word deep in my heart. I must take note of my Bible, pick it up, and investigate. I must consistently maintain my prayer life. All of these things with the hope that they pour over into the practical, into the visible realm where others "will take notice and praise my father in heaven." This is by far the most difficult part because I'm selfish and self-serving. I heard something from Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church) today that made me write the following:

Why would I ever exchange perfection for failure, wholeness for the broken, the Object of joy for objects of frustration? Why would I EVER exchange Jesus for myself - honoring my slovenly ways as more urgent than His rich promises? Yet I do this every day. I'm trying to do it less.

That's where I'm at.

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