Shining Moral Light into Dark Places

All of us like stories about noble and heroic acts of men and women.  These accounts affirm that there are many outstanding, unselfish, and courageous people.  Yet we also realize that the world has some very evil people.  To many, this remains a paradox.  How can there be humans who rise to such levels of sacrificial love and kindness while there are others whose pride and selfishness drive them to destroy human lives for the sake of power or pleasure?

Perhaps the two most tragic practices in which powerful adults inflict harm and even death upon babies and children are abortion and child pornography, respectively.  While the frequency of abortions in the USA has been steadily declining, the increasing acceptance of the practice of “after-birth abortions” or infanticide is very troubling.  Meanwhile, the presence of online child sexual abuse imagery (CSAI) has been increasing almost exponentially.

Plague of Child Sexual Abuse Imagery
Hopefully, a recent New York Times article (Sept. 28, 2019) by Michael H. Keller and Gabriel J.X. Dance will draw much needed attention to the horrific statistics on CSAI and its terrible toll on the lives of our innocent children.  The article is entitled “The Internet Is Overrun with Images of Child Sexual Abuse. What Went Wrong?”

I should warn readers that you may not want to read Keller and Dance’s article because the authors document crimes of assault, rape, and torture by adults against children as young as 3 or 4 years old.  These acts are filmed by other very selfish, twisted criminals for the purpose of online marketing to consumers who are themselves addicted to pornography.

What is most troubling are the stark statistics documenting the explosion of this illegal activity from the underbelly of our culture:
In 1998, there were over 3,000 reports of child sexual abuse imagery. 
Just over a decade later, yearly reports soared past 100,000. 
In 2014, that number surpassed 1 million for the first time.  
Last year, there were 18.4 million, more than one-third of the total ever reported.  Those reports included over 45 million images and videos flagged as child sexual abuse.

Obviously, laws against child pornography and law enforcement have not been successful in this war to protect our children against what has become an increasingly sophisticated underworld.  We are losing the current battle largely due to increasing usage of encryption to assure that privacy of law-abiding internet users is protected.  Encryption, particularly of social media platforms like Facebook Messenger and Snapchat has made it possible for child predators and abusers to conduct their sordid business.  Keller and Dance cite a recent article published in conjunction with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which stated that reports of online child abuse images were “exceeding the capabilities of independent clearinghouses and law enforcement to take action.”

God’s Moral Standards and Judgment
Clearly, the sordid acts of sexual abuse, torture, and murder of children ought to be considered unthinkable crimes against humanity.  However, even more despicable is the practice of digitally recording and distributing these images on the internet for profit.  Furthermore, this material is then available to feed pornographic addictions of the more hardened addicts.  This sordid behavior should remind us of our universal human need to live according to the moral standards God has revealed in Scripture for the good of humanity.

The horrible nature of CSAI should remind us of the universal nature of sin, rebellion against God’s authority. The account of the first sin as it entered God’s perfect creation is recorded in the Biblical account of the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve yielded to the allurement of Satan who appealed to the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life (Genesis 3; 1 John 2: 16).  When Adam and Eve chose to eat from one forbidden tree out of an abundance of wonderful trees and other provisions God had made for them, they rebelled against the moral boundaries God had given them for their good (Romans 1: 18-21).  The result was the invasion of sin and death that has continued to plague Adam’s offspring throughout the millennia ever since.

Thankfully, the Apostle Paul and many other New Testament writers address our lost human condition and also God’s provision of salvation through the “Second Adam,”  Jesus Christ.  Paul wrote that he was not ashamed of the Gospel…for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith (i.e. how we can be restored to right standing before God) (Romans 1: 16-17).  Paul continues by explaining the consequences of human rejection of God’s moral authority, beginning with ungratefulness and lack of reverence for a holy God.  Namely, we have become darkened in our understanding, spiritually blinded, foolish in our thinking, and idolatrous (Romans 1: 18-23).

But, as we read beyond Romans 1: 23, we realize the depth of our descent into moral depravity.  Beginning in verse 24, the Apostle Paul describes how humans have rejected God’s moral standards of heterosexual relationships within marriage taught in the Old Testament (Genesis 2: 21-25) and reinforced by Jesus in the New Testament (Matthew 19:4-6).  The consequences are “degrading passions” in which both men and women “exchanged the natural function” for “unnatural function” (Romans 1: 24-32).  Choosing to act contrary to God’s design for human sexuality in any of its perversions is both immoral and destructive to the spiritual flourishing of mankind.  

Paul addresses immorality in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, asking his readers, Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  Paul further warns us,
Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light (Ephesians 5: 11-13).

Spiritual Help with Addiction
Thankfully, there is hope for even the most depraved and hopeless person.  Although the Scriptures above sternly condemn sexual immorality of any sort as sin, we also find reason for hope.  Immediately following his stern warning in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 (see above), Paul writes these wonderful words of hope for restoration in the power of Christ (emphasis mine):  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6: 11).  Paul is saying some of you were fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, etc. but through repentance and faith in Christ, you were washed, set apart, and given right standing before a Holy God, just as if you had never sinned!  Amazing grace of God!

For the producer and peddler of pornography of any kind; or for the person addicted to pornography, there is help spiritually.  Christ died for all mankind on a Roman Cross to pay the penalty for human sin which is death (Romans 6: 23).  The “Good News,” or “the Gospel,” is the power of God for salvation for all who believe as we noted above.  The Gospel is summarized in an outline called “Steps to Peace with God” which explains God’s love, our predicament (sin and separation from God), what Jesus has done to address our predicament, and what you can do by faith to receive God’s righteousness (right standing with a Holy God). When you are “born again” through the power of God’s Spirit, you will be able to seek additional help in the Bible and through counsel from experienced believers who can assist you with your addiction and other sin that has defeated you.

Online websites that provide resources to assist with addiction to pornography include Focus on the Family, Pure Life Ministries (Help for Addiction to Pornography in Women), and Josh McDowell Ministry.

For those of us who, by God’s grace, have been spared of sexual addictions and immorality, we must recognize that we face a spiritual battle to live pure lives.  The temptation to rebel against God’s goodness and moral boundaries remains a challenge to all human beings, Christ-followers included.  As a YouVersion Bible reading plan, “Guardrails: Avoiding Regrets in Your Life,” states, God’s guardrail for our sexuality should keep us from doing anything that’s not what is best for the other person. Will it make them feel shame? Will it become a secret they carry for the rest of their life? Will it undermine their future relationships?” If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes,” then, as Paul says in in 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20, "flee."

As Christ-followers, we must nurture our children and grandchildren in biblical Christianity at home, through a Bible-preaching church, and by being vigilant about who our children are spending time with when they are not in our care, both friends and adult supervisors.  I would also recommend an excellent message by our pastor at West Hill Baptist Church, Pastor Zach Swift.  This message is third in his series, “Do You Surrender,” on the authority of God’s Word, and it is entitled “Morality.”  His message is a great resource for individual and family discussions of God’s “guardrails” to protect us, our marriages, and our families. 

Calling for Legislative and Legal Action
Finally, for those who have been challenged to act on behalf of the helpless children who fall victim to child sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation, please contact your U.S. Senators, Congressmen/women, and state and local officials.  There is clearly need for Congress and other levels of government to act on behalf of the powerless.  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has resources although they need more financial support and technical tools.  As we contact those in authority over us, we ought to pray for them that they will avoid temptation as they deal with the sin and corruption of our world.  We ought to grieve with law enforcement personnel as they regularly face human depravity to preserve law and order (Matthew 5: 4).

Climate Change in Context – 1. Getting the “Atmosphere” Right

This weekend, youth from 150 countries were so concerned about the global threat of climate change that they left their classrooms and took to the streets to urge world leaders to act.  As a science educator, I encouraged student involvement in learning.  So, I commend these students for their initiative, but I wonder if they are knowledgeable enough to preach to adults, many of whom lack consensus on whether or how much humans are responsible for climate change.

I am often asked, “Do you believe in ‘climate change?’” or, “Do you think humans can stop climate change?” or, “What do you think about “climate change?” 

The first two questions are easy.  My answers are, “Yes” and “No,” respectively.  Yes, according to science, climate change has been occurring for as far back as we have records or can extrapolate.  Geologic evidence suggests quite a few sudden, major, catastrophic changes in both the atmosphere and landscape of Earth—the kind of catastrophic events that can bury and preserve animals and plants within rocks or polar ice.  Because climate change has been occurring since long before human impacts on the Earth were significant, it is doubtful that we can stop climate change now.  If we could, what climatic conditions would we prefer for each latitude and biome?  Would we eliminate deserts?  Expand rain forests?

My answer to the third question, “I don’t always know what to think,” reflects my attempt to approach scientific issues with humility and healthy skepticism.  Therefore, I want to use this first of a series of articles on “Climate Change in Context” to emphasize the importance of two virtues that seem necessary in our discussion of global scale issues like climate change-- civility and humility.  If we want to make any headway on climate change or any other issue, there must be an “atmosphere” of civility and humility.

We can easily fill the atmosphere of our discussions with “hot air” and accomplish little else when we lack civility. Polite communication must underly every discussion, and this means both listening and speaking politely with one another.  The Apostle James wrote, Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19).  Perfect advice, isn’t it?  However, notice in the verses just before v. 19, James urges readers to humble themselves, recognize their proneness toward pride and selfishness, and their need to seek wisdom that comes from a gracious God.

David Rupert’s article in Patheos entitled “What the Bible Says about Civility” has numerous Scriptures encouraging civility through a spirit of humility, kindness, and self-control.  These are fruit of the indwelling Spirit of God (Galatians 5: 22-23) which ought to enable Christ-followers to be examples and to be winsome contributors to discussions of controversial issues (1 Peter 3: 15).

Rupert quotes Jim Brown, author of Ending our Uncivil War: A Path to Political Recovery and Spiritual Renewal who said,

We’re in a Binary Age, where nuance is rare, complexity is verboten and sharp political battle lines are drawn. Churchgoers on both sides of our national mess are reluctant to turn a cheek, fine with abandoning the least of our brothers or condemning anyone who is wealthy, and adamantly opposed to loving their enemy. In fact, some want blood. They want Barabbas.

Those who purpose to engage in conversation, debate, and social media messaging with civility and humility can create an atmosphere in which contention can give way to understanding of one another’s differing motives and perspectives.   Polite humility is essential when discussing the nuances of complex scientific data and differing interpretations.  For example, read the following pairs of “climate change claims” and consider how you might participate in polite dialog in an effort to understand them:

Notice that neither claim denies that increased global temperatures have been measured..  But the two claims disagree as to which is the cause and which is the effect.  If increasing global CO₂ is the result and not the cause of changes in global temperatures, then climate science needs to objectively tell us like it is lest our policy proposals miss the mark.  As we will see later, Allan M.R. MacRae supports Scientific Claim #2 in “CO₂, Global Warming, Climate, and Energy.”

Humility among scientists and reviewers of research manuscripts is essential if we are to avoid ethics violations.  I have written in “The Conscience of Science” of the many incidents in which scientists reportedly falsify data, suppress or hide contradictory results, or refuse to review research that may favor an opposing claim.  So, it is important that our electorate be educated not only in the science of global ecology and climate science, but that we learn to be discerning of the political motivations and forces that take opposing sides in the debate about climate change. 

First, are policies being grounded on the basis of “good science” and correct conclusions about climate trends?  Second, are proposed solutions properly targeted to solve the environmental problem, or are they aimed instead at simply justifying the concentration of more power in Washington, DC as part of a social experiment? 

Clearly, we can see that “climate change” has a context—one that demands of all Americans our best efforts based on high moral and ethical standards of conduct in both the sciences and in politics.  For this, I will suggest that we need fewer street marches and more classrooms that teach at least the historical importance of the foundation provided by our Judeo-Christian heritage.

In particular, a good atmosphere for dealing with climate change will demand that we understand and apply the biblical narrative of Genesis 1 and 2 which we will consider in Part 2.  We can only wonder sadly as how many of the estimated 4 million people who marched this weekend for climate change have any knowledge or understanding of how important Judeo-Christian ethics have been to the foundation of human civilization. 

As I watched a Swedish schoolgirl, Greta Thunberg, likely not familiar with the biblical narrative, spawn a global movement, I am reminded to exercise humility and restraint lest I jump to conclusions about her qualifications to lead.  In this regard, I conclude with another quote from Jim Brown by David Rupert, as a prescription that may go far toward improving the “atmosphere” of our classrooms, conference rooms, and even the street marches for climate change:

The path to political recovery and spiritual renewal requires work.  We can turn the cheek, but not be weak.  We can lift up the least among us, as uncorrupted religions teach, while we respect and improve our laws.  We can love our enemies deeply – “agape,” as the Greeks, Christ, and Dr. King encouraged.

But David Rupert wonders, “Are we too far gone?”

Where Does the Power Come From? Part 2

Where does the power come from to see the race to its end?  In Part 1 of this blog, we featured three men who each had different answers to this question.  Eric Liddell who received a Gold Medal in track in the 1922 Olympics found power and joy through his faith in God.  In contrast, Liddell's Olympic teammate, Harold Abrahams, sought athletic success through relentless effort and professional coaching to maximize his running technique.  Both men aimed to be winners, but Eric Liddell was blessed with both the athletic ability to run fast and the spiritual presence of the Living Christ within his soul.  This “power from within” motivated Eric and guided him not only in his sport but in other areas of his life.  Sadly, because Harold Abrahams lacked this power, purpose, and identity, he was self-centered and frustrated.

The third man we recognized in Part 1 was Ian Charleson, the actor who portrayed Eric Liddell in the academy award-winning movie, Chariots of Fire.  Charleson’s excellence in portraying a great man of faith was a major reason for the movie’s success.  To “become” Eric Liddell, Charleson studied both Liddell and the Bible in an effort to answer the question, “What makes a Christian man ‘tick?’” Charleson’s excellent portrayal demonstrates how one can “act like a person of faith” without actually being a believer.

We can only hope that somewhere in his short life, Charleson invited Christ to be his Savior and Lord.  Each one of us must decide what we will do with the invitation God extends to us (Revelation 3: 20).  Until we “open the door” of our life, invite Christ to give us the gift of a “new birth” in His Spirit (Romans 6), we are not even “in the race.”  Indeed, God’s Word says without Christ, we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2: 1-9)!

Power Within
How did Eric Liddell obtain this power from within “to see the race to its end?”  Of course, any athlete who goes out for a sport must submit to the discipline and “playbook” of a coach.  Even if he or she has great innate ability, an athlete must steward that ability through rigorous practices and physical conditioning, proper nutrition, and regular rest in order to perform well in competition.

By analogy, Eric Liddell’s spiritual “power from within” came from his stewardship of God’s love and grace.  His stewardship consisted of a willing submission to God through regular reading and study of God’s “playbook,” the Bible, through prayer communication with God, and through serving others. 

The evidence that a person has been spiritually “born again” through repentance and faith is a “turning from the old life” (Romans 8: 12-14) and “turning to God,” finding joy in communing with God through His Word and prayer (Romans 8: 15-17; Colossians 3: 1-4).  The indwelling Holy Spirit who takes up residence in our lives when we are “born again” stirs up an insatiable hunger for God’s Word and prayer-communion with God (Romans 8: 15-17; Colossians 3: 1-4).  The Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 2: 2-3, exhorts new Christians, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.  The Prophet Jeremiah writes, When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies (Jeremiah 15: 16).

Power within also develops through a commitment to fellowship, worship, and service with fellow believers (1 John 3: 14; Hebrews 10: 2; Colossians 3: 12-17).  And all of this creates another hunger—the hunger to share the joy of knowing Christ with others so that, as John exclaims, our joy may be made complete (1 John 1: 1-4).

Power from God’s Word
Eric Liddell was able to run and finish his race with victory because he had prepared using both physical and spiritual disciplines.  His “power within” came from his integration of these two dimensions as is expressed in the now-famous quote (emphasis mine):  I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.  The power within us becomes evident when God’s Spirit and His Word open our spiritual eyes to understand where we came from, who we are in Christ, why we exist, and where we are headed.  Like Eric Liddell, when we practice the spiritual disciplines, God empowers us with purpose, identity, and hope.

Interestingly, another movie recently showing in theaters illustrates how the message of God’s Word gives us inner purpose, identity, and hope.  Overcomer is the story of Hannah who begins her high school cross country season with many odds against her.  She has no family except her somewhat embittered grandmother with whom she lives.  Hannah’s coach is neither experienced nor enthusiastic, and no other girls have come out for the team.  On top of that, Hannah has asthma. 

Weak as she is physically and spiritually, Hannah gradually finds her true identity through the love of Christ she discovers in His Word and through the kindness of friends.  The message from the Word transforms Hannah’s life and gives her a new sense of value and identity in Christ.  This realization prepares Hannah for other challenges and gives her the power within to “see her race to its end.”  Excellent movie—I highly recommend it.

Need Help ‘Feeding’ on the Word?
How about you? Have you invited Christ to come into your life, and to give you purpose and power for living?  If so, you can be like the blessed man (or woman) in Psalm 1 who delights in the law of the Lord.  But, maybe need some help getting into the Word—and getting the Word into you.  If so, I recommend two excellent messages on YouTube by our Senior Pastor at West Hill Baptist Church, Pastor Zach Swift.  Whether you are a mature Christian or a “baby Christian,” or a tired and discouraged Christian, or a skeptic of the whole notion of the Bible as God’s message for all people, these messages are worth hearing.  Pastor Zach preaches with passion and authority, yet with humility and compassion.  He invites us to listen, read, and consider how God’s Word can make a difference in your life.

His Part 1 of this August series is called “Foundations:  Give It a Chance.”  Here, Pastor Swift explains how regular reading and study of God’s Word is the necessary “Foundation” for right living.  He explains that God’s Word is “living and active.”  Long before the Bible came into being, God’s Word was at work.  All of God’s revelation in the Scripture is inspired (God-breathed) …and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3: 16).   Part 1 is a very practical and stimulating message on how to come to know Christ (if you are not a Christian) and to build a “Foundation” of faith by feeding your spiritual hunger within?

In Part 2 called “Foundations:  Find a Way,” Pastor Swift gives practical challenges and instruction in how to dive into the Scriptures and find encouragement and answer to life’s questions.  He asks, “If God’s Word is food, then who is feeding you?”  “How would your life look differently if you were growing spiritually?”  “How can you learn to read and study Scripture daily?” This message is full of very practical “How two’s” that will encourage you to love God’s Word and make it and the God of the Bible a daily part of your life.  

Two Other Resources:  
Accompanying Pastor Swift's message, "Foundations:  Find a Way," is a “14-day Scripture Reading Program” (see below, click to enlarge).  For those who don't already have a plan, he offers this plan to assist in the discipline of daily reading and study of God's Word.  Check it out.  Where will your power come from to see your race to its end?

You may be surprised how much you don't know about the Bible.  It is very different from the impressions that many people have acquired without having actually read it.  Check out Not What You Think, a book by Michael and Lauren McAfee.  2019. Zondervan.

Where Does the Power Come From? - Part 1

Our granddaughter, Kiara, runs in two kinds of races these days.  During August, she has been preparing for her cross-country season.  But for the past several years, Kiara has been preparing for another kind of race, one that is influencing how she will perform in cross-country and in other races in her life.  All of us who have “registered” for this other race of life need occasional reminders of how important it is.

To explain Kiara's second race, I want to refer to a famous runner whose life has been highlighted in an Academy Award-winning, 1980 British film, Chariots of Fire.  His character in the movie asks the question, "So where does the power come from to see the race to its end?"  Sounds like an important question for any athlete, student, or anyone seeking purpose in life.  Kiara is among those who have come to know this power.

Source of the Power
Where does this power come from?  The question is asked twice in Chariots of Fire.  Both times it points to the power that existed within Eric Liddell, the Scottish athlete noted for refusing to run his favored 100-meter race in the 1924 Summer Olympics.  Eric Liddell’s reason:  Because his faith in God included a commitment to refraining from athletic games on “the Lord’s Day” which happened to be when the heats for the 100-meter were held.  This was no shallow, legalistic practice but instead, a part of who Eric Liddell had become in his walk of faith in God.

Having put his hopes for Olympic gold on the line and refusing to budge under pressure, Liddell was providentially blessed with the opportunity to switch to the 400-meter competition which had scheduled heats during a weekday.  Famously, Liddell ran, won a gold medal, and set an Olympic record in spite of the odds against a short-distance runner winning this longer race.

"When I run, I feel His pleasure." - Eric Liddell

Eric Liddell expressed his faith in God with the now-famous statement, I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.  His example as a vigorously competitive athlete who attributed his success to God’s power and pleasure within has been an inspiration to many athletes, both Christian and non-Christian alike.  Partly because of its inspiring message, Chariots of Fire won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.  It is ranked 19th in the British Film Institute's list of Top 100 British films.  [Here is a link to a short YouTube video featuring Eric Liddell’s climactic race.]
What Is the Power?
What is the power that works within the life of those who claim to possess it?  Is it merely a subjective experience of an “emotional high” from a sense of connectedness to the spiritual realm?  If so, then anyone can have this power.  Just find time and a quiet place to meditate on where you came from, your relationship to some Higher Power, and how you find purpose and meaning in life.  Or, maybe this power comes by harnessing the power of physics, physiology, and just plain determination.  If so, then why do so many well-endowed and disciplined athletes evidently fail to excel?  Eric Liddell’s Olympic teammate, Harold Abrahams, used this latter approach in his largely unsuccessful effort to power his way to victory. 

Watching Eric Liddell run with passion "unnerved" Abrahams.

Abrahams was portrayed in Chariots of Fire as a disciplined athlete with great determination to win.  He was so determined to win that he even employed a professional coach who helped him apply the physics of running to improve his technique.  But Abrahams was intimidated by Liddell because Liddell possessed the power, passion, and purpose that didn’t come from practice, conditioning, and coaching alone.
Abrahams and many others did not experience Eric Liddell’s pleasure and success in their race because they had not entered that second race which Liddell and our granddaughter, Kiara, has entered.  In the movie, speaking to workingmen after one of his races, Liddell’s film character, Ian Charleson, gives an invitation to possess the power within (emphasis mine): 

You came to a race today, to see someone win.  Happened to be me.  But I want you to do more than just watch a race.   I want you to take part in it.  I want to compare faith to running in a race.

Many of us have come to “watch a race” but relatively few, figuratively speaking, “take part in it.”  Liddell compared his faith to “running in a race,” an idea that is expressed in the New Testament Scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 9: 24; Hebrews 12: 1).  According to the Apostle Paul, this faith, and the power of faith, comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10: 17).  But a person cannot take part in an athletic race unless he or she registers.  Likewise, we cannot take part in the race of life, the “spiritual race” without faith in God and His Word.  And the message of God’s Word, the Bible, centers around the Gospel Message, the “Good News” that Jesus Christ came as God in human form to die and rise again to save us from eternal judgment if we yield our lives to Him.

How we respond to the Gospel determines whether we will “enter the race.”  The Apostle Paul explains that Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for salvation.  This power (Gr. dunamis, from which we get dynamite) can “blow up” our strongholds of pride and open our hearts to receive Christ as King of His rightful kingdom within our lives.  His kingdom is ruled by the Spirit of God who will abide in the Christ-follower as Helper, Comforter, and Teacher (John 14: 15-26).  This was Eric Liddell’s source of “the power to see the race to its end.”  He lived in personal relationship empowered by His obedience to the Living God (John 15: 1-17).  Unfortunately, this power was missing in Harold Abrahams, who sought the power through his intellect and technique only to find frustration.

Exploring the Power Intellectually
Besides Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, there is a third person of interest who was involved in Chariots of Fire—Ian Charleson, the brilliant young actor who played the part of Liddell.  According to an October 2, 1981 article in The New York Times, Charleson who described himself as having no religious background recognized that, to “find out what [a Christian man] was about” I had to “find something in the Christian religion that I myself - Ian Charleson - could represent.”

Charleson gave a stirring invitation
but did he accept it himself?

To accomplish this, Charleson read the Bible from cover to cover.  He said, “Whenever I came across a phrase, a passage, a piece of wisdom that I could relate to or think 'That sounds right, that sounds reasonable,’ I would mark it down.  I compiled a whole notebook of quotes that I thought were the essence of what I could believe in Christianity…”

Although Charleson read the Bible and quoted passages from the Gospel, my research on his biography has revealed no evidence that he ever made a decision to “take part in the race” by a response of faith in the Gospel message.  I hope he did.  We do know that Charleson was a gay man who died at the age of 40 of a fatal infection as a consequence of contracting AIDS.  Unselfishly, even though homosexuality in the 1980’s was a much more private matter, Charleson instructed in his final documents that his reason for death be made public to promote awareness of the need to address AIDS.

We also know that Ian Charleson was fascinated with the faith commitment of Eric Liddell and wanted to portray authentically Liddell’s genuine commitment to Jesus Christ.  As a result of his knowledge of Liddell and his thorough intellectual study of the Bible, Charleson chose to write an inspiring invitation to come by faith to Christ; an invitation that Liddell might have written.  Charleson’s message of invitation and his delivery of the message as he thought Liddell might have done it to common workingmen, became one of the most inspiring and powerful parts of the movie.  [See adjacent text box.  See also YouTube video clip of the message from Chariots of Fire.]

The Right Choice – Yielding to Christ
Did Ian Charleson, like Harold Abrahams, run the short race of his life only to end without coming to know the real power—“from within?”  I do not know.  But personally, I do know Jesus, the Source of the power, and I want to “see the race to its end” for myself.  I want to run my race without stumbling or causing my wife and family, including our granddaughter Kiara, to stumble because of me.

If you wish to know more about the Gospel, the “Good News,” let me help.   The Gospel is summarized in an outline called “Steps to Peace with God” which explains God’s love, our predicament (sin and separation from God), what Jesus has done to address our predicament, and what you can do by faith to receive God’s righteousness (right standing with a Holy God).  If you wish to respond, you may post a “Comment” below or e-mail me at silviusj@gmail.com

Recommended Reading:
For Ian Charleson: A Tribute by Ian McKellen, Hugh Hudson, Alan Bates, et al.  (London: Constable and Company, 1990).
Sports Without Spirit – Oikonomia, January 19, 2014

Do You Have Faith in “Settled Science?”

“Science in America” is an online video commentary with over 1 million views.  It features Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator who begins with an important question:  How did America rise up from a backwoods country to become one of the greatest nations the world has ever known?

Tyson’s answer?  SCIENCE!  “Science is a fundamental part of the country that we are.”

But Tyson warns his viewers that we are in danger of losing the scientific momentum behind America’s rise (emphasis mine):  

...in this, the 21st century, when it comes time to make decisions about science, it seems we have lost the ability to judge what is true and what is not, what is reliable and what is not, what you should believe and what you should not believe.  And when you have people who don’t know much about science standing in denial of it and rising to power, that is a recipe for the complete dismantling of our informed democracy.

Tyson’s dire warning is followed by a sequence of clips which feature what he believes are “people who don’t know much about science.”  The sequence includes Vice President Mike Pence calling for the teaching of “evolution, not as fact, but as theory.” It continues with parents who are skeptical of vaccinations, voters who wish to ban GMO’s, and people who consider climate change as “unproven science.”  Tyson remembers the difficult times of the 1960’s and 1970’s but does not recall people ever “standing in denial of what science was.”

With all of the progress we have made in America, how can there still be “people who don’t know much about science standing in denial of it..?”  After all, according to Tyson,

One of the great things about science is that it is an entire exercise in finding what is true.  [First] a hypothesis, you test it, I get a result, a rival of mine double-checks it because they think I might be wrong.  They perform an even better experiment and they find out, hey, this experiment matches.  O my gosh, we’re onto something here!

So far so good for Tyson’s explanation of our so-called scientific method.  It begins with stating a testable hypothesis based on patterns observed in the natural world, and is followed by rigorous experimental testing in one laboratory, and then corroboration by other laboratories who are skeptical of the validity of the hypothesis.  If the hypothesis is consistently supported, Tyson says, “what arises is emergent truth.  Something better than we’ve ever come up with.”  While “emergent truth” may be an ambiguous term here, we can generally agree with his summary of the scientific method.

But then, Tyson’s narrative makes a wrong turn—one that exposes the contradiction in his logic.  He leaps to the conclusion that “emergent truth” becomes “established scientific emergent truth”—truth that is guaranteed to be true even if some people dare to deny it.  Note here that Tyson dismisses his “rival” who “double-checks” experimental outcomes because he is convinced beyond a doubt that he has reached “settled science.” 

At this point, all of us who value “good science” should be hearing loud sirens going off in our minds.  Here is Tyson’s dangerous conclusion (emphasis mine):

When you have an established scientific emergent truth, it is true whether or not you believe it.  And the sooner you understand that, the faster we can get on with the political conversation about how to solve the problems that face us.  So, once you understand that humans are warming the planet you can then have a political conversation about that…every minute one is in denial you are delaying the political solution that should have been established years ago.

In other words, the double-checker’s and deniers of Darwinian evolution should be silenced.  Those who question the safety of vaccinations and GMO foods, or who doubt human-caused climate change must be prevented and eliminated from positions of influence.  Unfortunately, it is only a small step from “settled science” to a “tyranny of science?”  The latter assumes that science alone can and should guide the political agenda without consideration of moral and ethical claims.   An article by Brendan O’Neill in The Guardian suggests that Americans of all political persuasions ought to be aware of the danger of going down the path to a science dominated by politics, especially without morality and ethics.

Supposedly, only “people who don’t know much about science” are questioners of “settled science.”  But then, some of Tyson’s viewers, and readers here, may remember that scientific progress and discovery was greatly influenced by people who, in their time, were regarded as not knowing much about science—people like Galileo, Pythagoras (Earth not flat), Pasteur (living cells do not spontaneously originate from nonliving matter), Einstein (relativity), and Barbara McClintock (ridiculed until her “jumping genes” hypothesis was validated).  Tyrannical science has no place for those who question long-held theories and “think outside the box.”  [Note: Regarding “thinking beyond the box,” see “Halting the Demise of “Liberal Education.”]

Two “experiments” from the former Soviet Union underscore the danger of the “tyranny of science.”  The first, called the Lysenko Affair, occurred during the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Russian scientist, Trofim Lysenko (1898-1976), succeeded in duping the communist government under Joseph Stalin into believing in his experimental results based on the false notion of Lamarckian genetics.   Lysenko believed that, with repeated harsh environmental treatments, temperate zone crop varieties would produce offspring that “inherit acquired characteristics” –i.e. “toughen up to thrive in frigid Siberia.  Under the tyranny of the Soviet regime, Lysenko’s critics were silenced, Lysenkoism flourished, and Soviet progress in genetics was stunted for decades.

The second “experiment” to illustrate the danger of “settled science” came a few decades after Lysenko, and resulted from communist tyranny over science.  This was the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl in northern Ukraine on April 26, 1986.  A nuclear power plant suffered a ruptured reactor core releasing large amounts deadly nuclear radiation.  The disaster was popularized by this year’s release of an HBO movie, Chernobyl.  I have not watched this 6-episode series, but reviews have outlined several of the political and scientific factors that caused Chernobyl to be a much worse disaster than it should have been.

First, the communist party propaganda machine suppressed communication and stifled expression from concerned scientists.   Consequently, like the Lysenko Affair decades earlier, highly politicized science became stunted and fell behind that of the western world. 

Second, the Chernobyl incident was made much worse because of inadequate expertise and availability of equipment to handle an otherwise preventable disaster.  The cloak of secrecy and isolation from the West that typified Russian communism made it difficult for the Soviets to admit their need of basic assistance and technology to deal with something that their science and technology couldn’t handle. 

The severity of the danger was not realized until much damage was done to humans, animals, and ecosystems.  Unfortunately, the ineptness of Soviet science magnified the Chernobyl disaster which shouldn’t have occurred under a reign of “good science.”  Just as bad, Chernobyl has become a “poster child” to elicit fear of nuclear energy production that still haunts our world and discourages nuclear energy production as a viable option.

The horrific effects of the Chernobyl disaster highlighted once again the disastrous result of “good science” becoming a prisoner to a godless political philosophy.  “Settled science” becomes “stale science” when people in power adopt Neil deGrasse Tyson’s philosophy that a scientific finding is true whether or not you believe it.  And the sooner you understand that, the faster we can get on with the political conversation about how to solve the problems that face us. 

Not so fast Dr. Tyson.  Shouldn't you let “your rivals” keep double-checking the results?  The “informed democracy” that you value depends on “good science.”  It is stunted by “settled science.”  If you don’t believe it, just consider the lessons of Lysenko and Chernobyl.  And, moms and dads, commit to being scientifically literate and make sure your sons and daughters follow your example.

"Three R’s:” God’s Rx for Heart Health

The recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton deeply saddened me and stirred my sympathy for all who were affected.  Admittedly, this news also made me angry at the shooters.  Then, I began to reflect on the depravity that exists in my own heart.  Times of tragedy serve to remind us all of our need for repentance and forgiveness.  But sadly, our necessary reflection on universal human depravity is quickly interrupted by personal distractions and the noisy clamor and rancor of our culture in response to yet another tragedy.

On a social and political level, some argue that hate speech and racism incite mass shooters to act.  Others point to guns as the responsible tools that should be banned.  Still others point out that guns only fire when angry persons pull the trigger.  And anger arises from personal turmoil from within the hearts of shooters, often promoted by mental illness and/or drug addiction.  Violent tendencies are particularly common among young men who grow up without fathers and without supportive networks provided by good schools, churches, and community organizations.

Reasons for horrific tragedies are complex and multifaceted, so I don’t mean to oversimplify.  However, it should be obvious that finger-pointing and hateful rhetoric will not solve the deeper problems.  Nor will it be easy to “Red Flag” potential threats without an understanding of the origin and growth of anger, hate, and murder.  Therefore, I must begin by addressing the potential for hate and hateful responses within my own heart. 

From God’s Word, I am learning that the only difference between horrific atrocities and the “hidden sins” of hate and pride in my heart is a matter of scale.  Jesus alludes to this in His teaching as recorded in Matthew 5: 22 (emphasis mine):  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.  Notice that Jesus takes the sixth commandment, “Thou shall not murder,” and goes to the source within the human heart where the underlying sins of pride, hate, and envy are rooted.  Sin within the heart triggers the sins of the tongue such as hateful name-calling.  And one who speaks hatefully is capable of murder.  Christ takes very seriously this outward progression from the sinful heart to hateful words to murder.  So seriously that He considers sins of the heart as equivalent to murder.

Thankfully, when our souls become frustrated and fearful, God stands ready with a three-part prescription from His Word.   I am now considering them as my basic “three R’s”—not “Readin’, ‘Ritin’, and ‘Rithmetic;” but instead, REPENT, REJOICE, and RECONCILE.

REPENT
When I am becoming frustrated, fearful or angry toward others or in response to the daily news, I must look within my own heart, the seat of my personality.  There, I will find the cause of my unkind words and actions.  And there I should stop and repent. 

According to Charles Spurgeon,
“Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin,
a mourning that we have committed it,
and a resolution to forsake it.
It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved.”

Notice the emphasis on permanence in Spurgeon’s definition:  “resolution to forsake...change of mind…very deep and practical….”  Along the same lines, my former pastor, Dan Wingate calls us to adopt a “lifestyle of repentance.”  Such a humble, daily disposition helps us to recognize our own depravity and our tendency to wander like sheep away from God our Shepherd (Isaiah 53: 6).  Until we as individuals and as a society realize that sin is ultimately a rebellion against God who created us and therefore, owns us, we will not realize the seriousness of sin as the primary cause of our problems—individually and institutionally.  We will go on hating others instead of hating our own sin.

Don’t Substitute “Religion” for Repentance
Instead of recognizing that we are prideful rebels, we tend to focus on external problems that are not the primary cause of our broken world.  For example, the religious leaders of Jesus’s day criticized Jesus an

d His followers for not ceremonially washing their hands before they ate.  But Jesus said the primary problem is not what we do with our hands or even our tongues—but out of our heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.  But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone (Matthew 15: 18-20).

Emphasis on the externals leads to a religion of ceremony and legalism.  Rather than cultivating a love relationship with God, we rely on check-lists of our good deeds.  Both Christian and non-Christian alike can fall into this error.  Going to church, tithing, and abstaining from alcohol or meat, or rejecting plastic straws and gas-guzzling cars—none of these can make one person any more righteous in God’s eyes than another. The Apostle Paul condemned external comparisons as selfish and prideful when he wrote: When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise (2 Corinthians 10: 12). 

Our Strongholds to Resist Repentance

The alternative to a repentant heart is a heart that becomes increasingly calloused with thick walls reinforced by pride and self-righteousness.  Calloused hearts become insensitive, cold, and hateful toward others.  When we watch the news, I see anxious and fearful people and hear angry words.  Unrepentant, prideful people make arrogant and woeful predictions that the sky is falling and despise anyone who disagrees with their philosophy of government, ethnic relations, economics, and energy usage.  Of course, we should exercise morality and good stewardship in all of these areas.  But our pursuit of happiness is a fruitless effort unless we submit to God’s plan and purpose through repentance.  Repentance frees us from the wages of sin and moves our focus from a life of pride, comparison, envy, and fear to a focus on God who alone is perfect and judges rightly.  When the eyes of repentant souls are focused on God, He brings rest to their souls.

Repentance must be my “first stop” before I can experience the other two R’s, rejoicing and reconciliation.  Yet it is hard for me to read the Gospel accounts and imagine the ugly spectacle of the bleeding, sinless Jesus Christ I helped to nail to a Roman cross.  It was my sin that did this to Jesus!   Yet my pride—our pride as humans can cause us to turn away.  We avoid godly counsel, church, and God’s Word when we know they can help us.  The prophet Isaiah, over 500 years before Christ, prophesied how we would “despise and reject” the Suffering Servant whose sacrifice in our place would cast a spotlight on our sin and depravity.

So, I have a choice, and you have as well.  Either we focus on justifying ourselves before God and others by the good works we do, or we focus on what Christ did for us, dying in our place so we can claim His righteousness (right standing before God).  If we individually choose to reject God’s “love gift” of salvation through repentance, then God can offer neither of the other two R’s-- rejoicing and reconciliation.  Jesus warned: Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (be separated from God for eternity) (Luke 13: 3).  In 2 Corinthians 7: 10, Paul describes repentance that leads to salvation.  The Apostle Peter summarized the Gospel when he wrote, For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit…  And, again Paul wrote that he was not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile (Romans 1: 16).  That is “Good News” indeed; enough to bring rejoicing!

REJOICE

To rejoice is to express joy and delight.   True joy comes from within our hearts.  Joy is one facet of the fruit of the Holy Spirit who comes to abide in the repentant sinner.  The Apostle Paul wrote, Now He who prepared us for this very purpose [to live for eternity in resurrection bodies] is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge (2 Corinthians 5: 5).  Salvation from sin (John 3: 16), freedom from the condemnation of sin (Romans 8: 1), and the gift of God’s Spirit to abide within us (Ezekiel 36: 27) is reason for rejoicing.  The psalmist wrote, The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy (Psalm 126: 3).  The Spirit-filled, Christ-follower cannot help but rejoice!  What’s more, according to the prophet Zephaniah, God our Creator and Savior rejoices over us as His redeemed children!  Imagine that!  The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.

As a sinner saved by God’s grace, I experience joy and consolation when I reflect on God’s presence within me though His Holy Spirit.  The contrast of what I was before I came into a personal relationship with God through repentance and faith in Christ’s substitutionary death and who I am afterwards is described accurately by the Apostle Paul.   In Galatians 5: 16-18, we learn how our sinful nature (“the flesh”) sets itself against the work of the Holy Spirit in us.  After these words, Paul describes our lives “before” (5: 19-21) and “after” we submit to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives (vv. 22-23).

Repentant Hearts Exude Joy in a Troubled World
Repentance prepares us to humbly invite God’s Holy Spirit to enter our lives.  The Spirit’s presence enables us to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.   But you may ask, how can I be joyful when so many bad things happen?  Answer— we must remember that Joy and its expression of rejoicing springs from within and is independent of things that happen to us.  Bad happenings in our culture of hate and violence will not overcome the Christ-follower who relies on God’s Spirit and His Word.

After Jesus instructed His disciples about things that would happen in the future, He said, These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).  Jesus promised not only joy in the midst of a troubled world, but also that He would empower His followers to be ambassadors of reconciliation.

RECONCILE
By now, the importance the sequence of the three R’s, REPENT, REJOICE, RECONCILE, should be evident.  Repentance is the gateway to salvation and Eternal Life.  Where sin had once reigned within our unrepentant hearts, now God’s Spirit enables us to overcome sin and have victory.  Anger, hate, fear, envy, and lust are replaced by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control.

We Are Reconciled… to Be Reconcilers 
The Apostle Paul wrote (emphasis mine), Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5: 17-20).

This Scripture makes it clear that reconciliation between the sinner and God through faith in Christ gives birth to a new creation that in turn can become a force for reconciliation among the hurting and rejected of this world.  But you might say, how does the Bible address my friend or family member who is trapped in addiction or mental illness as a result of emotional and physiological problems.  Please realize that there is no human condition that cannot be helped by the care of loving friends and family combined with professional counseling and medical care.  Counseling and medications alone are weak and ineffective.  However, biblical witness and counseling by loving family, friends, and professionals are necessary to give purpose and desire within the hurting person, helping them to want to change. 

In conclusion, if you have chosen the path marked with the signs of REPENT, REJOICE, and RECONCILE, you know from experience how this sequence brings joy and reconciliation with God and other people.  You know from experience what it means to have victory over the sins of anger, hate, fear, and envy that once infected your heart and soul.  You may also be serving as an ambassador of reconciliation to hurting people around you as you humbly remember your struggles without Christ. 

Reconciliation Involves Both Spiritual with Mental Health
On the other hand, if you are hurting and in despair, feeling trapped in addiction and emotional turmoil, you can find help and hope.  For example, you may be familiar with the “Twelve-Step Program” of Alcoholics Anonymous.  This program is consistent with biblical teaching and the “three R’s” beginning with REPENT. 

Please check out the link to the “Twelve-Step Program” and notice how the first seven steps can provide instruction on how to acknowledge God and come to Him in a spirit of repentance.  This program is very effective when used in the presence of loving family and friends.   If you are hurting emotionally or struggling with addiction, I hope you will seek help from trusted individuals or organizations that can point you onto the path to recovery through the “three R.’s.”  If you wish to contact me with questions, I would be glad to assist you:  silviusj@gmail.com