The latest blog after a few weeks break. A dark question that has been pushed to the front of our minds. Is death the end?

 Is there life beyond the grave? 

We are finishing the four questions that I began at the start of June. I wanted to suggest four questions that probe at our view of the world. We've looked at the question of our origin here. The question of our morality here and the question of our significance here.

We now ask the really dark question. Is death final? Is it the full stop of our lives? This is the question we can't escape. Though we might try to distract ourselves from the reality of death, it always forces itself into our lives. 

The belief of our secular age is that there is no life after death. We are simply physical beings. Life is just what you can see. Death is final. Yet this belief cannot suppress a deeper innate belief that we are eternal. We continue on beyond our death. There is life after death. We may disagree about what that life looks like but it seems we have a belief that won't go away. Life doesn't end with death. 

On paper it might seem everyone lives like this is all the life there is (You're born, you live, you die, the end) but our belief that death is not the end surfaces at the Graveside and in our Stories.

 

The Graveside

At the rawest moments of our lives we find it near impossible to maintain the confidence that this world is all there is. We may have lived under that assumption all our lives but it cracks under the weight of grief. At funerals we hear people saying things like, "They're in a better place" "They're up there looking down on us" or "We'll see them again". And this is not simply a remnant of a Christian past, it's found in all cultures across all time. The teacher in Ecclesiastes says God has hidden eternity in the heart of man (3:11) and experience seems to bear that out. 

 

Our Stories

It seems our story telling is very telling. It reveals what we really believe. Think of the movies and books that tell of a life beyond the grave. Of course you find it in the Horror stories where the veil between this world and the next is very thin, but you also have it within Romance (eg.Ghost, The Lovely Bones) and Thrillers (eg. The Sixth Sense). It seems our story telling betrays our hearts. We have a hope that there's something more. It doesn't seem right in our minds that death should be the end. It doesn't seem enough for us that this is all there is. We long for something more. Now, just because we long for something doesn't mean there is something more. But what if death isn't the end? It's a question worth asking isn't it?

 

Therefore our 4th question is: What happens after death? 

 

If you say "nothing happens after death". I want you to listen into the hopes that you have. The hopes that are revealed at the grave side and in the stories you enjoy. Are your hopes consistent with your stated beliefs? 

God hasn't just set eternity in our hearts, he has prepared a glorious eternity for us in Jesus. When we trust in Jesus, we no longer have to face the judgement that we dread but instead receive the Life that we long for. 

"Jesus Christ who has destroyed death and brought life and immorality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10)

In this blog I've dealt with death as a challenge to our worldview but I know it's much more than that. It causes huge pain and suffering for those left behind. If that is you and you'd like someone to talk to, please get in touch. I can be contacted on 2nd Dromara Presbyterian Church Facebook page or my mobile 07512677530. Thank you, Andrew

It's just not Fair!

Millions of children across the world are bought and sold as property. They are abused, exploited and denied their human rights. This doesn't just happen in other countries but in our own as well. This is wrong, isn't it? These vulnerable children should be protected not exploited. When we hear stories of the abuses boys and girls have to endure it makes our blood boil. And it should. The strong should not exploit the weak! It's just not right.

But where do we get our sense of right and wrong from? Why shouldn't the strong exploit the weak?

We have a strong sense of justice. From an early age we cry out, "It's not fair". We never lose this cry. Though we no longer stamp our feet, many do take their stand against the injustices of the world. Protests and signs call for justice and fairness and equality.

I want to ask where do we get this sense of justice from? Why do we think somethings are right and somethings are wrong? Why does our blood boil when the vulnerable are exploited by the strong?

If you remember over the last few weeks we have been thinking about four questions to ask ourselves and others. We are thinking particularly in relation to those who are indifferent to Jesus. I want to not just be responding to questions but responding when there is no questions. And i think the best way to respond to shrugging shoulders is by asking questions. The first question was about Origins (Where do we come from?), last week was Meaning/purpose (Why are we here?). This week is Morality (Where does our sense of justice come from?).

Can we explain the existence of Morality without God? Can this innate sense of Justice flow from any other explanation of the world? Is it possible to begin with a world that comes into existence through random, natural processes and arrive at our innate sense of justice? Is our belief that the strong should not exploit the weak the obvious conclusion of an evolutionary view of the world? Or do you have to rely upon another Story?

It shouldn't surprise you to hear that I believe there's a better explanation for our sense of justice. I'll quote CS Lewis again (He's just so quotable)

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”

Our sense of justice is built in to us by our Creator. Being made in his image means we have some of His characteristics.

Of course they are twisted and tarnished through our turning away from Him. But there's an echo of justice and fairness and rightness that we retain. There's a yearning for a return to a better world. This yearning and echo is not perfect. It often cries out for justice for me and my kind. It can overlook or downplay my role in the unfairness of the world. It can cry out "only God can judge me" yet live like we will never have to face him. But we cannot remove it from what it means to be human.

The Historian Tom Holland (who is not a Christian) argues that it was Jesus Christ who revolutionised our thinking that the strong should not exploit the weak. Not only in what he said but in what he done.

Jesus the strong died for us the weak. His sacrifice profoundly shaped the way we see the world today. This is the Story that best explains our sense of right and wrong.

We are created in the image of God and therefore have an echo, a yearning for justice. Jesus, God's Son has shaped our thinking and moulded our world through his Sacrifice, the strong for the weak. It's the sacrifice that deals with our role in the unfairness of the world and also satisfies our cry for justice. Outside of Jesus no-one will escape his justice. The cry of those millions children will be heard and they will know justice done (check out Psalm 75:2 as one example).

But Jesus sacrifice and resurrection from the dead ultimately deals with the evil that resides in our own hearts. An evil that flows from our rebellion against God. We stand before him condemned. Our crookedness is obvious and without excuse beside him. But in Jesus' death His justice is perfectly dealt with so we can stand before him without fear.

Is there a better Story that explains our sense of justice and deals with the evil that exists in our own hearts? If there is, what is it?

Why?

We are purpose seekers. I wonder have you noticed that? We are always looking for meaning. We try and discern the reason things happen to us. The more important the event, the more life threatening it is the more we ask, why.

Why did I get that diagnosis?

What's the purpose of these exam results now of all times?

Is there a reason my family are falling apart?

Why does this virus affect my family and not theirs?

Why, Why, Why, is the cry of our hearts. This is especially so when our life and happiness are under threat.

But we don't just look for meaning in the things that happen to us, we also try and create meaning and purpose for our lives.

Confession: I read obituaries. I find them fascinating. I'm drawn, not to the sadness of loss which is real, but to the many ways people have sought purpose for their life. Obituaries are usually written by the family and are an attempt to sum up the person's life. Through them you get a glimpse of what they lived for. "they were a real tractor man" "She was a loving mother" .

They must be difficult to write. How can you possibly describe the wonder of a loved one in a few short paragraphs. Yet it forces you to exclude all the unnecessary stuff and focus on what really made them tick, what really defined them. Obituaries are a real window into the person's life and where they sought their purpose. What would your loved ones need to include in summing up your life? Maybe a morbid question but the answer will give us insight into where we seek our purpose and significance. So it's a question worth asking.

You see, obituaries remind us that we all live for something.

The bible book Ecclesiastes is written by someone who is called the teacher. He spent his life looked for purpose in many things. In his quest for significance he throws himself wholeheartedly into studying, then into pleasure, then into building projects. All his activity reads as an exhausting and futile search. His conclusion was that all these things "are meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

These things are good and we should enjoy them but they are too fragile and fickle to live for. Yet we want to (maybe even need to) live for something. Why would that be? Why do we seek meaning in our life and try to create meaning through what we do? What explanation can be given for this hunger for significance. Can an explanation be found in a world that came into existence by chance? Is it reasonable for us to have this hunger for significance within that story? Or is CS Lewis right when he said,

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

The joy of the bible's message is that Jesus satisfies the hunger we have for meaning and purpose. So our smallest actions have eternal significance. And our greatest grief is not wasted but used for our good (though it can be hard to see at the time) and God's Glory.

We find in Jesus the very thing we are seeking (meaning) and are given what we exhaustively work for (significance).

Where do you find your purpose, meaning and significance? What or who defines your and my life? It's worth thinking about isn't it?

Do you hear a Bang or a Voice?

Origin: Where do we come from? This is the first of the four big questions that demands an answer from us. This world is wonderfully complex, where do we trace it's origins to. Those who disagree about where it all began still agree that there was a beginning. So let's transport ourselves back to that point of beginning and ask, do you hear a Bang or a Voice. 

Are our origins found in cold chance or love? 

This is not a philosophical question for a few but an essential question for us all. How we answer that question, how we see our beginnings, has far reaching implications for the values we hold. Are those values built upon chance or love? Do we just happen to be here because of billions of lucky mutations over millions of years OR was there someone behind our story? 

Can the complexity and beauty of our world be explained by random, natural, unguided processes? We have seen diagrams and explanations for our origins. Do these explain how we moved from simple to complex? Or are we convinced by the artists imagination? Have you swallowed what people have said to you about our beginnings without thinking it through yourself? Is that not the accusation put to the Christian? Does it describe you? 

Let's not limit ourselves to the complexity of the physical world and our physical selves but think about our consciousness. How did that come into being? How is that we have a sense of person hood (I am me)? How is that we possess thoughts and feelings? How is that you are reading this and thinking it through? How is it that you love and hate? Where do these thoughts and dreams, hopes and fears come from? Where do they originate from? Are they the byproduct of chance or are you made in the likeness of Another? 

We say human beings have value but can you argue that value from the point of unguided natural processes? If we are from nothing can we expect to be worth something? 

In asking these questions, I'm not speaking against science. We live under many great scientific advances, which make our lives safer, more comfortable and longer. But as we have seen in recent months scientific evidence can be interpreted in different ways for different purposes. Scientists are not neutral. They come to the evidence with certain assumptions. 

Some within science have constructed the story of our origins without any supernatural explanation. A supernatural explanation would not fit what they believe. In doing so they have put their faith (you heard me) in time and chance.

Other scientists (and there are more than you think) also apply their minds to investigate the world around them with a confidence that the world originated in the love of God Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A love that formed this complex world, a love that formed you with all your hopes and dreams, fears and prejudices. This is the Love that makes the world go round. Though we have spurned it, God shows his love perfectly to us in Christ. The Love that created us is also the Love that sacrificed Himself for us. This is a conquering death love. Your value rests in this love. 

We are complex beings. Where does our origins lie? Is our complexities found in chance or Love? What do you think?

I Couldn't Care Less

Indifference: Meh! Jesus... I really don't care either way. This is probably the most common and toughest response to Jesus there is. It's not really an objection, if it was you could have a conversation. Indifference kills any prospect of a conversation. Shrugging of the shoulders is usually a dead end. To be indifferent feels like when you can't be bothered getting off your chair in a hot sticky day. Nothing could motivate you to get up. Not because you enjoy sitting in the chair, not in the slightest, but because you couldn't careless where you are. An indifferent person isn't holding any position on Jesus. They are neither for or against they really couldn't care less who he is or what he did or didn't do.

How could we respond to that? Part of me wants to just shrug my shoulders and say meh, I can't be bothered trying.

There might be wisdom in that response as we can't cause anyone an anxious thought. And clearly a person with this much apathy isn't anxious. But life has a way of throwing things at us that will shake us from our indifference and cause us to question our assumptions. This could be a dramatic event that makes us feel vulnerable (eg. a health diagnosis for us or someone close to us) or it could be something simple that creates a niggling question that really stumps us. Maybe something that doesn't fit into the way they see the world (eg. You come across another terrible person whose more successful than you. Where's the Karma in that?)

Until these bumps happen it is wise to pray, care for them and then wait and see. Life has a way of stress testing our confidences to see if they can hold up under pressure. We don't want these things to happen to our friends but they will. Life happens to us all.

That's one way to respond

Or you could a few questions. Questions that probe at their assumptions. Depending on your relationship or your style these could be gentle "help me understand what you think" questions or friendly confrontational "you don't believe that do you?".

Ravi Zacharias put these questions under 4 headings:

"When you think of it, really there are four fundamental questions of life. You've asked them, I've asked them, every thinking person asks them. They boil down to this; origin, meaning, morality and destiny. 'How did I come into being? What brings life meaning? How do I know right from wrong? Where am I headed after I die?"

How we answer these questions gives us the framework we live under or what is called our worldview. It's the big picture we have developed that makes sense of the world for us. For example: the other day I was speaking to someone in town who should have been paid but wasn't and he said "Don't worry Andrew, what goes around comes around". You've heard that said haven't you? That comment gave me a glimpse into how my friend sees the world. He's believes there's a natural justice built into the universe and given enough time The Universe will punish the one who has done them wrong. Is that a reasonable description of the world we live in? Is that what happens? Is an impersonal universe the best place to put our hope for justice or is there a better place?

Bear in mind we don't usually have a very well defined answer to each of these questions but the process of thinking them through can be very enlightening and can show us how thin the ice is that we're resting on.

Over the next few weeks we'll take a look at each of these questions. We'll consider how we might ask them to ourselves and others. And we'll see that Jesus can hold up under the scrutiny of these 4 questions. Listen out this week to yourself and others to get glimpses of what's the Big Story we are living under and if it serves us well.

Christian's are weird about Sex

I think this is an unspoken challenge in many conversations. There is a established belief that no-one should tell me what to do. This is especially true when it comes to any issue connected with sex. And there are lots of issues connected with sex. These are hot potato issues. Too hot for me to handle in a blog and any wise person would stay clear of them. That said let me plough ahead anyway with a few thoughts and a point towards some useful resources to think about this really important topic.

A conversation that has the statement, "I would never become a Christian because they are weird about sex" usually happens late at night. Your friends and you have been talking about lots of other things and just as everyone's getting tired and thinking about going home one of those grab your attention subjects comes up that you can't walk away from: like the end of the world, conspiracy theories or Christian's are weird about sex. If you're Christian, how do you respond? If you're not Christian, is this a fair point? Are Christian's weird about sex?

I would ask; "Why do you say that?" I really want to know what's behind this statement. You see all of us come to this issue with baggage. And there are many factors that impact how we think and talk about our sexuality. I think it's healthy to acknowledge that at the start of any conversation on this subject. You see, we are led to believe that these issues of sexuality define us more than any other factor. So any negative comment about people's views on sexuality is an attack on a person's identity. But that's not true. We need to remember we are talking about ideas. So I really want to know why do they say that. I need to listen with loving care.

Let's assume that the underlying issue is they feel the bible is unnaturally restrictive.

"I should be the one to decide with who and when we have sex. Is the bible not an ancient, repressive text."

Within our culture repressing your feelings and desires is harmful to you and can lead to you harming others. Therefore sexual freedom is the way to live.

One of the problems with that idea is that no-one lives in total sexual freedom. Everyone draws the line somewhere. The question is where do you draw the line and why there?

The answer we're given is draw it on consent. So long as there's consent between two adults everything's fine. Isn't it? The recent Me Too movement has shown how murky these waters are. What if there are power relationships at play? What if consent is withdrawn afterwards?

I think we have to acknowledge what we probably always knew, that our bodies aren't playgrounds. Our bodies are temples. There's something sacred about our bodies and therefore there's something sacred about when two bodies are joined together. Sex is different than a handshake. With sexual regret or abuse people talk about feeling defiled or dirty. These feelings underline our deep belief that our bodies are sacred.

Don't misunderstand the word sacred. I don't mean sombre or cold. There's a deep joy to the word sacred. A joy that the bible celebrates

"May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth, A loving doe, a graceful deer-may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love." (Proverbs 5:18-19)

"The husband should fulfil his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husbands body does not belong to him alone but also his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you might devote yourself to prayer." (1 Corinthians 7:3-5)

That would make us blush. but the bible can speak like that without embarrassment because sex is God's idea. It's His gift to be enjoyed within marriage. Someone has described it as a fire that gives heat, light and atmosphere to a room. But when the fire leaves the boundaries of the fire place, it will destroy all around it, burning the house to the ground. As with all of God's good gifts we misuse and distort it. We twist sex so it selfishly becomes all about me rather than an expression of love towards the other and for the good of the community.

You see the bible's view of sex fits into the much bigger story of the gospel. Sex is not the main thing. Now that's hugely freeing and revolutionary. The good news about Jesus and what he has done is the main thing. Why's it the main thing? Because only Jesus is able to deal with our greatest desire for connectedness. Through faith in Jesus we enjoy a connection with God that is the reality of which sex is simply a picture of. Read that last line again. Amazing!

"As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you" (Isaiah 62:5)

"...the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery but I'm talking about Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:32)

Glynn Harrison in his excellent book "A Better Story: God Sex & Human Flourishing" describes sexual desires as a "divine homing instinct for the glorious union that lies ahead. And he seeks from us the same faithful devotion, commitment, delight and joy that he, through Christ, now finds in us."

Are Christ's weird about sex? Probably weirder than you ever imagined. The bible has a bigger vision for sex than we very dreamed of. It isn't a dirty thing to be ashamed of. It's a good and joyous gift to be enjoyed within marriage. And also our God given sexual desires find their ultimate fulfilment within the Bible's Big Story of Christ and the church. So there's hope for all; abuser, abused and confused. How wonderfully weird is that?

This is a lot to say all at once but it could be said within a conversation, especially late into the evening . zzzz....

Below is the first of 5 videos that will take a fuller look at Sex and the bible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWeDpCedGU0