What Do You Think?

After a wonderful conversation with a close friend yesterday, I was reminded of our need to ask questions. I guess one could also word this as our need to seek answers. Over the past several years I have noticed how so many people within the church fear any type of questioning. As soon as you being to ask questions about the Bible and long standing beliefs they will brand you as someone who cannot be trusted. This fear of questions, or this fear of answers that may differ from your own, has created a stifled church community. I mean...what do you think?

This is a real picture. It exists because of poor translation. Apparently this is a sign outside of one of those churches you tour and is meant to keep the chatter at a minimum. However, this sign points to a sad reality among many believers. We don't want questions. And we definitely don't want answers that may disagree with the ones we already possess. What we have failed to realize is that within the Christian faith that are many answers to our various questions. If it were not so then there wouldn't be thousands of Christian denominations. I guess some people don't know how to handle disagreement.

Please understand where I am coming from. The conversation with my friend reminded me that people do have questions. They honestly want answers. There are things that concern them about certain beliefs the church has widely held as orthodox. They aren't trying to be combative. They aren't looking for an excuse to live in some sinful lifestyle. They want to know God fully and understand the Bible that they read.

What is hard for many churches to understand is that we live in one of the most educated generations to ever walk the face of the Earth. The technological advances that the human race has made puts a lot of information at our fingertips. This isn't the church coming out of the Dark Ages anymore. This is not a culture full of illiterate people who simply follow the direction of a pastor. Most of them have a Bible in their own language, and in the style they like. They have read blogs, heard from different points of view, and watch Morgan Freeman do a documentary about God. There is no ill intent in them. They simply want answers.

My friend left me yesterday by saying, "I love talking to you because it reminds me that I'm not crazy." Here is a man who totally loves the Lord. He is a follower of Jesus. Well versed in the Bible and has studied other religions. He sees the need to go deeper, but has also experienced the resistance of those who are unwilling to understand different ideas and concepts. Something as simple as a question about the Greek text of the New Testament sends people reeling. Thoughts about the Early Church and what they believed that may be in disagreement with modern day Western Christianity causes an uproar. So I hope you will excuse me when I take pride in the fact that people have found a safe place with me.

I was looking over some images to put into the blog and came across a funny illustration. A cartoon stick figure pointing to a detailed diagram that explained the movement of church and Christianity from 1 AD. The teacher makes this statement: "So this is where our movement finally came along and got the Bible right." One of the students says, "Jesus is so lucky to have us." Maybe I shouldn't find this humorous, but I do. The idea that we have all the answers and that everyone else has it wrong is dominant within every religion and every Christian denomination. While I am firm in my beliefs, I also realize that I could be wrong in some areas. This thought process keeps me humble. It reminds me that when we are talking about God, the Bible, faith, and practice that there is a world of thought out there. Each of us are doing our best to remain true to the faith that has been handed down to us. However, it is not an excuse to check our brains in at the door.

What you think matters. The questions you have matter. Even if you are wrong in your thinking, the only way to know for sure is to seek the wisdom that only the Father can give. Each of us must trust the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. James told the church that if any of us lack wisdom that we should ask God who gives to all men generously. I couldn't agree more. This stuff matters. We cannot expect everyone to come in, shut up, and believe what we believe. That is religion. Relationship, on the other hand, encourages each person to seek out the truth.

I hope this encourages you. I hope you understand that you don't have to swallow everything hook, line, and sinker. I do want you to be grounded in some things. There are plenty of beliefs that have been handed down through the ages that have not changed. At least not in their substance. But the reality is that we are always getting revelation from the Father. My advice: Seek Him. The Answer is a Person. He will guide you into all Truth. Enjoy the journey!