Sacred Cynicism

Last week we asked the question, “is it a good idea – is it worth it to follow Christ?” After all, if we are going to invite people to follow Christ, then we should actually invite them to something better, something more worthwhile than the life they know. This was Paul’s task, when he visited with the group of philosophers that frequented ancient Athens in Acts 17. Perhaps it is time to make this argument again. It seems fairly evident that Paul did not succeed in his quest, and maybe we will not either. Yet maybe it is good to try, and think about this question from time to time.

We live in a time where people of faith and people of science are often perceived as being on different sides of a debate. Too often, this debate is about the method of Creation, and how long it took for Creation to happen. This is unfortunate for a number of reasons, not least of which is that Scripture does not seek to answer questions of how long ago, and when did it happen. The book of Genesis has a more vital question to answer – who are we, and why are we here? So Genesis tells a story in a manner that the ancient readers would have understood. You are not here by accident. It is good to be in relationship with each other, and you carry around the image of God within you.

Amazingly enough, these answers are still every bit as relevant today as they were when they were first written. Our divide today does not pit faith vs. science, but pits those who see God at work in the Creation with those who leave no room for a divine design.

In essence, there are some who would have us believe that everything we see is the product of a random act. Not only a random act, but a cosmic event with no cause, no reason, and no explanation. Everything we see is the result of a mega-explosion of matter. Either blind luck, climactic roulette, or a genetic lottery is the ultimate cause for everything we see. As a result we would live in world bereft of purpose, direction, and order.

This is not the case with those who see God’s hand at work. Each person has value, and reflects the image of the One who created them. The cosmos and the obvious order and design reflected within it, are a window into the mind of the Creator. We become so much more than the happenstance of a purposeless creation, but the purposeful creation, created for relationship with each other, and to relate to our Creator.

There is one other area that speaks to me in this discussion. In a world that leaves no room for the divine hand, we have perfectly reasonable explanations for most of what surrounds us. We can explain why we walk upright, why our diet has become what it is, and we can even explain why the fittest survive, and men and women are attracted to each other. I get it. I even understand it. Yet there is something missing. What explains music, beauty, justice, and grace? What benefit is there to forgive? Why extend the benefit of the doubt to the stranger? What role would self-sacrifice play in a world where only the fittest survive? Why is it good to love, even if there is no benefit to the one who is loving?

This is where a mechanistic, divine-less explanation falls short. Perhaps we recognize the good in all of these things because we are more than just a evolving animal. Could these expressions be the leftover residue left within us by a Creator? Maybe we innately recognize the image of the Creator, and it still resonates within us. Truth be told, we have even recognized that the important things of life might not be the physical traits, but those times and places where justice, grace and love are evident. Most people have found this to be true, and it is one piece of evidence that following Christ is worth it, especially the Christ that says the greatest expression is love.