Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin
This book interacts with 12 big questions that people ask about Christianity. McLaughlin takes a refreshing approach that is a bit unique apologetically. The book doesn’t fit neatly into any of the major apologetic camps (Presuppositional, Evidential, Classical). I found her interaction to be intellectually satisfying and also deeply caring. She has a knack for cutting to the heart of our cultures big questions and assumptions and confronting them with both statistics and biblical truth.
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When I was in High School, I remember buying a Confederate Flag at a flea market. I put it up in my room. It’s what good Southern boys did who loved sweet tea, grits, college football, hunting, fishing, and mud riding. I had no idea that the flag stood for anything other than an icon of good ole boy southernism. Sure, I knew that it was the Battle Flag of the Confederacy, but that was a long time ago in a galaxy far away from my teenage self. Fast forward to my first year in college. I remember being at a camp event at my college. I wasn’t part of the camp but I was around campus that summer. I remember a girl from Ohio who was a camp counselor was incensed that a camper showed up with a Confederate Flag bandana on his head. I didn’t say anything, but I remember thinking, “I have no idea why that is offensive.” Honestly, I was stymied.
I’ve largely sat out the latest rounds of culture battles not because I don’t have opinions but because the way the conversations are happening. It's juvenile and generally unhelpful. As Alan Jacobs says it, we like to cast others as the “repugnant cultural other.” No room for nuance. No room different perspectives. No room for an actual argument. No time to see if someone else may have a valid perspective. I’m sure this post will cast me in one of two camps for some of you as well, dear reader. It’s sad. That said, I think it’s time to give up the battle over the flag. I now realize the flag means something dramatically different to people who didn’t grow up like I did. Why fight this one? Sure, it may be “heritage not hate” for you, and I sincerely believe that, it was (and is still) for me. But when we have fellow image bearers telling us this is a painful reminder of the slavery of their ancestors, can’t we love our neighbor enough to let it go? I understand the impulse to resist the unrelenting march towards PC madness. The appetite is unquenchable and I’m inclined to not want to play along. The movement capitalizes on the headlines and it’s become quite effective at massive cultural change in a short amount of time. I think many of us are asking when or if it will end? I’m concerned. But let’s be reasonable, Christian brothers and sisters, what’s the harm in putting away the flags? “The kingdom of God is more than eating and drinking” — and the flying of flags. (See Rom 14:17) I've decided to start posting regularly on books that I'm either reading or have read. I want to think this will be a book of the week, but I've known myself long enough to not overpromise :) First up, How to Think by Alan Jacobs. This one makes a good listen if audiobooks are more your thing. Jacobs has quickly become one of my favorite writers. I was most helped by his explanation of the "Repugnant Cultural Others" (RCO). Jacobs explains: "Everyone today seems to have an RCO, and everyone’s RCO is on social media somewhere. We may be able to avoid listening to our RCO, but we can’t avoid the realization that he or she is there, shouting from two rooms away.’" Rather than honest dialogue, we tend to put people in one of two camps, hence there is me, who is right, of course, and the RCO. This is no way to have conversations. The logical fallacies of this type of thinking are legion (ad hominem, straw men, false dichotomy, and we could go on). If you plan to engage in any sort of debate, online or in person, I think this book is a must read (or listen). The Bible is not simply information but designed for our formation. When we read the wisdom literature of the Bible, particularly a book like Proverbs, it’s not meant to be read quickly. We were reading just last night in my house Proverbs 26. One of the kids said, “at first that proverb seemed confusing. You have to think about it to understand it.” Exactly, that’s what Proverbs are deigned to do.
You can’t read proverbs quickly. Proverbs is like watching the sunrise. Don’t just take a picture and check the box. Take them in. Stare at the words for a minute. Take a break and come back to them later. They are for our formation. Today is our last in a mini-series on Proverbs for Posting. You can read the first 2 here and here. 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Online banter escalates quickly. I like playing ping pong. Once one person hits the ball hard, the next person has to smack it back. The rally goes on until someone misses the table, hits the net, or smashes a winner. Harsh tones quickly turn into a rally of forehands until someone acts like a grown up and steps away. Resist the urge and turn away contention with a gentle answer. 17:28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Sometimes your best strategy is to stay quiet. Proverbs is hard on the fool. They are not viewed positively in the book and especially in chapter 17. But even the fool is considered wise if they will simply bite their tongue. 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. 18.17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. Immediate mob justice is rarely thoughtful. Outrage culture often replaces thoughtful responses. In our rush to speak quickly, we often lack nuance in what we say. It’s amazing how multifaceted some stories are. Take time to learn, process, and figure out the other side before going off on your rant. Could you articulate the other side’s position on the issue or situation? If you can’t offer a fair explanation of the other side of the story, you probably aren’t in a position to comment. It’s amazing how arm chair pundits can go from Constitutional Law scholars to Islamic Scholars to health experts within one news cycle. Take time to learn more and share less. That is not to say forfeit your opinions, but it is to say some issues are complex and require more than a cursory snap judgment. Yesterday we considered the power of a medium like social media. It truly is remarkable that our communication is immediate, global, and perhaps most scary, permanent. Today we continue consider more Proverbs for Posting to help guide us in wisdom as we interact online.
12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. I remember reading this verse to my kids a few years ago. The look on their faces was classic when they saw the word stupid was in the Bible. Look at who the stupid one is. The one who hates reproof, or correction. It’s ok to be wrong, it’s stupid to double down on your position even though you clearly are wrong. CS Lewis said it this way: “There is nothing progressive about being pigheaded and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistakes. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.” (Mere Christianity) It’s possible that we may even learn more from our critics than our friends. Consider what Jonathan Edwards said: “Those who revile us—though they do it from an unchristian spirit and in an unchristian manner—will usually identify the very areas where we are the most blameworthy.” (Searching Your Conscience) Edwards reminds us that even those who intend us harm while arguing with an unloving tone can prove useful for us since they attack real weaknesses. Learn from them. Don’t be stupid, love reproof. 14:15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. I can’t remember where I read it now, but someone summarized my feelings well about political memes: “Political memes are the lowest form of argument.” The logical fallacies in many memes are legion. Sure, some are funny, but they can severely contribute the spread of false information. Christian, facts are your friends. Take a moment before you “like and share” that post and see if it’s true. Believe it or not, some people put lies on the internet. I know you’re shocked. If you read a quote that seems too good (or bad), it’s worth fact checking. With the tools available now there’s no good reason why we can’t take a few minutes and make sure we aren’t spreading untruth. Stay tuned for more Proverbs for Posting on Monday. In the late 1930’s, a somewhat disenfranchised Francis Schaeffer was convinced the world was coming to an end. His mentor, Allan MacRae, counseled:
“Such upheavals as we are now witnessing have occurred at many periods in history, although modern mechanical inventions make them cover a wider territory within a shorter interval. Also, the radio and similar news-spreading spreading devices make us more immediately aware of what is going on.” (Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America). Schaeffer watched a revolution of both worldview and technology during his lifetime (1912-1984). With the advent of social media, we are connected in ways that would have been unimaginable to previous generations. Due to technology and the explosion of social media, we are more immediately aware than folks in the 1930’s could have understood. The question is, are we using these tools in God honoring ways? The book of Proverbs provides timeless wisdom that should influence every part of our lives. Social media is the water cooler. It’s where we exchange ideas. We must remember that we are just as responsible for what we type as what we say. With this post today and another tomorrow, I’d like to think through the application of some proverbs to social media. A couple of caveats are in order: one, the entire book is worth applying to social media. These verses are representative. Two, of course these verses don’t only apply in the arena of social media. Apply liberally in all areas of life for best results. 10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. The principle is simple. The more words that are spoken, the more likely it is one will sin. Often times your best strategy in an online debate is to stop typing. Winston Churchill once said: “We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out.” 11:12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. I’m amazed at how bold many can be behind their screen. We forget sometimes that those we slam online are real people. We say things we would never say face to face. Ad hominem attacks are weak, senseless, and common. They are a last resort for one who doesn’t have a substantive argument or simply the default for a lazy thinker. But they are easy and accessible so often times we choose to belittle someone instead of engaging in an exchange of ideas. I believe I've posted this before but I was thinking about this earlier as I review our text for tomorrow at SCC, "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ" Col 2:2 (ESV). It's a great little book that's worth reading.
Helping with our Heads not Just Our Hearts: Reflections from time in Marsh HarbourI’ve just returned from a week in Marsh Harbour. It’s impossible to describe the devastation. So many people are displaced and have lost everything. The island will be years rebuilding. It's an emotional experience as there’s so much discouragement and yet encouragement. It was cool to see so many banding together helping each other out. People around the world are bringing supplies. I heard so many dramatic stories. One family I talked to ended up with 22 people staying in their home during and after the storm because they had one of the few houses that wasn’t either flooded or missing a roof.
With so many people wanting to help, here are a few thoughts on how to maximize your gifts. One, make sure what you send is actually needed. We can make two mistakes here, oversupplying good things and supplying useless things. Let me explain. We stayed at a church last week, one of my ad hoc responsibilities ended up being unloading pallets, trucks, and vehicles as they brought new supplies in. While some are great ideas, like toothbrushes, there was a mountain of toothbrushes. My guess is Marsh Harbour won’t need toothbrushes for years. Then there were a few who obviously cleaned out the closet and sent their old clothes down. While that solid black wool suit may have looked sweet in 1979, it’s simply not needed in the Bahamas at the moment. Get a local contact and meet actual needs, not what you think is a good idea. Two, make sure what you send has a distribution channel. The church we served has suddenly turned into a distribution center. It’s great, if you have people to work and distribute! Imagine your church suddenly, overnight, becomes a distribution center for basic goods. Now imagine the staff and many key volunteers are not available because they have left the area or have their own homes to manage. What happens to the goods? I unloaded and organized a tool closet while I was there. I found piles and piles of goods that were useful, but not being distributed. It’s volunteer run which means not having continuity everyday. It’s difficult to manage. Three, it’s best to work with organizations already there. Let me recommend three. Samaritans Purse has an incredible and huge operation. I loved what I saw and it seems they have plans to maintain a presence for a while. They are working with local churches and community organizers to assess and help. Mission of Hope is doing a great job. Their goal is to come alongside churches and partner stateside churches with churches in Bahamas. One other org that is hard at work is Team Rubicon. These are “muck out and dry in” specialist. They send teams in to clean and tarp. They have a big presence and have done a ton of work. The rebuilding is going to take years and years. Please don’t send junk to them. Think about it, you send something and think, “if they don’t’ need it, just throw it away.” Ok, but consider that they don’t really have trash service right now and you took up cargo room on a plane or boat that could have been used for something useful. Let’s help with our heads, not just our hearts. I love being outside. As I type this I’m sitting on my back porch watching the remnants of the flames in our little fire pit which admirably served their purpose for roasting (burning) marshmallows with the kids earlier. I’m just wishing all the HVAC units in the neighborhood would cycle off at the same time, just for a few minutes. Our relatively quiet little neighborhood is still noisy, but I’ll take it. I love the outdoors. I’m amazed when I stop and look around at all that’s going on seemingly effortlessly. Trees are growing, grass is growing, weeds are fighting for supremacy in the backyard, the steady progress of the moon making it’s way across the sky, and the nice breeze this evening. Though quiet, there’s an enormous amount of energy to keep just my little backyard moving along.
Our church is studying the book of Colossians and we came to a profound verse this morning: “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. - Colossians 1:17.” The world continues to work because Christ continues to hold it together. Hebrews 1:3 says something very similar: “he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Factory vs Vineyard I came across an illustration that struck me as I was preparing to teach these verses. There’s a stark contrast between God’s creating work and man’s work. Picture a factory. They are noisy, active, maybe smoky, and full of lots of visible activity. Now picture an orchard or vineyard. You can hardly hear a thing walking through an orchard. Yet think about all that’s going on. Though God’s creative work, energy is being transferred from the sun, soil, and rain to make the fruit grow. I can barely see a little tangerine tree in my backyard even now. It’s hard at work to grow fruit, it will take almost a year to grow! Slow and steady wins the race in citrus growing. The Lord chose agricultural analogies to talk about growing in the faith. The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 comes to mind. We tend to like factory type of growth that has easy metrics and obvious progress. I know I tend to be output and outcome driven, but Jesus described life as being connected to the true vine, not a conveyer belt. Growing crops takes time and patience. The Lord’s process of growth works. It’s proven itself over and over again. You can’t dig up the seed everyday to see if it’s growing. Plant, water, and wait. I have the awesome privilege and responsibility of preaching at Sunrise Community Church. The pulpit has been adequately described as the golden ball and chain. I never thought I’d preach regularly but now I wouldn’t trade it. As for what and how I preach, I’m committed to preaching the gospel of Christ through the sequential exposition of Scripture. Thankfully, our elders and church family expect me to preach messages from the Bible. For this legacy and expectation, I’m profoundly grateful.
In the past year or two, I’ve starting keeping a running tab (mostly mentally) of all the topics I’ve been encouraged to address from the pulpit. Either directly or indirectly (articles, tweets, etc) I’ve been told I should be talking about: the orphan crisis (165 million and counting), racism (white nationalism and systemic oppression specifically), sexism (misogyny), marriage, small groups, gender specific accountability groups, giving, forgiveness, counseling, ecclesiology, the national anthem (and American Christianity in general), greed, discipleship, end times, women’s roles, missions, local outreach, and I could go on. I’m told on some of these issues, if I don’t lend my voice, I’m complicit in the perpetuation of whatever particular ill is running rampant. I admit, it can be paralyzing. I simply don’t have the capacity, expertise, or drive to address every cultural and doctrinal issue. It takes me some time to think through things. Quick mob justice is no substitute for a thoughtful response. For me, on a typical week in the pulpit, I default back to what I know, teaching the next text. I want to give you some reasons why I take this approach, but first, a few caveats are in order. Caveat #1: On occasion, I will address cultural and/or doctrinal issues sometimes. This depends on the significance of the event and importantly, the impact on my local flock. Caveat #2: I see value in helping our people learn to think through issues of the day so I’m not outright rejecting taking time to work through current events or controversies. Caveat #3: Some pastors are much more gifted at responding quickly. There are certain thinkers that I look to when something happens. I want to hear Al Mohler talk about the headlines. I’m glad for his podcast, The Briefing. But news flash, I’m not Mohler. I hardly ever wear ties anymore, much less bow ties. With that in order, here is why I’m a predictable preacher of the next text. The Nature of the Word of God. By the nature of the Word, I mean to say the Word of God is in fact, inspired by God and is useful for “for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” And of course the next verse says it’s this word that equips the man for every good work. God’s Word, all of it, is useful. Sequential exposition, I believe, honors a commitment to a high valuation of the Word of God. The Command to Preach the Word of God Paul exhorted Timothy to “preach the Word.” The Bible is surprisingly thin on *specific* application of text in many cases. I think we demand a level of specificity from our preachers that simply isn’t in the text sometimes. By forcing the text to be “practical” we sometimes end up cantilevered out away from the text. The Scope of the Word of God If you teach through books of the Bible, you will inevitably have opportunities from the text to address whatever cultural ills you see of the day. It’s amazing to me how often my text, chosen weeks if not months out, lines up with what is happening. Exposition keeps a balanced diet for the people. There are some things that are easier than others to talk about. Exposition forces us to wrestle through hard text. And that’s good for both the preacher and the church. It’s easy to cherry pick a verse here or there to address a hot topic, but I think something is lost when this happens. Let me add a final qualifier at what I’m not saying. Some may read me to be saying that we can either “preach the Bible” or “preach on cultural issues.” That’s a false dichotomy. I’m not accusing the preacher who tends toward addressing the hot issue of being a Bible-less preacher. He may very well be using the Bible, and doing it well. But I think on balance, most of us are better served to let the exception be the exception and trust the Word to work as you faithfully preach it the way it’s written. |