Bridging the gap...
As we attempt to navigate the worldview waters out there, I am struck by how many people who go to church have a non-biblical worldview. Now, some might say, "So what?" and others are appalled but then there are some who look and go, "Huh?" The vast majority of students fall into the last category. They could care less about what undergirds their lives because that isn't important. I hear it all the time: "Well, they believe it so it's true for them." or to put it another way: "Dude, it was okay for me to lie to him cause he didn't need to know."
At issue here is the idea of absolutes and morality. In the post-modern world the idea is that it all comes down to our story, there is no bigger story we're a part of. However, in the Christian world, we must acknowledge the bigger story we are merely a small part of. These two fundamental differences shape everything else that is believed, thought, or done by most people. Those who believe it's only their story can justify anything. When I was at OU two guys believed a potted tree in their room was God. They believed it fervently and went to great lengths to take care of their "god." Some laughed, but never said anything because "It's true for them." Instead of just letting them be stupid, shouldn't something be said or done (especially in light of what happened later: their tree was bleached and died, sending them into a panic and causing much laughter for everyone else)? If you had a friend who was going to jump off a cliff because they believed they could fly, wouldn't you try to stop them? You wouldn't just sit back and watch while they plummeted to their death because "It was true for them," would you? No! We would step in and stop our friend because we care about them and don't want to see them go splat, and also because we know (with absolute certainty!) that they will fall and die because gravity works whether we acknowledge that or not!
So, why let someone get away saying, "it's true for them" when that doesn't mean it's right, true, or even possible? Think about it...
At issue here is the idea of absolutes and morality. In the post-modern world the idea is that it all comes down to our story, there is no bigger story we're a part of. However, in the Christian world, we must acknowledge the bigger story we are merely a small part of. These two fundamental differences shape everything else that is believed, thought, or done by most people. Those who believe it's only their story can justify anything. When I was at OU two guys believed a potted tree in their room was God. They believed it fervently and went to great lengths to take care of their "god." Some laughed, but never said anything because "It's true for them." Instead of just letting them be stupid, shouldn't something be said or done (especially in light of what happened later: their tree was bleached and died, sending them into a panic and causing much laughter for everyone else)? If you had a friend who was going to jump off a cliff because they believed they could fly, wouldn't you try to stop them? You wouldn't just sit back and watch while they plummeted to their death because "It was true for them," would you? No! We would step in and stop our friend because we care about them and don't want to see them go splat, and also because we know (with absolute certainty!) that they will fall and die because gravity works whether we acknowledge that or not!
So, why let someone get away saying, "it's true for them" when that doesn't mean it's right, true, or even possible? Think about it...
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