Good and Evil – Who Decides? Part 2
Good and Evil – Who Decides? Part 2 Biblical theists like C S Lewis are not alone in recognising that if there is no God “all moral judgements (are) … statements about the speaker’s feelings” and nothing more (Part 1). In his influential 1979 essay Unspeakable Ethics, Unnatural Law [Unspeakable Ethics, Unnatural Law (duke.edu)] Yale Law School professor Arthur Allen Leff bluntly states: The so-called death of God turns out not to have been just His funeral; it also seems…
Good and Evil Who Decides Pt 1
Good and Evil – Who Decides? Pt. 1 In her 1969 counterculture anthem Woodstock, songwriter Joni Mitchell intones: “We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden.” Of course, there is no getting ourselves back to the Garden. We live in a decaying universe which “groans and suffers” (Rom 8:22) because our first parents succumbed to temptation and disobeyed the LORD God when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and…
A Letter to Friends
A Letter to Friends In his “sweetheart” epistle to the church at Philippi, Paul writes to sympathetic, noble, loyal friends who have repeatedly demonstrated a concern for his wellbeing. The apostle appreciates their “participation in the gospel from the first day” (1:5) and is thankful for their ongoing support. The Philippians have “always obeyed” Paul, not just when he was present with them, but also in his “absence” (2:12). God had begun a good work in their lives and…
Despair or Faith?
Despair or Faith Isn’t it remarkable just how easily you and I can become absorbed in and entranced by the things of this world, even while knowing in our hearts that our citizenship is in the next (Phil 3:20)? We know that we are “aliens and strangers” upon the earth (1 Pet 2:11) and that our minds really should be set on the “things above” (Col 3:2) but still the world around us with its daily grind, its incessant demands…
On Keeping Accounts
On Keeping Accounts One of the few jokes that I can readily call to mind is about the elephant who, seemingly without provocation, kicked a defenseless turtle. When the indignant little reptile complained to his assailant, the elephant responded, “Turtle, you’ve obviously forgotten the fact that you insulted me 10 years ago, but I haven’t forgotten because I have turtle recall.” I’m not sure about turtle recall, but if like me you struggle to remember scriptural verses and anniversary dates, total…
What’s it All About – Pt 2
What’s it all about? – Part 2 As my friend was laid to rest, the sound system belted out Sinatra’s I Did It My Way, and as I listened to the self-aggrandizing lyrics I couldn’t help but think “This is the saddest part of all.” Sad but not unexpected. John had good reason to warn against “the boastful pride of life” (1 Jn 2:16). Our first parents believed an ego-massaging lie (you will be like God/gods [Gen 3:5])…
What’s It All About? – Part one
What’s It All About? A few years ago, the curtain went up on a play by Samuel Beckett which Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser describes “as an eloquent statement on modern man.” There are no human actors in the play and the scenery is quite simple – just a pile of junk. Only two sounds are heard throughout the play: the wail of a newborn baby off stage and then, after a period of silence, the groan of a dying…
Did Jesus Fail? Part 2
Did Jesus Fail Part 2 In Part 1 we commented briefly upon Albert Schweitzer’s claim that Jesus dying words (My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken me?) demonstrated that our Lord died in despair, believing Jehovah had failed Him. Schweitzer asserted that this is the only possible explanation for our Lord’s citation of Psalm 22:1 in those last agonizing minutes upon the cross. He was wrong. A leading scholar of Rabbinic Judaism, the late Anthony J Saldarini helps us…
Did Jesus Fail?
Did Jesus Fail? Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer was a multitalented humanitarian best remembered for his work as a medical missionary in Africa. Sadly, he is also remembered by some as a man who used his God-given talents to undermine faith in the Christ of scripture. In his book The Quest of the Historical Jesus (1906) Schweitzer argues that Jesus died in despair and disillusionment believing that God had failed him. He writes: Before His arrest (Jesus) was overwhelmed with…
Alone and Stuck
Alone And Stuck Thom Vaught A lone cargo ship became stuck in the Suez Canal blocking shipping traffic for much of the world. Ever Given is one of the largest container ships in the world whose length is equal to the height of the Empire State Building. It was making its way through the canal when it was hit by a sandstorm with high winds. Buffeted off-course, the ship struck one bank of the canal. Subsequently, winds lodged this mighty…
Two Souls
The Two Souls “Two souls, alas, are housed within my breast, And each will wrestle for the mastery there.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust It’s no secret that fallen man’s heart is a battlefield. The issues differ from combat zone to combat zone, but all of Adam’s damaged children know the pain of living with a civil war raging inside. We yearn to be valiant, noble and gracious, but even in the midst of minor victories we know…
Anxious Youth
Anxious Youth Most of the climate change protesters were about the same age as my grandchildren, so it was painful to see the anxiety in their eyes and hear the distress in their voices as they spoke despairingly about the future. One young woman carried a sign saying, “You’ll die of old age, we will die of climate change.” Another placard warned “There is no planet B.” Tearful teenagers declared their resolve to remain childless rather than bring children into what they…