The One

I was watching The Matrix again this evening, my all-time favourite movie. Most Christians who enjoy the Matrix enjoy the parallel between Neo and Jesus. Personally, I think of myself as Neo. Woah! No, not as The One, but as someone who needs to learn to believe that they are capable, to live by faith in the knowledge of God's provision, knowing the authority and power we've been given. So once again, I was incredibly convicted and challenged when the oracle said to Neo: it looks like you're waiting for something, another life maybe. It cut me up, because that's me. Waiting for another life when I'll be great. It's time to do it. To be great, to make a difference, to go and save the world, or at least save it to the extent of what God's given us the power to do.

Coming Back Around

As I prepare for my return home to a totally new life, I feel a little daunted. I'm almost depressed at all the change up ahead: new job, new home, new environment, financial insecurity, new wife sometime soon. But if I stop for a moment, I suddenly realise this is exactly where I was at the start of last year. Four weeks in Edinburgh where I had no job, no home, no bank account and no church, and not seeing light on any of these fronts. And yet I look back on that now and see how everything resolved itself. Amazing how seasons change! I think that's such a refreshing thought for all of us ... you keep on pressing through the tough patches and watch how things will change for you.

Just to Ask

I've been making my way through the book of John and one thing Jesus keeps telling His disciples is: whatever you ask in My name you will receive. What is our response to that statement? Maybe you share my skepticism. Does God really answer those prayers? Why do some sick people remain sick? Why is there no peace in Iraq? I guess the point I'm making is that some unanswered prayers have reduced our faith, and when I read those scriptures again, something inside me opens its eyes with interest. Maybe God does answer these prayers. Of course, the Bible does put some qualifications, such as John 15 where Jesus instructs us to abide in Him and in James where we're instructed not to pray with selfish motives and with doubt. But if we take care of these things, why not join me for a moment and believe again that God can answer impossible prayers. It's worth taking the chance.

Toggle the Morals

I've been grappling with evolution for a while, figuring out its ins and outs, so that I know where to hit it in the weak spot and smack it for a six. One thought crossed my mind today: if evolution is true, we are living a delusion. It's a well known fact that evolution and materialism eliminate any real morality. With evolution, certain character traits enhance the survival of a species or individual. So as an evolutionist, you would argue that morality and conscience have evolved to preserve a species. Even so, morality would be non-existent. So for instance, blowing up the world with a gigantic atomic bomb would not be good for species preservation, but that doesn't make it wrong, because there is no such thing as wrong. And yet we have this sense of morality that would define it as wrong to hurt somebody's feelings, let alone blow them up with an atomic bomb. So according to evolution, the sense of morality that we feel is actually a delusion. As it turns out, our sense of morality is one of the strongest arguments against evolution really.

Bin the Formula

It's interesting to see how much we try to lean on formulas. It's said that we're creatures of habit and it shows in the church and in our walk with God as well. I think God created us to be that way and it's not something to look down on necessarily, but there is one pattern I've found emerging in me. I like to be able to lean on a standard formula for solving life's problems, like knowing what to do in the future or how to deal with sin. But if I dig a little deeper, I begin to uncover the real motive - to be able to manage on my own and get rid of this awkward depending-on-God thing. It's amazing how many times we have to lean on God for last second provisions, and yet we quickly forget that that's exactly how we are meant to live all of our lives: leaning on God. The Bible even instructs us: lean not on your own understanding. To take the step away from self-sufficiency and into God's all-sufficiency is very difficult and turns out to be a lifetime of learning. It can't be any other way though, because the truth is that our self-sufficiency is a well-preserved illusion.