In the last ten years, neuroscience has made fantastic discoveries concerning the brain and how it functions. For example, the prefrontal cortex (a region associated with planning and executing complex behaviors) and the limbic system (a structure that plays a critical role in emotional responses) send information to a central location known as the striatum. There, a subset of highly specialized nerve cells integrate information from both structures, associating rewarded behavior with particular cues (“That aroma means food!).
While much of the information above is derived through PET scans and controlled testing, a critical component involved in the interpretation process is one’s worldview. The Atheist, the Pantheist and the Theist develop perspectives based upon each worldview’s presuppositions. The crucial aspect, therefore, is whether our worldview’s interpretation is firmly seated in the correspondence theory of Truth. In other words, are we saying of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not.
It is impossible to empirically verify 100%, and to everyone’s complete satisfaction, that a certain state of affairs obtains absolute truth. Objective reality is subjectively experienced. Hence, each person’s worldview produces variations on any theme.
Okay, let me water this down some. Science has given to us an incredible understanding of the world we live in, as neuroscience does the brains we are given. But when science seeks to cut God out, as the Atheist does, we suffer. When science attempts to equate the physical realities we study with God, as the Pantheist does, we lose more than we gain. Theism is the only worldview that states God is both transcendent (outside) and immanent (inside). Christianity is the only theistic view that states God became a man, taking on humanity’s sinful nature, and rescued us once for all.
Faith, hope and love are not mere neuronal impulses or chemical reactions in the brain. Nor are they simply colorful brush strokes in the painting of life. They are attributes of personhood alone, which God is. Our connection with God is flavored by faith, hope and love. Our experience of God is personal.
Neuroscience, seen from a Christian viewpoint, becomes a rich source of insight and learning. Yet, it does not extinguish faith. Rather, like spices used to make a healthy meal interestingly delightful, neuroscience adds enjoyment to our appreciation of God’s marvelous creation.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Suffering Worthy of Honor
What am I really made of? Do I have what it takes? How will I know? No matter what anyone tells me, until I know for myself, all comments are second-hand. In order for knowledge of myself to have depth of meaning, it must be discovered first hand. The only means for this knowledge is through suffering. When I have journeyed deep into the canyons of suffering, only then will I be in a position to experience a “rising up.”
True and authentic character is formed in the crucible of suffering. Virtue is the deep-seated alloy of iron and carbon of character. It must be refined through intense hardship. Humility, temperance, courage, wisdom and justice; faith, hope and love (the nuclei of Christlikeness) are proven in the heart of suffering. Conversely, the notion that Christian faith provides a comfortable life suitable to our tastes quickly incinerates in the inferno of extreme adversity.
What is real, what is truly worthy of honor, is all that will survive suffering. The resurrection of Christ emulates this principle. By looking into the Passion of the Lamb, we look into the marvelous mystery of character formation. We discover death to self and resurrection to eternal salvation.
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered, and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…”
True and authentic character is formed in the crucible of suffering. Virtue is the deep-seated alloy of iron and carbon of character. It must be refined through intense hardship. Humility, temperance, courage, wisdom and justice; faith, hope and love (the nuclei of Christlikeness) are proven in the heart of suffering. Conversely, the notion that Christian faith provides a comfortable life suitable to our tastes quickly incinerates in the inferno of extreme adversity.
What is real, what is truly worthy of honor, is all that will survive suffering. The resurrection of Christ emulates this principle. By looking into the Passion of the Lamb, we look into the marvelous mystery of character formation. We discover death to self and resurrection to eternal salvation.
- Hebrews 5:7-8
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the nave that is above every name…”- Philippians 2:6-9
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Hidden Mystery
A disfigured human body hangs like an old rag doll. Badly beaten and torn, the grueling torture strangled him with asphyxiating grief. Nevertheless, he exhaled beautiful words born of sacrificial love, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." Then, in an excruciating moment, Jesus was abandoned… Somewhere deep within, he felt it; a frightening hollowness gripped his soul. A quiet moment passed. In terrifying anguish, Jesus forced the lonely words through his parched lips, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?!” Overwhelming pain squeezed powerfully. With one last breath, yet in a tone of absolute authority, Jesus asserted, “It is finished!” Dropping his head, he died.
The sweetest, most wise man who ever lived was brutalized on behalf of those who rejected him. If anyone desired to experience the depth of intimate fellowship with another, it was Jesus. To maintain a warm, vulnerable posture while enduring overwhelming agony attests to his sweetness. His suffering literally transcends the boundaries of our understanding. To consider the wisdom of the crucifixion and the suffering Jesus experienced leaves us pondering a mystery far too deep for our simple minds to handle.
“If God is to be found in the cross, then he is hidden in the mystery; if human experience is illuminated by that cross, then the experiences which are illuminated are those of suffering, abandonment, powerlessness and hopelessness, culminating in death. Either God is not present at all in (the cross), or else he is present in a remarkable and paradoxical way.”
“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”
The sweetest, most wise man who ever lived was brutalized on behalf of those who rejected him. If anyone desired to experience the depth of intimate fellowship with another, it was Jesus. To maintain a warm, vulnerable posture while enduring overwhelming agony attests to his sweetness. His suffering literally transcends the boundaries of our understanding. To consider the wisdom of the crucifixion and the suffering Jesus experienced leaves us pondering a mystery far too deep for our simple minds to handle.
- Alister McGrath
“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”
- Isaiah 45:3
Monday, March 28, 2011
Nurturing Courageous Love
One of the greatest enemies of courageous love is doubt. To see this, consider John the Baptist’s story. The Scriptures indicate John’s message was firmly based on Isaiah 40:3-4, his baptism on repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:2-5). Confidently exclaiming, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), John demonstrated a passionate conviction concerning Jesus’ identity.
Consequently, this steered him to confront the moral corruptions of King Herod. causing his imprisonment. Understanding prisons of that time, John most likely found himself experiencing periods of overwhelming isolation and boredom. While in that forlorn dungeon, the incessant biting of dark uncertainty nibbled at John’s steely mind. In time, a question, born in the womb of agonizing despair and aching sorrow, forced the words out of his mouth, “Are you, Jesus, the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matt. 11:2-3; Luke 7:18-20).
In peaceful times of green pastures, our faith may feel thick and rock-solid. Seasons of change, however, can bring devastating realizations. God often allows profound suffering because it is the terrain where growing faith finds enough room for contemplative reflection. It is where doubt, rooted in our sinful nature, is met by faith, rooted in Christ himself.
“Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself.”
Consequently, this steered him to confront the moral corruptions of King Herod. causing his imprisonment. Understanding prisons of that time, John most likely found himself experiencing periods of overwhelming isolation and boredom. While in that forlorn dungeon, the incessant biting of dark uncertainty nibbled at John’s steely mind. In time, a question, born in the womb of agonizing despair and aching sorrow, forced the words out of his mouth, “Are you, Jesus, the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matt. 11:2-3; Luke 7:18-20).
In peaceful times of green pastures, our faith may feel thick and rock-solid. Seasons of change, however, can bring devastating realizations. God often allows profound suffering because it is the terrain where growing faith finds enough room for contemplative reflection. It is where doubt, rooted in our sinful nature, is met by faith, rooted in Christ himself.
- Madeleine L’Engle
Friday, March 18, 2011
Couageous Love
Jesus took Peter, John and James with him. “Stay here while I pray,” he told them. Walking a little further, about a stone’s throw away, he fell to his knees surrendering to the heavy weight of sorrow. With his face toward the ground, he breathed a prayer in an overwhelmingly distressed voice: “Father, everything is possible for you. If you are willing, may this cup be taken from me.” Eventually, Jesus stood up and walked back to the three men who had fallen asleep. Waking them, he pleaded, “Could you not keep watch with me for one hour? I tell you, be alert so that you will not fall into temptation. Certainly the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” With that, Jesus returned to pray once more. The severe pain and writhing agony within Jesus swelled, causing him to sweat beads of blood. Acceding his Father‘s desire, Jesus whispered, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.” Soon, an angel appeared and strengthened him. Jesus, rising up, walked back to Peter, John and James. “It is time,” he said resolutely. “Here comes my betrayer.” (see Matt. 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46).
Jesus' heroic behavior in Gethsemane captured a moment of mythic courage. Making a self-sacrificing decision in that moment of crisis is about nothing other than love. Only a potent, altruistic love could lead Jesus to override the human impulse for personal survival. Seen from the intellect, his decision to face crucifixion was arguably irrational; seen from the heart, however, it was the only choice to make.
“The kind of love which led Christ to a cross…amid the angry torrents of persecution is not soft, anemic, and sentimental. Such love confronts evil without flinching and shows…an infinite capacity ‘to take it.’ Such love overcomes the world even from a rough-hewn cross against the skyline.”
Jesus' heroic behavior in Gethsemane captured a moment of mythic courage. Making a self-sacrificing decision in that moment of crisis is about nothing other than love. Only a potent, altruistic love could lead Jesus to override the human impulse for personal survival. Seen from the intellect, his decision to face crucifixion was arguably irrational; seen from the heart, however, it was the only choice to make.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Armed For Battle
“Praise the Lord, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle…”
There are two places, in Ephesians 6:10-18 & 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, where we find words concerning “the battle.” If we allow the thoughts developed by Paul in these two passages to overlap, we will see some interesting things. For instance, we learn about the battle ground. The battle ground is obviously where the battle takes place. While the wars throughout human history lie within the physical domain, Paul indicates he is not referring to these in particular. “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do ( 2 Cor. 10:3 NLT).” The NIV captures the thought this way, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.” From this Paul launches into a discourse allowing us to understand a few important ideas.
It is imperative to know where the battle ground is. Unless we know where the battle is, we can never enter into fight. Paul identifies the battle ground like this: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12 NLT).” Let’s try and put a finger on what Paul is telling us. He writes in 2 Cor. 4:3-6 about the light of the Gospel in conflict with Satan’s blinding darkness. I am going to take liberty at shifting the order of two verses to help us see the battle. “For God, who said ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus (v.6).” “(But) Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory Christ, who is the exact likeness of God (v.4).” Do you see the battle? Do you see where the battle ground is?
Listen carefully to Paul’s next words. “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world” (2 Cor. 10:4 NIV). Two questions come to mind. First, what are these weapons? Paul answers, “…the belt of truth…the breastplate of righteousness…the shield of faith…the helmet of salvation…and the sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6:14-17 NIV). Secondly, what is the purpose of these weapons? Paul asserts, “We use God’s mighty weapons…to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.” (2 Cor. 10:4-5 NLT). Stay tuned for more…
- Psalm 144:1
In this life, we face battles and struggles so often it feels as if we are in a war. According to the Scriptures, this is not far from reality. In fact, the apostle Paul writes about this very topic.There are two places, in Ephesians 6:10-18 & 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, where we find words concerning “the battle.” If we allow the thoughts developed by Paul in these two passages to overlap, we will see some interesting things. For instance, we learn about the battle ground. The battle ground is obviously where the battle takes place. While the wars throughout human history lie within the physical domain, Paul indicates he is not referring to these in particular. “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do ( 2 Cor. 10:3 NLT).” The NIV captures the thought this way, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.” From this Paul launches into a discourse allowing us to understand a few important ideas.
It is imperative to know where the battle ground is. Unless we know where the battle is, we can never enter into fight. Paul identifies the battle ground like this: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12 NLT).” Let’s try and put a finger on what Paul is telling us. He writes in 2 Cor. 4:3-6 about the light of the Gospel in conflict with Satan’s blinding darkness. I am going to take liberty at shifting the order of two verses to help us see the battle. “For God, who said ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus (v.6).” “(But) Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory Christ, who is the exact likeness of God (v.4).” Do you see the battle? Do you see where the battle ground is?
Listen carefully to Paul’s next words. “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world” (2 Cor. 10:4 NIV). Two questions come to mind. First, what are these weapons? Paul answers, “…the belt of truth…the breastplate of righteousness…the shield of faith…the helmet of salvation…and the sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6:14-17 NIV). Secondly, what is the purpose of these weapons? Paul asserts, “We use God’s mighty weapons…to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.” (2 Cor. 10:4-5 NLT). Stay tuned for more…
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Court Adjourned!
When we desire an attempt at sharing a deeply embarrassing secret to another, the response of the person listening can have enormous ramifications. For example, if we find the person we are sharing with even slightly judgmental and condescending, we will withdraw quickly and resist sharing any further with them. Additionally, we will become injured and that injury will make us wary of sharing sensitive information with anyone else. We no longer feel safe.
My experiences in small group has taught me the intrinsic value of a safe atmosphere, one of real and authentic caring. A safe environment, however, is not something we happen to walk into by accident. That kind of place is one fostered through intentional and deliberate choices. We learn to develop healthy boundaries and appropriate behaviors which nurture the feeling of being safe. Our hearts long to be in the presence of those who really have our interests in mind.
There are a couple of verse in the Bible I think can help us understand the importance God places on our ability to honestly share deep places within us in a safe place. As we consider, let us be conscientious of the destructive nature of judgmental and condescending attitudes.
“…confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
Think for a moment with me. To confess a sin means to share a secret that has been hidden in the dark. It is to reveal something deeply troubling about oneself, causing embarrassment and shame. It is to disclose something very personal, causing us to feel transparent and vulnerable to vicious attacks. To confess our sins to another is profoundly risky and dangerous.
So, has God done anything to help us in this? Yes. Listen to the words found in Isaiah 53:5:
“…he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Simply put, God has held court. He afflicted his Son through the burden of judgment and condemnation for our transgressions, our iniquities. In other words, God legally placed the penalty of our own sins upon Christ. Therefore, for anyone to attempt to be judgmental and condescending is in violation of God’s legal action. How is that so? Paul writes,
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ…”
He later mentions that no one - not even Satan himself - has the legal right to hold anything against us! If God has acquitted us, then we are acquitted! From this perspective, we can perceive Jesus’ last words to include the meaning, “Court adjourned!” “It is finished” is a formal declaration of our acquittal. Jesus’ death is the dropping of the gavel. His resurrection is the institution of something new, something wonderfully beautiful and new. Moreover, Jesus is the second person of the God-head and, in that position, has the authority to make such a legal claim.
If you ever find yourself being the recipient of judgmental and condescending remarks, please be aware that their words are in violation of the highest court’s ruling and thereby subject to the charges of both perjury and contempt. In God’s eyes, judgmental and condescending attitudes and comments are very serious offenses. And if we find ourselves to be the one judging and condescending, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous! He is compassionately merciful!
My experiences in small group has taught me the intrinsic value of a safe atmosphere, one of real and authentic caring. A safe environment, however, is not something we happen to walk into by accident. That kind of place is one fostered through intentional and deliberate choices. We learn to develop healthy boundaries and appropriate behaviors which nurture the feeling of being safe. Our hearts long to be in the presence of those who really have our interests in mind.
There are a couple of verse in the Bible I think can help us understand the importance God places on our ability to honestly share deep places within us in a safe place. As we consider, let us be conscientious of the destructive nature of judgmental and condescending attitudes.
“…confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
- James 5:16 NIV
Think for a moment with me. To confess a sin means to share a secret that has been hidden in the dark. It is to reveal something deeply troubling about oneself, causing embarrassment and shame. It is to disclose something very personal, causing us to feel transparent and vulnerable to vicious attacks. To confess our sins to another is profoundly risky and dangerous.
So, has God done anything to help us in this? Yes. Listen to the words found in Isaiah 53:5:
“…he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Simply put, God has held court. He afflicted his Son through the burden of judgment and condemnation for our transgressions, our iniquities. In other words, God legally placed the penalty of our own sins upon Christ. Therefore, for anyone to attempt to be judgmental and condescending is in violation of God’s legal action. How is that so? Paul writes,
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ…”
- Romans 8:1 NIV
He later mentions that no one - not even Satan himself - has the legal right to hold anything against us! If God has acquitted us, then we are acquitted! From this perspective, we can perceive Jesus’ last words to include the meaning, “Court adjourned!” “It is finished” is a formal declaration of our acquittal. Jesus’ death is the dropping of the gavel. His resurrection is the institution of something new, something wonderfully beautiful and new. Moreover, Jesus is the second person of the God-head and, in that position, has the authority to make such a legal claim.
If you ever find yourself being the recipient of judgmental and condescending remarks, please be aware that their words are in violation of the highest court’s ruling and thereby subject to the charges of both perjury and contempt. In God’s eyes, judgmental and condescending attitudes and comments are very serious offenses. And if we find ourselves to be the one judging and condescending, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous! He is compassionately merciful!
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