God of Technology

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28)

Many people today worship at the altar of technology, coming to believe that we can save ourselves if we just devote enough time, energy, and money into fixing problems. Curing cancer. Reversing the aging process. Eventually, even overcoming death.

As Christians, we believe God is in charge of all life – even technological “advances”. God has a purpose for us to discover what we discover, at the time and in the way we discover it. This is good news, because God knows much better than we do what is best.

At the same time, this is a hard truth to hold onto. It’s counter-cultural. As theologian Miroslav Volf puts it –

“It is increasingly difficult for Christians to [assert that] God governs history and that the salvation of the world can, let alone must, come from God. And the more God is pushed out of our world, the more difficult it will be to address this loving God in prayer and thanksgiving, and to stand before this holy God in awe and reverence.”

Believing is Seeing

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

"To have faith is to believe what you can't see and the reward of faith is to see what you believe.” (St. Augustine)

It took not just seeing, but touching the body of the Resurrected Christ to convince Thomas to believe Jesus had been risen from the grave. What does it take us? What motivates us to believe?

In one way or another, our faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, moving through Scripture, the fellowship of other Christians and worship within the faith community. We can’t often see it coming, but once it does – when the Spirit of Christ enters our heart, everything in life begins to take on more focus.

Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing. And the ultimate benefit to believing is to see the One who sees us most clearly and has given us the means to believe.

See what I mean? Can you believe it?

A Reasonable Faith

[Jesus] said, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Many people today claim that faith has little or nothing to do with reason. They believe scientific “facts” have taken the place of “superstitious” faith and that, as a result of this, we better understand the world we live in.

But the notion of faith is contrary to reason is just not true. Faith does not restrict reason. It goes beyond it. With faith, we catch a glimpse what can not be seen otherwise. As C.S. Lewis put it --

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

Faith is not unreasonable. Faith not only builds on reason, but gives us a reason to reason. Otherwise, what reason do we have to think?

Piety vs. Pettiness

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)

The Pharisees were the religious leaders of their day. They were not that different from many of us as church leaders today. We struggle to uphold the standards of Scripture, all the while falling short in our own walk of faith. We put on piety in worship and replace it with pettiness as we leave.

Nothing damages the message of Christ’s love more than the lack of integrity in Christ’s messengers.

G.K. Chesterton once wrote –

“The only good argument against Christianity is Christians.”