Earlier this week I unexpectedly received a call from an old acquaintance (funny that I can now legitimately say that I have ''old'' acquaintances here in Germany).
She and her husband both exude a strong sense of intellectual competence. Both have studied philosophy at the graduate level, and very actively work to deepen their knowledge of all things philosophical. As they at one point said, ''we believe that all truth can be found inside of ourselves, we don't look to a being outside of our consciousness''.
All well and good, except for the recurring moments in our 6 hour conversation when I could hear the desperation and frustration in their voices because at the end of the day they could not accept that I had found answers to life's deepest questions and that these answers were available to anyone. Their world view was built around the touchstone that no one can have certainty about any truth. This, of course, because no person is perfect, so their conclusions can also never be perfect. The only solution, and the one which I believe is best supported, is that truth can be measured against an outside source, a loving creator who desires that we be drawn to and accept truth.
Naturally, we will still choose to distort the truth given to us. Our sinful natures and the flawed views of life passed on to us from other less-than-perfect humans practically assure this. I would argue, however, that the core beliefs of Christianity as found in the Bible can be agreed upon by those willing to take a careful look.
One must be willing to allow the possibility of God into one's world view, however. And this, for many, is the greatest challenge to belief. I don't know if God used our conversation to help this couple find answers. I hope so.
I do know, however, that there is no place I would rather have been last night than in their kitchen enjoying their hospitality and willingness to discuss questions of importance.
Showing posts with label defending the faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label defending the faith. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Intellectual Tragedy
I have been at the University for 2 weeks now. Although I have not had enough time to truly form an accurate or comprehensive picture of the system here, I would like to post a few of my observations and ask for your prayers.
In most of my classes there are so many students that a significant portion of the group must sit on the floor. There are not enough books in the library, not enough advisers, not enough technological resources of any kind (in 2 enormous lectures the professors have not had microphones, there are about 30 computers in the main campus buildings for 40,000 students, et.), the course management is disastrous. After all of the financial and cultural reasons for this have been duly tabulated, there remains no truly satisfying excuse for the condition in which the university finds itself.
I have had Professors who enter the room late without making eye contact, begin a address to their students without pausing for breath, and exit the room 90 minutes later just as abruptly. No welcome, no announcement of office hours or offers of assistance, no warmth.
I have had instructors who are funny, interesting, and clearly love to teach. There is one who I think may become one of the favorites of my entire academic career (and I have had a lot of professors).
All of the professors seem to be knowledgeable, highly intellegent, some perhaps could even be described as brilliant. That being said, without exception, I believe that they are all spiritually empty. My professors have referred to the Bible as a book of legends or purely a literary work in multiple classes, some of which have no relation to religious topics (And this all within the first week!). But this is not what disturbs me. At every secular, and even some "christian", universities in the US one can hear the same ideas being expressed. They have permeated every realm of academic culture, although most academics have never deeply explored the layers of assumption behind their pronouncements.
What disturbs me is the virulence behind their words. The degree to which they clearly desire to convince others. How desperately they seem to be looking for confirmation that what they are saying is supported by the masses of "blank slates" who sit before them.
To give you a taste of what I am talking about, take a look at these two video clips which were shown in one of my classes today. They were followed by a diatribe against "Fundamentalist American christians" who believe in the Bible and intelligent design.
(warning: could offend sensitive souls)
(a christian children's program. . .admittedly hokey)
Please pray that I can be a light here. That I can help people who truly have intellectual difficulties in believing in the message of Christ to find the answers that they are sincerely looking for. Pray that I can be loving to those who have simply allowed sin to harden their hearts or who have chosen to follow the path of intellectual laziness and not truly explore the issues at stake.
In most of my classes there are so many students that a significant portion of the group must sit on the floor. There are not enough books in the library, not enough advisers, not enough technological resources of any kind (in 2 enormous lectures the professors have not had microphones, there are about 30 computers in the main campus buildings for 40,000 students, et.), the course management is disastrous. After all of the financial and cultural reasons for this have been duly tabulated, there remains no truly satisfying excuse for the condition in which the university finds itself.
I have had Professors who enter the room late without making eye contact, begin a address to their students without pausing for breath, and exit the room 90 minutes later just as abruptly. No welcome, no announcement of office hours or offers of assistance, no warmth.
I have had instructors who are funny, interesting, and clearly love to teach. There is one who I think may become one of the favorites of my entire academic career (and I have had a lot of professors).
All of the professors seem to be knowledgeable, highly intellegent, some perhaps could even be described as brilliant. That being said, without exception, I believe that they are all spiritually empty. My professors have referred to the Bible as a book of legends or purely a literary work in multiple classes, some of which have no relation to religious topics (And this all within the first week!). But this is not what disturbs me. At every secular, and even some "christian", universities in the US one can hear the same ideas being expressed. They have permeated every realm of academic culture, although most academics have never deeply explored the layers of assumption behind their pronouncements.
What disturbs me is the virulence behind their words. The degree to which they clearly desire to convince others. How desperately they seem to be looking for confirmation that what they are saying is supported by the masses of "blank slates" who sit before them.
To give you a taste of what I am talking about, take a look at these two video clips which were shown in one of my classes today. They were followed by a diatribe against "Fundamentalist American christians" who believe in the Bible and intelligent design.
(warning: could offend sensitive souls)
(a christian children's program. . .admittedly hokey)
Please pray that I can be a light here. That I can help people who truly have intellectual difficulties in believing in the message of Christ to find the answers that they are sincerely looking for. Pray that I can be loving to those who have simply allowed sin to harden their hearts or who have chosen to follow the path of intellectual laziness and not truly explore the issues at stake.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
He is risen
Today I had the oral portion of my University language entrance exam. We were required to speak on a topic of our choice for 20 min in front of our class (~40 people). Although my teacher has expressed her strong dislike of ''religious people'', I chose to give a Powerpoint on the evidence for the resurrection of Christ from Josh Mcdowell's book ''The Resurrection Factor''. I was very nervous because most of my classmates are Muslim men and because my grade would determine whether or not I could retain my visa.
Despite my fears, it went very well. My classmates were so interested in the topic that they asked my teacher if I could speak longer, and she agreed. Including the Q & A period, I ended up speaking for the better part of an hour. Afterwards several of my classmates asked for my testimony or a copy of the book (which I had in German). I was a bit surprised to learn from a Chinese woman and a man from Indonisia that they had never heard anything about the story of the death and resurrection of Christ before!
Despite my fears, it went very well. My classmates were so interested in the topic that they asked my teacher if I could speak longer, and she agreed. Including the Q & A period, I ended up speaking for the better part of an hour. Afterwards several of my classmates asked for my testimony or a copy of the book (which I had in German). I was a bit surprised to learn from a Chinese woman and a man from Indonisia that they had never heard anything about the story of the death and resurrection of Christ before!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Bombs and Bibles
English conversation had just gotten out. It had been a good night with 13 people sitting around the table and lively conversations. Even so, I was feeling drained. The day had been full with school, meetings, and an especially long English group.
As I sat on the train, the conductor came on the overhead speaker explaining that there had been a ''serious problem'' at the Stegerwald Siedlung stop (where I live) and that everyone would have to get off of the train because the entire line would be shut down. After a moment of frustration because I was carrying a heavy box filled with Bibles which I would now need to carry several kilometers home, it occurred to me that it might have been a bomb. Just that day I had read that briefcases filled with explosives found a couple of days earlier were purchased in Köln. Although it would never stop me from riding the trains, it is often in the back of my mind.
As I sat chagrined at my petty concerns about having to walk home, a man began a conversation with me. I was surprised. In Germany strangers almost never speak, or even smile, at one another in the trains. He asked me what was in my closed box. I explained that they were Bibles and why I had them. After a few minutes of chatting about our differing beliefs, he asked if he could have one of the Bibles. Just then the conductor came back on and explained that children had cut the power lines at Stegerwald, but the problem had been fixed and we could continue our journey. Huh.
As I sat on the train, the conductor came on the overhead speaker explaining that there had been a ''serious problem'' at the Stegerwald Siedlung stop (where I live) and that everyone would have to get off of the train because the entire line would be shut down. After a moment of frustration because I was carrying a heavy box filled with Bibles which I would now need to carry several kilometers home, it occurred to me that it might have been a bomb. Just that day I had read that briefcases filled with explosives found a couple of days earlier were purchased in Köln. Although it would never stop me from riding the trains, it is often in the back of my mind.
As I sat chagrined at my petty concerns about having to walk home, a man began a conversation with me. I was surprised. In Germany strangers almost never speak, or even smile, at one another in the trains. He asked me what was in my closed box. I explained that they were Bibles and why I had them. After a few minutes of chatting about our differing beliefs, he asked if he could have one of the Bibles. Just then the conductor came back on and explained that children had cut the power lines at Stegerwald, but the problem had been fixed and we could continue our journey. Huh.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Love your Enemies
Mood: free
What I'm Reading: Matthew 6:35-36
It felt surreal. I was the sole woman sitting in a room full of Iranian men. As we ate lunch together, we flipped between CNN and an Iranian news channel through a satellite feed. The news was all bad and you could feel the underlying tension even as we joked together and enjoyed one another's friendship. They expressed anxiety that the U.S. planned to bomb their country within 30 days if President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not back down from Iran's nuclear program. It was confidently asserted that Bush had clearly made this threat (which I have not been able to find any evidence of). We spoke about what love looked like, not for family or friends, but for enemies. They were incredulous that I deeply believe we should love our enemies (both theoretically and practically)as we love those closest to us. I understand. I couldn't believe it either if I had not directly experienced God's love for me.
What I'm Reading: Matthew 6:35-36
It felt surreal. I was the sole woman sitting in a room full of Iranian men. As we ate lunch together, we flipped between CNN and an Iranian news channel through a satellite feed. The news was all bad and you could feel the underlying tension even as we joked together and enjoyed one another's friendship. They expressed anxiety that the U.S. planned to bomb their country within 30 days if President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not back down from Iran's nuclear program. It was confidently asserted that Bush had clearly made this threat (which I have not been able to find any evidence of). We spoke about what love looked like, not for family or friends, but for enemies. They were incredulous that I deeply believe we should love our enemies (both theoretically and practically)as we love those closest to us. I understand. I couldn't believe it either if I had not directly experienced God's love for me.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Humiliation
Today I am volunteering for the WJT. I wore a t-shirt to class that said WJT Volunteer on the back and it sparked quite the `conversation`. It began with my teacher saying that she does not think that single faith events are a good thing, and that all religions should come together. I responded that I thought that the Pope planned on visiting Jewish and Muslim leaders while he was here in the city and that I hoped that many young people of different faiths would have the opportunity to understand one another better. She then asked the class if they agreed that all religions were basically the same and that there should not be christian only events. They all whole-heartedly agreed. I thought of several solid responses. Too bad they were 15 min. too late and were in English (we are only allowed to speak German in class).
Later a student asked me what point is there in being Christian. He said we should all, `Eat, drink, and be merry´. He left out the `for tomorrow we die´ part. Again, our only common language was German. This was one of those days that really makes me want to be dilligent in my German studies! As a bonus, I rediscovered Ecclesiastes today, and I am sure that an opportunity to speak will present itself again. Now I`m off to compose and memorize some apologetics in simple German. No wonder I never seem to have time for (official) homework!
Later a student asked me what point is there in being Christian. He said we should all, `Eat, drink, and be merry´. He left out the `for tomorrow we die´ part. Again, our only common language was German. This was one of those days that really makes me want to be dilligent in my German studies! As a bonus, I rediscovered Ecclesiastes today, and I am sure that an opportunity to speak will present itself again. Now I`m off to compose and memorize some apologetics in simple German. No wonder I never seem to have time for (official) homework!
