The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
This book has been using a lot of RAM in my brain ever since I read it about a month ago. Somehow, in just 150 short pages, Timothy was able to quicken in me both a strong conviction against myself and the other older brothers in the church, and a deeper, richer understanding of Jesus’ love for me (whether I’m acting like the older brother or the younger).
This book is about the parable Jesus tells in Luke 15:11-32 to answer the condemnation of the Pharisees and teachers of the law about his association with tax collectors and sinners. It’s one of the most famous stories in the Bible. I know and love the younger son. We hear his story over and over again in evangelical settings. His story is a super testimony--like the sex addict or gang banger who finally comes to Christ. These are the Church's most famous stories.
This story's not all about the younger brother though. It's about the father and the older son as well. I think the church gets who the father is, but Mr. Keller has some astounding things to say about the older brother. Mr. Keller fully describes both brothers in the book, and I'll talk about them in a separate post.
To open the book, Mr. Keller defines the word prodigal. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines the word prodigal as “recklessly spendthrift.” Who in the story does this definition most closely resemble do you think?
What did it cost God to seek us out and to forgive us for running away from Him? Forgiveness has to cost the forgiver something. There is a debt that must be settled. But God is infinite, so any sin against him is an infinite offense. I know I’m hopelessly unable to even make the first of infinite payments that would be needed to pay back even one of my sins. That’s the debt record Jesus is physically dealing with on the cross - that's infinite love. Hebrews has some breath-taking imagery about how he went physically into heaven with his own blood to pay for the debt between God and man.
If this doesn’t make a lot of sense to you, pray for understanding. As an older brother, this was the only way I could overcome the lie I believed that I was somehow doing good things for God and that he was somehow pleased with them. It’s still a brain shift I am in the middle of.
I highly recommend this book. More to come...
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
19 December 2012
10 December 2012
Blogging through STTNG: Justice
The Enterprise is faced with yet another chance to prove humans are special to a hyper-dimensional being; this time Wes' life and the ignorance/innocence of the Edo are on the line.
First of all, I love the continued interest in exploring what life that has access to higher dimensions would be like on this show. Since it's a purely naturalistic show, I guess it makes sense that each encounter with these types of life forms (like Q) is usually fairly distressful.
Life on Rubicun III is perfect, an Eden, governed with an iron hand by an invisible force in the sky. Laws are straightforward and easy to understand, but punishments are steep; death for the slightest infraction. Sound familiar? Isn't that just like an all-powerful invisible force to give paradise while threatening to kill you for putting one toe out of line? Isn't that what happened to Adam and Eve?
Short answer: NO. This isn't what it was like for Adam and Eve to fall from grace. I think that's what this episode is riffing on, but the story falls dreadfully short. The God of the Old Testament is not a God of cold justice, but of love; just like we recognize Him in the New Testament. When we talk about sin in the Bible, we also have to talk about the promise! They go together. The original story is in Genesis 3. Immediately after Adam and Eve sin they're confronted with God's mercy. They don't die physically (it can be argued I think that they did spiritually) and there is even a promise of a descendant of Eve who will overcome the evil started by the snake.
There are consequences of sin which cannot be ignored. To prove this, I played devil's advocate in the children's church lesson I taught a few weeks ago. I had prepared a section of 2x4 with a nail partly driven into it. I told the kids that I needed someone strong to help me drive it in the rest of the way. After my volunteer came up to the front and put on his safety goggles I presented him with a tool: my cheap plastic flashlight. There was doubt in his eyes, but I reassured him that it would be fine and encouraged him to strike with gusto. In his mind I could tell he didn't think it was a good idea probably because his dad had taught him the right way to drive a nail. But he also had a gleam of mischief and curiosity in his eye. It only took a couple blows for the flashlight to shatter, flinging batteries, springs and casing all over the platform. Now what? He foolishly believed an adult even though he knew the flashlight wouldn't drive the nail. And a real debt had been accumulated. When I walked into the classroom I had one flashlight. When I walked out I had none. I choose to forgive my volunteer the debt, so if I want to replace it, I'm on my own.
This illustration is closer to what happens when we break Gods law than the situation the Star Trek episode. God is always providing a way for us to be with Him still. Even to the first man and woman, he promised a solution. And God keeps His promises. Sometimes it takes a while. Depending on your math, it took between 4 and 10 thousand years for God to finally send Jesus. But he did it. And in the meantime, we have people like David & Michah writing about God's love and forgiveness.
I just read a story about this very topic. It's in Penelope Wilcock's book The Hawk & The Dove Trilogy. The Story is called "Who's the Fool Now." In it there is a debate between some monks about which of God's qualities, justice or mercy, is the primary (Riveting I know! The book is not about theological debates I promise. The stories are all about the strength of weakness and humility in the Christian life. They're heart-wrenching and will help you appreciate the suffering of Christ on a whole new level). The hero, Father Peregrine, has this to say about the topic:
"Justice is a path, yes a way; it is not a home. It is a framework, or a setting, but it was made to carry another jewel. Justice, like John the Baptist, is the forerunner, clears the road, for the coming of the Christ himself. And when he comes, he is compassion. He is love... Oh God forbid that our lives display the sterile correctness of men who have learned what justice is, but never tasted mercy.
...He clung like a terrier to a rat to his insistence on God's merciful love as the one, central, all-supporting fact of life." -p 195
These stories are amazing and if you have time, I highly recommend the book (it goes great with Tim Keller's book, The Prodigal God).
Back on Rubicun III, the only solution for the crew of the Enterprise is to point out that a society based on pure justice isn't possible. Picard says there is no such thing as justice as long as laws are absolute. This violates the prime directive, shatters the Edo's ignorance, and frees Wes. Riker closes the episode by wondering if justice has ever been as simple as a rulebook. Both Picard and Riker fail to see the genius and love in the self-sacrifice of the law giver that we have access to on this planet. How else can a debt be paid back to an infinite God? Star Trek can't address this issue fully because there's no room for a creator God in the narrow universe the Enterprise is exploring. Thankfully we have the benefit of a God who makes Himself known, who shouts His message of love and mercy into anyone's heart who will be brave enough to look for truth.
First of all, I love the continued interest in exploring what life that has access to higher dimensions would be like on this show. Since it's a purely naturalistic show, I guess it makes sense that each encounter with these types of life forms (like Q) is usually fairly distressful.
Life on Rubicun III is perfect, an Eden, governed with an iron hand by an invisible force in the sky. Laws are straightforward and easy to understand, but punishments are steep; death for the slightest infraction. Sound familiar? Isn't that just like an all-powerful invisible force to give paradise while threatening to kill you for putting one toe out of line? Isn't that what happened to Adam and Eve?
Short answer: NO. This isn't what it was like for Adam and Eve to fall from grace. I think that's what this episode is riffing on, but the story falls dreadfully short. The God of the Old Testament is not a God of cold justice, but of love; just like we recognize Him in the New Testament. When we talk about sin in the Bible, we also have to talk about the promise! They go together. The original story is in Genesis 3. Immediately after Adam and Eve sin they're confronted with God's mercy. They don't die physically (it can be argued I think that they did spiritually) and there is even a promise of a descendant of Eve who will overcome the evil started by the snake.
There are consequences of sin which cannot be ignored. To prove this, I played devil's advocate in the children's church lesson I taught a few weeks ago. I had prepared a section of 2x4 with a nail partly driven into it. I told the kids that I needed someone strong to help me drive it in the rest of the way. After my volunteer came up to the front and put on his safety goggles I presented him with a tool: my cheap plastic flashlight. There was doubt in his eyes, but I reassured him that it would be fine and encouraged him to strike with gusto. In his mind I could tell he didn't think it was a good idea probably because his dad had taught him the right way to drive a nail. But he also had a gleam of mischief and curiosity in his eye. It only took a couple blows for the flashlight to shatter, flinging batteries, springs and casing all over the platform. Now what? He foolishly believed an adult even though he knew the flashlight wouldn't drive the nail. And a real debt had been accumulated. When I walked into the classroom I had one flashlight. When I walked out I had none. I choose to forgive my volunteer the debt, so if I want to replace it, I'm on my own.
This illustration is closer to what happens when we break Gods law than the situation the Star Trek episode. God is always providing a way for us to be with Him still. Even to the first man and woman, he promised a solution. And God keeps His promises. Sometimes it takes a while. Depending on your math, it took between 4 and 10 thousand years for God to finally send Jesus. But he did it. And in the meantime, we have people like David & Michah writing about God's love and forgiveness.
I just read a story about this very topic. It's in Penelope Wilcock's book The Hawk & The Dove Trilogy. The Story is called "Who's the Fool Now." In it there is a debate between some monks about which of God's qualities, justice or mercy, is the primary (Riveting I know! The book is not about theological debates I promise. The stories are all about the strength of weakness and humility in the Christian life. They're heart-wrenching and will help you appreciate the suffering of Christ on a whole new level). The hero, Father Peregrine, has this to say about the topic:
"Justice is a path, yes a way; it is not a home. It is a framework, or a setting, but it was made to carry another jewel. Justice, like John the Baptist, is the forerunner, clears the road, for the coming of the Christ himself. And when he comes, he is compassion. He is love... Oh God forbid that our lives display the sterile correctness of men who have learned what justice is, but never tasted mercy.
...He clung like a terrier to a rat to his insistence on God's merciful love as the one, central, all-supporting fact of life." -p 195
These stories are amazing and if you have time, I highly recommend the book (it goes great with Tim Keller's book, The Prodigal God).
Back on Rubicun III, the only solution for the crew of the Enterprise is to point out that a society based on pure justice isn't possible. Picard says there is no such thing as justice as long as laws are absolute. This violates the prime directive, shatters the Edo's ignorance, and frees Wes. Riker closes the episode by wondering if justice has ever been as simple as a rulebook. Both Picard and Riker fail to see the genius and love in the self-sacrifice of the law giver that we have access to on this planet. How else can a debt be paid back to an infinite God? Star Trek can't address this issue fully because there's no room for a creator God in the narrow universe the Enterprise is exploring. Thankfully we have the benefit of a God who makes Himself known, who shouts His message of love and mercy into anyone's heart who will be brave enough to look for truth.
09 June 2008
I could love you like that
A man asleep in his bed
Drinking to quiet his head
For twenty some years shes been dead
It's not long enough.
Mother is willing to die
to offer the infant inside
trading a life for a life
It's never easy
Father is finding it hard
His children are going to starve
So he turns his food into ours
What a reaction
Water is rippling slow
Daring to nip at my toes
Daring to scream what it knows
Silence is stealing the show
I could feel stars asleep in the sky
The clouds had swallowed the night
But all of that light's still inside
I believe
I could love you like that
I could love you like that
-Erik G. Neave
Drinking to quiet his head
For twenty some years shes been dead
It's not long enough.
Mother is willing to die
to offer the infant inside
trading a life for a life
It's never easy
Father is finding it hard
His children are going to starve
So he turns his food into ours
What a reaction
Water is rippling slow
Daring to nip at my toes
Daring to scream what it knows
Silence is stealing the show
I could feel stars asleep in the sky
The clouds had swallowed the night
But all of that light's still inside
I believe
I could love you like that
I could love you like that
-Erik G. Neave
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