The Big Challenge

Lee Strobel was an atheist and legal editor for the Chicago Tribune. It was his agnostic wife’s conversion to Christianity that prompted him to use his legal training and journalistic experience to systematically study the Bible, ancient history and archeology, and interview dozens of scholars in those fields. After a couple of years of intense study he came to the unexpected conclusion that Jesus is the unique Son of God. It wasn’t the outcome he was necessarily seeking, but the conclusion he believes the evidence persuasively warranted.

He has since written several books about the evidence and interviews that help persuade him: God’s Outrageous Claims, The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator.

I am all for searching for the truth—and I do not believe it is relative. But here’s the big question with which Lee was confronted, and the one that faces me: “Am I willing to set aside my preconceptions and let the evidence take me wherever it will?” I did (and continue to attempt that, although it is at times a painful process), and continue to come to the same conclusion Lee did.

I challenge my atheist friends to do the same—to give an honest look at the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, and the evidence supporting them as accurate and reliable. Give all sides a "fair hearing" before casting your verdict. Are you willing to set aside your preconceptions and let the evidence take you wherever it will?

Mother Teresa: Doubt and Faithfulness

News that Mother Teresa suffered a 40-year-long crisis of faith during which she sometimes doubted even the existence of God made the headlines this week and sparked a great deal of discussion. While her honesty about her questions and at times less-than-desirable prayer life have been known for several years now, her spiritual life was put back in the news with the release of a new book entitled 'Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light', containing 40 of her letters and edited by Fr Brian Kolodiejchuk, a close friend.

At one point Mother Teresa writes: "I am told God loves me, and yet the reality of the darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul. I have no faith. I dare not utter the words and thoughts that crowd in my heart."

Although atheists were having a field day with this recent publication of Mother Teresa’s letters, for most believers it is not news. As shown in an excellent article by David Quinn, what these letters explode is not faith, but "the myth that she was a woman of simple faith. Her faith was anything but simple, much less simple-minded."

We all have doubts and questions, even the heroes of the faith, past and present, had doubts-–Moses, David, The Aposle Peter, the Apostle Paul, Billy Graham. Faith is not the absence of doubt or questions. Faith is trusting God even though we don’t have all the answers to our questions, and even though we stuggle with doubt from time to time.

A couple of quotes from Quinn’s article are especially noteworthy:
“Some of the biggest-hitting atheists of the last few decades, intellectual heavyweights several classes above a Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens, among them AJ Ayer and Anthony Flew, came in later life to doubt aspects of their non-belief.”

Quinn concludes his article with this statement:
“Should we think more or less of Mother Teresa now that we know what we know about her inner spiritual life? Probably more. Her essential goodness is not in the least diminished by these letters…In fact, these letters should recommend her to an age that celebrates religious doubt, and actively encourages it. She is, and will remain, a saint to Catholics. But her inner doubts should now endear her more to an age plagued by doubt. If she can doubt, but still believe, it gives believers permission to have doubts, and doubters permission to have beliefs.”

We’re all a mix of doubter and believer, sinner and saint. The problem is when people fake it--believers masquerade as saints who have no doubts or sin, or skeptics who pretend like they don’t flirt with faith, privately wondering in the deepest part of their being if there might really be a God.

After the ressurection of Jesus we are told in Matthew's Gospel that "the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20, NIV)

Worshipper, doubter, witness, teacher, missionary--Mother Teresa was all of these, just like the first disciples, and just like many disciples of Jesus today. That fact that she struggled with her faith on occasion is no big deal, the fact that she kept the faith and lived it out is a very big deal. She touched millions of lives and will do so for generations to come.

~ Father, help me to see that the goal is not to be perfect, but to be faithful. Help me to be a consistent witness of your love and mercy. Amen.

August 14: Is God All-powerful?

I grew up in church, but in my mid-teens had a crisis of faith. I had a lot of questions. I was not allowed to ask them in church. I didn’t find satisfactory answers and every reply raised ten new questions. I was asked to stop asking my questions.

The biggest hurdle for me in coming to faith was, "If there is a God, how can he be all-powerful and all-loving?" It seemed that if he were both that he would stop all the suffering in the world. If he were powerful enough to stop the suffering and didn't then he wasn't very loving. If he loved everyone and wanted to end the suffering, and yet couldn't, then he was weak. I was left with the prospect of following a God who was either mean or weak, or both.

The Bible asserts that God has made himself known through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures (Romans 1:2), through created, natural order...
"... since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20)

The Prophet Jeremiah expounded on God's attributes:
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. 18 You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers' sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, 19 great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 32:17-19)

Then I read the book of Job in the Bible. Job had lots of questions for God, like I did. For 37 chapters Job and his friends try to make sense of things and figure God out. Finally, in chapters 38-41, God shows up and speaks to Job. When he concludes Job still does not have the answers to his questions, but he does have a new understanding and perspective on how awesome God reaally is.

Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do all things (all powerful); no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-6)

God has demonstrated his power through Creation (Genesis 1-2), The Flood (Genesis 6), The Exodus (10 Plagues and Red Sea Crossing, Exodus 7-11, 14), The Miracles of Jesus and the Resurrection of Jesus (see the Gospels), The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles...

The list goes on. Even today we hear of modern medical stories that leave the doctors scratching their heads and without logical explanation as to what has happened. My friend Cheryl's X-ray show a tumor in her abdomen. She called friends and enlisted them to pray for her healing. When the surgeons operated there was no sign of a tumor...and no explanation as to how it had disappeared! We hear stories like these on a fairly regular basis.

There is nothing that God cannot do! The dilemma and the difficulty is why sometimes God seems to demonstrate his power and at other times remain unmoved and silent. I don't know why. I'm like Job, I know God can do all things but I cannot explain God. But I have seen over and over again His love demonstrated and His provision supplied in my own life. I know that God is real and that God loves me. I've learned over the years to trust His heart even when I cannot see His hand at work.

~ Father, thank you for demonstrating that there is nothing you cannot do. Help me to trust you even when I do not understand you ways. Amen.

August 11: Life's White Water

So I'm still thinking about my Mom and a tribe of sassy seniors headed down the Nenana River in Alaska in a rubber boat. Most of my kayaking is done on flat water, although we've done a few river runs with class 4 rapids. But I've yet to do a white water rafting trip. One day...

Anyway, just thinking this morning about how much of life is like that. At times things are smooth and calm, easily moving along with time to reflect. Then there are times

when life hits the rough water and you hang on for dear life; paddling like crazy and praying like never before. When it's all over and the crisis has passed you count to make sure everyone is still in the boat and that you didn't lose anyone along the way.

When you head into those crisis moments of life, do you ever wonder where God is? Or wonder if God is real? Or wonder if anyone is listening when you pray?

For those who live by faith, who trust in God, He proves Himself to be real and ever-present. Listen to the ancient promise to the Israelites. I believe the promise holds to anyone (or group) who believe and trust in the LORD.

But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, he who formed you: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One, your Savior; you are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you." (Isaiah 43:1-4)

I encourage you not to wait until you find yourself in the white water of life, engulfed by circumstances that threaten to do you in, or take you out. Establish a relationship with your Creator now by believing and trusting in Him. By bcoming accustomed to believing Him and conversing with Him in the calm waters, it makes it easier and more natural to call on Him when you're in over your head.

~ Father, thank you for your promise that when the bottom falls out you are still with me. Strengthen my faith today, help me to trust your heart even when I cannot see your hand. Amen.

August 10: Minuscule Faith

My Mom arrived yesterday for a ten-day visit. We are having a blast cooking together, catching up on family gossip, playing board games and just enjoying each other's company.

She just returned from an Alaskan cruise and I'm amazed as I look at the pictures of the place--the natural beauty is breath-taking, even through photographs.

I am very impressed with my mother. She went on a white-water rafting trip (and has a picture to prove it). Mom shooting the rapids!--I'm not just impressed, I'm envious. Not envy as in "one of the seven deadly sins" kind of envy, but envy in a Napolean Dynamite, "Luh-key" kind of way.

I would love to have been in that raft with her. She'll get me for telling this, but she' 65+ years old. What is so cool is that she was the youngest one in the boat!

They went into the Denali National Park and saw Mount McKinley. It was an amazing trip! The pictures of the mountain have got me thinking about faith this morning. As I looked at the photos of this impressive mountain I was reminded of the words of Jesus:

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)

That's some faith! Faith strong enough to move mountains. But as I ponder this teaching of Jesus it becomes clear that it is not the size of your faith that matters, but the object of your faith. A person can have mountain-sized faith in the wrong things and live a life of frustration and struggle. Jesus said a mustard seed size faith is big enough if it is directed toward Him.

Faith is simply trusting. So now I'm pondering, "what is it I really trust in?" Honestly, far too often it is my own abilities, creativity and intellect. These are enough to handle some of the challenges in my life, but not the mountains--not the huge, immovable, impossible, life-altering challenges that sometimes arise.

Mustard seed-sized faith, trust, in Jesus can move the mountains in your life.

~ Father, help me to trust you, and believe you when you speak. Thanks for the reminder today that You are trustworthy, and there's no problem so big that you can't handle it. Amen.