My friend and former colleague from Austria, Detlev Riecke, is a huge man. He stands 6'9" or so and has a good 100 pounds on my measly 245 pounds (working to lower that number). During University and later, he played professionally a game that few Americans have even heard of. It's called "handball". But it is not the handball you're picturing, which is pretty much racquetball but without the racquet. It's closer to lacrosse or hockey, I suppose, but with many other rules and fundamentals that are different. I won't even try to explain because - hear this - I don't really know. I think I get it, but I'm likely way off. In fact, if Detlev reads this, he'll likely say I didn't really explain it well above. Oh well. But this is the point of this post. If I were to speak of this sport as though I know it or - worse - if I were to step onto a professional handball field (court?) and make up my own rules as I think I believe they exist or think they should exist, it would be an insult to professional handball players.
This, reader, is what non-believers do when they speak out of turn as though they know what Christianity is.
The likes of my current pastor - Matt Chandler, my former pastor - Dan Wooldridge, Dietrich Bonnhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, David Platt, Francis Chan, Ravi Zacharrias, Billy Graham, Tim Keller, et al, have studied the "sport" and truth and complexity that is Christianity for decades, and still have much to learn. In fact, they will never know it all, as God's ways are - and God's mind is - so much higher than ours that we aren't capable. You can liken these Christian scholars to someone with a Doctorate and 25+ years experience in the neurosciences. A seasoned Neuroscientist or Neurosugeon knows more in the cuticle of her right pinky finger than I will likely ever know about the anatomy, chemistry, and functioning of the human brain, let alone the mind. It would be akin to questioning the authenticity, the details, the "truths" uncovered by these neuroscientists with my "alternative" way of thinking, as though my uneducated opinion mattered more. Pure arrogant pride.
Back to handball. The world we live in was created by Him. He made the field, the ball, the players and, yes, the rules of the game. Some acknowledge the Rule-maker and are trying their best to follow the rules. This starts with studying the rulebook extensively, going back to it regularly ... even daily ... then acting on what's been learned because we have faith that the Rule-maker knows better than we do what's best for us. To be clear, while these players are doing their best, they still mess up periodically.
Then there are others who just stepped on the field without even peering into the rulebook. In fact, they may even deny the rulebook. They run around tripping people, laying down on the field, staring straight up and otherwise neglecting the actual documented rules of the game. This is because they don't know the actual rules, nor do they care to. In their minds, THEY are the "rule-maker". Driven by ego and pride, they believe they know better. And they are outraged when someone tells them - even if softly and in loving terms - that they've committed a foul. "How dare you tell me what I want to do is wrong! How hateful! How judgmental! What right do you have?"
They question those following the rulebook for handball. They lash out. They say they know better and/or mock those who follow the rules of the game. They do not want to believe in a rule maker, so they come up with alternative theories and will stand by them, no matter how illogical, irrational and far fetched ... all to avoid what occam's razor says is the most obvious answer:
An ultimate Rule-maker created the structured game we are playing, along with the rules that make the game safe, fair, and fun ... all toward a perfect end goal.
And at the end of the game, when unbelievers have denied the Rule-maker and ignored His rules, it will be too late. They have no idea that those who have acknowledged and believed in the Rule-maker, and tried to follow His rules (without injecting their flawed worldly perspectives) will go to a perfect place with no more tears, no more pain, no more fear ... eternal and unimaginable joy. And those who have chosen to reject Him and follow their own rules (rules based on nothing more than opinion and feelings and whatever everyone else says), will NOT go there. They will joke in the mean time about "going where all their friends are". Hilarious ... until they get there.
God is asking something quite simple, but admittedly difficult of us: Acknowledge Him ... Turn away from sin (as God defines sin), swallow our pride, humble ourselves, and believe in Christ Jesus, taking Him in as our Lord and Savior. That simple and that difficult. The playing field has been set. The rules have been established and well documented. He allows us to choose for ourselves whether to follow the rules or not. He will not force us ... the result of that would not be a loving relationship.
But understand that those who have actually studied these things to a level of depth far exceeding that of yours or mine may know something we don't yet know. In fact, they do.
God bless.
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