Musings: Notes From My Daybook

The Reed family spent much of the Christmas holidays rambling through parts of England, France, and Germany. Now that we have been back for almost a month (having caught up on sleep and paying the bills), the memory of the trip (and a previous trip in the fall) continues to linger in surprising ways.

Yesterday I learned about a new movie Amazing Grace that retells the remarkable story of William Wilberforce through the lens of the well-known lyrics of John Newton. Newton, the sea captain who practiced his trade as a slaver and then came to be a minister of the gospel, was an abiding influence in the early and formative years of a sickly, but brilliant orator, Wilberforce. Wilberforce, himself undergoing a remarkable conversion, commits his life to the abolition of slavery and is the leading force to bring the slave trade to an end in England in 1807--two hundred years ago.

Last fall I attended a worship service in the chapel of St. John's College, Cambridge where Wilberforce was a (mediocre) student. A statue of Wilberforce stands in the entry way--not unlike the one you might see in Westminster Abbey--placed there in 1840 to remember the remarkable life of a person whose faith leads them to take on difficult tasks. As I passed by and entered in the chapel that was old even in the days of Wilberforce and William Pitt (later Prime Minister) and sat down, I was overwhelmed with the history of that space. Worship that evening was rich with the mystery and power of God.

Connecting this new movie with my recent visit I am struck by the intersection of history, faith, and God's present call and claim.

This coming Sunday at our church we will host a conference for our congregation and many guests on reaching the thousands of refugees that are making their way into the US through Atlanta. Within three miles of our church campus over 64 language groups of people from nations all over the world are represented. What will be said of those of us in two hundred years?

I'm reading alot in Isaiah these days. A sermon series is developing for the spring and I am trying to hear the voice of this prophet.

I'm sure that some would suggest that better reading could be found elsewhere--even within Scripture. However, the more I read the more I feel the passion of these texts that precede Jesus by up to eight centuries. With a singular passion this ancient witness to faith in God, challenges social and political conventions. At times Isaiah slashes deep within the human psyche; other times he offers comfort and hope. Yet though it all Isaiah bears witness to the God who will not relinguish a commitment to humankind.

In some aspects the message of Isaiah is like the gospel itself--convicting as it discloses human frailty and yet affirming as it offers the word of God's grace. God thinks much of us humans and Isaish is determined that we grow still long enough to receive that message.

We may well grow weary (40.28ff), we may well experience tragedy or hardship (35.3ff), or we may simply have our ears closed to hear God's teaching (1.3), but God will not relent in his pursuit. Whether the human response is repentance, trust, or praise, the words of Isaiah consistently seek a turn in human hearts.

I fear that some who venture to read Isaiah might well think that Isaiah is written to make one feel guilty or motivate some spiritual activity through fear. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The language of Isaiah from beginning to end is calculated to touch the listeners conscience and communicate God's deep love.

George Adam Smith, a minister and Hebrew professor who was teaching and writing on Isaiah 100 years ago in Great Britain spoke eloquently on this point:

"To men with their obscure sense of shame, and restlessness, and servitude to sin the Bible plainly says, 'You are able to sin becuase you have turned your back to the love of God; you are unhappy because you do not take that love to your heart; the bitterness of your remorese is that it is love against which you are ungrateful.' Conscience is not the Lord's persecution, but His jealous pleading, and not the fierceness of His anger, but the reproach of His love. This is the Bible's doctrine throughout" (I.12).

Indeed, the DNA strands of the gospel which we come to know more fully in the narrative of Jesus are evident throughout the pages of Isaiah

*A Hester touchdown on the opening play set a rather ominous tone last night for Payton & Co. However, the Colts came to play--even in the rain. Congratulations to Tony Dungy! Go Blue!

*Compartmentalization still is the order of the day. Spiritual conversations--matters of faith and scripture--stay on one side of the fence. Everything else remains on the other. To integrate faith and life is a needful thing. All of life is a school. Interruptions, lunch with co-workers, jury summons (Yes, March 12 for me), repairing a toilet, and worship assemblies all have a common thread. God is present and is willing to teach to those who will listen.

*Recent books read--Alister McGrath's Dawkins' God and John Stackhouse's Humble Apologetics have rekindled an interest in what we are saying (and not saying) about evolution and faith. We understand too little about evolution, give too much credit to science, and then promptly sell short the vitality of Christian Scripture.

*A related book that I have just started is Francis Collins' The Language of God. Could it be that Christians, out of fear of losing faith, have through the theory of evolution baby out with the bath water? Collins thinks so. Rather than polarizing the issue, Collins builds a case for pulling them together. At least that is what I hear. If so, then Collins joins a large and growing number of persons who have been able to embrace science and faith.