Out Our Way: The pastor's T-shirt

"At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul." (Acts 11:27 – 30)

Out our way, folks tend to be independent and think for themselves.   This drives some other folks nuts who are used to people getting in line with what some folks call: "Contemporary wisdom" - relative morality that accepts the wisdom of the moment, the latest fad in popular culture - as the ultimate authority.

For example, a friend sent me an article from the web about a law professor at Rutgers-Camden University who has become an outspoken advocate for pedophilia.   Margo Kaplan, with degrees from New York University and Harvard Law School has begun a campaign to encourage society to accept pedophiles as just another sexual orientation and to stop discriminating against them.  In a truly progressive society, she maintains, pedophiles should be seen as victims, not criminals, unjustly treated like other minority or oppressed groups of the past.

I mentioned this to Goliath in my frustration and he reminded me of the pastor's T-shirt I proudly display in my study. It states: "There is a God...and I am not Him." It is a reminder that I can indeed be judgmental, biased and prejudiced. And that gave me pause.  Indeed, by what authority to do I - a fallible human being - determine right from wrong, good from evil?  Indeed, I am not God! And then Goliath reminded me: "and neither are they!"

Just because my view is traditional and theirs is non-traditional does not make either point of view necessarily correct. We must dig deeper. To answer such questions we must seek the center, the foundation of our beliefs.  Indeed, we must ask ourselves if there even IS a center, or if values, morals and ethics are only relative and thus constantly changing?             

Is wrong and right, good and evil merely a matter of opinion - a momentary popularity that has no true basis?  Or is there an actual basis for morality - a center, which is ultimately the true and final basis of good and evil, right and wrong?

Back in the late 1950s and early '60s, the eminent British scholar and Christian advocate noted that one of the most interesting problems of the secular humanist theology in his time was how quickly they judged those who disagreed with them as "unjust," "unfair," and even "mean-spirited." "Ah," he argued, "on what basis do you condemn traditional values and morality? For if there is no right or wrong, no good or evil, if there are no standards by which morality and ethics can be judged, then by what criterion do you judge and condemn those who seek to uphold them?    You can't state there are no rules and then complain because you think someone broke them!  You cannot have it both ways!"

Indeed, as Goliath has pointed out, when I am upset by such nonsense as Dr. Kaplan teaches in her classroom  I need to remember "There IS a God ... I am not Him ... but NEITHER is she."  

And then he reminded me to turn around my T-shirt and view the other side.   There in bold print is also states:

"BUT THERE IS A GOD!"

Maybe I AM wrong in some of my theology.  Maybe there are prejudices and biases in my views that need to be corrected. I can live with that.   Can she?   That is between her and God.   As for me,  Goliath reminded me of and suggested I follow the advice of one of my teachers and mentors, Martin Luther.    As you may recall, when he was on trial and commanded to repent of his views, he declared something to the effect:  "It may be I have erred - and if you can show me from the authority of the scripture where I am mistaken, I will gladly recant. Otherwise, here I stand, I cannot do otherwise!"

Thanks, Brother Martin, for reminding me that God is still sovereign and if I am wrong He will correct me.  And if I am not, He will sustain me.  There IS a God ... I am not Him ... and neither are you. His will be done. Amen!

  (John Bruington, Goliath and Scout can be contacted at [email protected].  Sermons, "Bruin Town Tales" and "Out Our Way" columns are posted weekly on havrepres.com  and their book,  Out Our Way: Theology Under Saddle is available at Amazon.com.)