December 02 2011, 9:08 am | Dawson Jones
Many young Christian college students are confronted with difficult questions when exposed to postmodern secular academia for the first time. Raised in a church culture that often doesn’t make it a priority to answer the questions of educated atheists, they find their professors’ and classmates’ questions overwhelming.
Sadly, instead of responding to these challenges with a deeper pursuit of Christ, we often respond in one of three ways that do not reflect His glory. We either choose to ignore these eccentric persons and what we believe are their misinformed ideas, or we are pushed into a period of doubt, or we try to counter these arguments with arguments of our own. All three of these responses are destructive.
Ignoring or surrendering to these challenges are signs of a passive Christian generation that we must change. We must urge each other to seek answers when confronted with questions we don’t like. The Church community we share is the place to do this.
Overcoming ignorance or defeat, which are looked down upon often leads to the third response, arguing with logic, which is commonly glorified. Young college students especially have a list of apologetics rock stars that they quote to defend their beliefs. I have a list. We easily slide into believing that by persuading others of the inconsistency of their theories we might retain our faith. Though at times this might be partially rewarding, I do not believe this is what Christ called us to, and that this effort might in fact distract us from Him.
I recently came across a humorous, enlightening argument for the non-existence of God that illustrates this. Douglas Adams, the writer of the science fiction radio series The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, tells the story of Arthur, a young man exiled from Earth, traveling the galaxy in pursuit of adventure. He encounters the Babel fish, a little fish that when inserted into your ear translates all languages into your own. Douglas goes on to explain that this incredible marvel of nature clearly illustrates the non-existence of Creator God.
Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mindbogglingly useful [the Babel fish] could have evolved by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as a final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God.
The argument goes something like this: "I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," says Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED"
"Oh dear," says God, "I hadn't thought of that," and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.
Though meant to be satirical, I think that the writer has accurately described the nature of God, who has not chosen in this way to prove his existence, but instead invites us into a beautiful relationship of faith with him. Though God is the creator of logic, He does not want logic alone to bring us into an all-encompassing belief in Him.
As Christians we spend so much time looking for a Babel fish that might affirm us in our faith. We look through wise Christian men’s writings, filtering through the section of Mardel with the big fat books, searching for the Holy Grail (metaphorically or literally) that might prove God. The truth is that when looking at the things of the earth, such a sign simply will not be found, for if God had chosen to give us such a sign, it would not be necessary to look for it.
A wise man recently reminded me that Christ warned us of looking for such a sign. “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." (Mathew 16:4, ESV) Christ is referring symbolically to the three days he will spend in the grave. The only sign God has given us, and the only sign necessary, is the sign of redemption through the death of His only Son! To look beyond this pulls us away from the power and glory of the Gospel.
When confronted by a questioning world we must quickly turn to the truth and the love of the One who gave us victory over sin, sin that produces skepticism towards our Creator. Though he has graced us with an abundance of clues that reflect His Divinity, we must never elevate these above the Gospel.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1) What the Psalmist describes is a blessing of a loving God that leads us to awe-inspired worship, but these are not what God has empowered us with to bring people to him. Not even the Pharisees, who saw the supernatural unfold before their eyes chose to believe.
No, God has commissioned us to make disciples; to live compelling lives reliant on our relationship with Him that will radiate Christ to others; to love each other so that the Church radiates Christ to others.
His Son is his Sign, and Christ is sufficient.
No translator fishes necessary.