Pray, And Let God Worry

 

One of the underappreciated authors of our time in my mind is Francis Schaeffer.  An apologist of the mid to late 1960's to his death in the 1980's, he clearly saw - as did C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton - the outcome of thought processes and policies of modernism from its beginnings in the Late Middle Ages to the modern world.  Schaeffer wrote such books as How Now Shall We Live?, A Christian Manifesto, and The Coming Evangelical Disaster.  Always in his works, Schaeffer worked through not only how we had arrived at current modernism believe, but what the call of a Christian is in the modern world.  

Calling, as it turns out, has been much on my mind - as usual, brought into being by a series of events that arguably could only have been orchestrated by God:  re-reading The Call by Os Guinness, re-reading the first book of the works of the Stoic Epictetus, a realization that in some ways (such as The Ranch) I had built up in my mind an idol of how I was going to live rather than asking God "How do you want me to live?"

All of this, of course, layered onto the events of last week.

It is obvious - at least to me - that I am called to do something.  The question is, what?

I am not a man of violence, and I will - to the best of my knowing ability - not call for violence.  Part of that is from a deep conviction that while there may be isolated incidents (think personal self defense or countries at war) that violence "solves" the issue, the fact is that it just as often does not - and the outcomes of even those incidents leave scars that take years or decades to heal.  The other part of the conviction comes from the fact that there are two great masses of people whom are not (I assume) those that would generally take my side in many issues: those that are "true believers" and for whom there can never be compromise, and those who may disagree, but may be willing to be convinced.

The first group is likely beyond my ability to communicate to or with.  The second, though, may be.  

But you have to talk to them.

As a Christian, my model is - and has to be - Jesus Christ.  And what did He do?  He talked to people. He taught people.  He did works - miracles (which I cannot replicate) and forms of charitable actions (which I can replicate) to demonstrate that He did not just say His beliefs, He meant them.  That did not mean people always liked what He said - good heavens, they killed Him for His words - but that they did hear them. 

So then, to Schaeffer's question, How now shall I live?

I am not a man given to apologetics; public speaking makes me nauseous still and I am not a skilled debater.  But I can write.  And I can usual InstaPic to post Christian messages from the classics.  And I can practice humility to make me more Christlike and kindness and charity to align my life with my words.

But (I can already hear the question), What about impact?  What about actually "turning the tide"?

There is a concept in martial arts that goes "Do not speak of that which you do not know".  This is a concept that applies to everyone at all times - or me more times than I like to admit - but really seems to come to a head when a student is just past the "new student" phase and feels like they have grasped the art. In point of fact they have almost certainly not grasped anything but their own understandings.  Headmasters and senior students spend literally decades learning every aspect of the art; the new student knows little more than the basic mechanics and the names.  The best thing is to simply be silent and learn - and speak of what you do know (which is often not much).

Outcomes are beyond my reach and knowledge - what I do not know. I can merely do that which I am called to do and know - Love God, Love People, Preach the Gospel.  Use words if necessary.

For the rest, I have to pray and let God worry.