Read the letters to the editor first. You done? Good. There’s a difference between intrinsic human rights and the privileges afforded by the US government. Regrettably, some people didn’t know that. Driving, voting and joining the military are privileges. Living is an intrinsic human right. But that’s not what this column is about…Fascist. Fanatic. Childish. A sixth grader has better reason than you. Stupid. Hopeless, neurotic mess. Single-minded. Narrow-minded. Discourteous. Preacher of thinly veiled sermons.
Those are labels I’ve been given in letters to the editor this semester. I find each letter to be interesting.
Friends ask me, “Do the letters hurt or make you angry?”
My answer is: “No. They make me feel compassion. They make me thankful for grace.”
Fascist. Fascist is often misused on college campuses. Many liberals shout it at conservatives they don’t like. Many of them have no idea what a fascist really is. It’s a shame that people think they know what a word means because they read it on some blog page or biased liberal discussion board.
Fanatic. “I’m an F-A-N-A-T-I-C, fanatic. I’ll rep Christ ’til I D-I-E. I’m not extreme. I’m redeemed with faith, to serve a God who’s extremely great. I’m a fanatic.” -Lecrae
That’s one of my favorite jams.
The Latin word, fanaticus means “inspired by a deity.” If I’m not excessively excited about and inspired by a God that created the universe and saved mankind from sin, then what should I get excited about?
Fanatic? Absolutely.
Childish. Or rather, child-like. Christ said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Child-like? I sure hope so.
As far as the sixth grade reason comment goes, Isaiah 50:8.
It’s always interesting to see if the guy throwing stones will step out of his glass house. Usually they don’t. Usually, they’re the kid that never left the dug-out to step up to the plate.
Stupid. Hopeless mess. I look at the 12 disciples during their three years with Christ and I see just that: twelve men that appeared to be somewhat hopeless and at times, stupid. Then Christ changed their lives. They went on to found the church and 2,000 years later the faith they died sharing is still going on strong. The chain of discipleship is powerful and the hopeless messes of the world have their place in it.
What about neurotic? Once again a word was used by someone who didn’t know what it really meant.
Single-minded. I sure am. A man can’t serve two masters, nor can he have two minds about him. A man can’t have a mind that is turned and tossed. A double-minded man is unstable in all he does (James 1:8).
Narrow-minded. Tim Keller would say I’m not narrow-minded. But, I believe in the narrow path, so maybe my mind should fit the path of my life. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” -Matthew 7:13-14.
Discourteous. Yes, sometimes I am. I’m a work in progress.
Preacher of thinly veiled sermons. People forget that every columnist is preaching something. It could be politics, philosophy or random thoughts about Mandarin Chinese and the World of Warcraft. I could “preach” Buddhism or self-actualization and get no flack for it. I could quote some of the “greatest philosophers in history” and everyone would be okay. But the moment Jesus Christ, the Son of God is mentioned, everyone is up in arms and ready to lash out against me.
Professors, faculty and students alike hate to hear the name above all names. It makes them uneasy. It terrifies them so much that they deem it as oppressive because they know what it would cost them if they admitted that Christ is Lord. I find that to be incredibly fascinating and utterly compelling.
Unfortunately, you’re going to have to put up with me for at least one more semester. But what if I get into grad school at Tech? It could be a loooong two years for some of you if that happens.
People hate me and my beliefs because I don’t make room for relative truth. That’s fine. They have many different ideas about truth-ideas that contradict themselves and fall apart under the slightest scrutiny.
I think that when people hear or read something that shakes their existence to the core or makes them doubt their relative truth, their first reaction is to shout things that don’t make sense. In reality they’re just thinking, “Don’t point out the flaws of my humanistic philosophy. Don’t make me think about the fact that I am my own source of truth and deep down that terrifies me.”
The next Oracle comes out February 6, 2009. So until then, enjoy the holiday season. And remember, Jesus isn’t just the reason for the season. He’s the reason for life.
