The Numbers: Foreboding or Describing Opportunity?

Much is being written on the new survey of religion in America. Don't have time to comment much, but here are two articles worth reading: here and here.

The Limits of Human Knowledge

Two articles I came across today are fascinating for what they say about the limitations of scientific and philosophical inquiry to really capture how intricately our Creator made us, both as individuals and as social beings (imaging inter-trinitarian relationships in personal relationships).
It's baseball season again, and here is an article about computer simulations in baseball, and the reality of baseball. Significantly, the writer indicates that while statistics can predict to an extent what will happen, they cannot take into account the stress and emotions of a real game--and are thus extremely limited.
In another article David Brooks ("Philosophy's End") grapples with the interplay between reason and emotion (what Jonathan Edwards called "affections") in ethics and morality. Many philosophers since Greek philosophy have regarded morality as a matter of reason and rational decision-making, and emotions as unpredictable and uncontrollable (by reason, that is); contemporary philosophy finds it more complicated than that, and find that emotions (affections) play a much bigger part in moral decisions.
Scripture sheds light on what these philosophers miss. Moral virtues and vices grow out of affections and reason. Love for God and neighbor are foundational--and include both reason (what glorifies God? What does good for my neighbor?) and affection (passionate affection for God's glory, and hatred for what undercuts it; passion for what is just, and therefore good for my neighbor, and hatred for what is unjust). To be sure, we struggle to attain both the knowledge and the affections that we need and ought to have and experience; these the Spirit works in us. We long to be made more holy. But no doubt we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Known--and still loved!

For Good Friday this year my thoughts are turning to Psalm 31 ("Into your hands I commit my spirit," Ps. 31:5/Luke 23:46). Especially powerful is v. 7: "I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love/because you have seen my affliction;/you have known the distress of my soul."
Charles Spurgeon remarks: "God owns his saints when others are ashamed to acknowledge them; he never refuses to know his friends. He thinks not the worse of them for their rags and tatters. He does not misjudge them and cast them off when their faces are lean with sickness, or their hearts heavy with despondency. Moreover, the Lord Jesus knows us in our pangs in a peculiar sense, by having a deep sympathy toward us in them all; when no others can enter into our griefs, from [lack] of understanding them [experientially], Jesus dives into the lowest depths with us, comprehending the direst of woes, because he has felt the same."

A Prayer

Here is a prayer I came across this morning (from Valley of Vision) that captures much of what we have seen in Luke 12:

LORD OF ALL BEING,
There is one thing that deserves my greatest care,
That calls forth my ardent desires,
That is, that I may answer the great end for which I am made--
to glorify you who have given me being,
and to do all the good I can for my fellow men;
Verily life is not worth having
if it be not improved for this noble purpose.
Yet, Lord, how little is this the thought of mankind!
Most men seem to live for themselves,
without much or any regard for your glory,
or for the good of others;
They earnestly desire and eagerly pursue
the riches, honours, pleasures of this life,
as if they supposed that wealth, greatness, merriment,
could make their immortal souls happy;
But, alas, what false delusive dreams are these!
And how miserable ere long will those be that sleep in them,
for all our happiness consists in loving thee,
and being holy as you are holy.

How not to counsel

If you haven't seen this, take a few moments to. You can probably relate to the counselor--and maybe even to the counselee!

Hope

For the Christian, hope is an emotion that arises from a passionate concern for God's glory, combined with confidence in the Scripture's assertion that one day Christ will return, will set things right, and usher in the new heavens and the new earth, where his glory fills all in all. When we have that hope the things of this world (career, family, leisure, etc.) find their proper place in our lives. They are not made the objects of ultimate hope (they cannot bear that load), nor are we resigned to mediocrity in these things. Robert Roberts has a great passage on hope in his book (see previous post):
"We send our eternal selves out prospecting on earth, where moth and rust and time consume and bad fortune breaks in and steals our hopes away. And as long as reality does not crash in to destroy the house of cards in which we dwell, we find here just enough satisfaction for our need to keep us from feeling despair--and also from enjoying faith.
"Or we make a compromise like the following: "I shall give myself without reservation to the projects and prospects of this earthly life, but just in case something goes wrong, I'll make my peace with Jesus. Religion is, after all, supposed to be a comfort in times of trouble, and let's be realistic: troubles don't always happen to the other guy. I may croak before my projects are complete, and it may be a pity if I have nothing to fall back on." As a passion for the kingdom of God, this attitude leaves something to be desired. For the mature Christian the kingdom hoped for is the focusing goal of life, to which everything else is subsidiary."

Technology Talking

A few years ago I read Neil Postman's book Amusing Ourselves to Death. It is a powerful book that has led some people to throw out their TV's (so reader beware!). I also follow David Pogue's technology videos at the New York Times' web site. This week's is especially interesting--as I consider how much we are inundated with all manner of communications technology--and how it ironically keeps us from having real, face-to-face friendships. Pogue does not, of course, make that connection--at least not explicitly. He does, however, indirectly. See for yourself here.

Spiritual Emotions

Speaking of anxiety as an emotion (and wanting to make up for lost time on posting stuff to my blog!), here is an excellent book I'm reading: Spiritual Emotions, by Robert C. Roberts. For those of you at my church who suffered through Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (EHS) last fall, hoping something better would come along, this book is part of the answer. And those of you who loved EHS should appreciate this as well. The author takes on some difficult questions: How can God command us to have or not to have certain emotions (love, joy, peace; or not to be anxious!)? What does the Christian life look like from the standpoint of emotions? What emotions come into play in confession of sin, contrition? Is contrition emotional, or is it enough if it is mental? I have not yet finished the book, but have been greatly affected by it.
Of course in our circles (OPC-types) emotions are underrated, and considered untrustworthy, even dangerous. For my part I am very keen to change that. Scripture, after all, commands certain emotions, and Jesus knew a great deal of emotion (see this article by none other than B.B. Warfield).
Unfortunately this book is not available at the Westminster Bookstore (http://www.wtsbooks.com/), but can be purchased through amazon--or you can borrow my copy in a few weeks, if you don't mind waiting until I'm finished.