An important aspect of thoughtful faith and faithful thinking in our world is knowing and understanding the way others think. The men of Issachar were said to have had “understanding of the times” (see I Chron. 12:32) and we should follow suit. If we’re going to communicate our faith to others we should interpret cultural trends and artifacts to see what people believe, where their affections lie, and in what “gods” they trust.
During a recent study of the book of Acts, I was struck with the recurring emphasis on the irrepressibility of the gospel. Several commentators pointed out that Luke weaves in several “summary statements” that help the reader step back from the drama and see an overarching theme.
This whole world of blogging and writing poses numerous challenges for the development of humility. “Read my blog” and “Buy my book” don’t naturally lend themselves towards the obedience of “Humble yourself before the mighty hand of God.”
Osama bin Laden’s death, I’m sure you’ve noticed, has sparked a firestorm in the world of social networking. Facebook statuses and Tweets have gone mad – literally. People have posted how happy they are that our enemy has been defeated. Others insist we should mourn. Unfortunately, for most people, it seems we must choose between two mutually exclusive options.
I recently heard a speaker compare discipleship to riding a bicycle. He was urging his adult audience to get involved in the process of helping younger people walk with the Lord. I believe his motivation was, in part, to encourage people to take on the challenge even if they had no formal theological training or had not studied the scriptures all that thoroughly yet.