Corn Fields and Yard Sales

2 Dec

I have to confess something.   Keeping up with this blog may be a little more difficult than I thought.  Going into it, it seemed to me I could keep it fresh by posting something new every couple of weeks or so.  After all, I had at least a half a dozen essays nearly ready to go.  All they needed were a little tweaking here or there and they would be ready to publish for the entire world to see (even if the “world” in this sense is just a handful of folks.  You know I love you.  Thanks for readingJ).

All personal issues aside, though, the thing I continue to struggle with is context – that is, how to ensure anyone reading this blog understands how I came to the topic and what was going on in my life which led to a particular reaction or insight.  It’s this notion of providing enough information so I can put you in a position (hopefully) to share or understand my perspective.  It’s not easy.  And, as I mentioned in the “about this blog” commentary, these thoughts and ideas came from a journey of discovery which included a few missteps and re-directions.  But, it also included retracing a few steps, so I could begin again.  At times, it was a bit of a do-over or starting with a clean slate.  For those of you who are old enough to remember, think of the “Etch-a-Sketch”.   Shake it up, erase the past and start anew.

Which takes me back to my college days and the years when – for the most part -I didn’t go to church at all.

Somewhere along the way (and I couldn’t possibly pinpoint the moment), I realized I wasn’t really sure God existed.  Where I actually picked up the thought I’m not certain, but as I got older the doubt grew.  If you know something of the tradition I came from, it’s probably not difficult to figure out why.  After all, this particular tradition generally held the belief (and still does), one was supposed to read the Bible in a strict literal sense (by their view), which meant the universe and our world were created in six literal days (or something along those lines).  Thereafter, the Bible gives us this well-defined literal account of the growth of humanity and if you were really careful in your accounting of the generations then you would conclude our planet and the universe are a few thousand years old.  And while I can’t say anyone in particular pushed this view on me, it was always out there.  It was just assumed.  And, I knew enough in my late teens and early twenties to know science was saying something completely different.  Enter the Big Bang, evolution and a whole lot of doubt.

About the time I turned 30 years old I realized I had to face this doubt about God head on.  My wife and I had just moved to the Charlotte, NC area and it seemed the change in scenery prompted me to take an inventory of my life.  The process involved a lot of different things, but the key issue in this case was a straightforward proposition:  The God question was a big deal and needed to be addressed.  I couldn’t just sit on the fence.  I needed to make up my mind and move in one direction or another, whatever it was.

Before I go much further with the story, it’s probably a good time to give you a little background about myself and let you know something about my personal built-in biases.  First of all, I am a chemical engineer by training and vocation having graduated from NC State University in 1990.  Within my line of work, you could say I basically get paid to observe and analyze; always working under the assumption the world is governed by this theory of cause and effect.  It was this basic framework that guided me as I started my inquiry.  There was this basic proposition in my head:  If God is real then there must be some way to determine this God exists.  And what naturally followed was:  If you do find out God is real, then you better get to know this God.  Seemed straightforward enough.  Now, where to begin…

For me, the most logical place to start my search was the Bible.  After all, I had grown up in the faith, so the authority of the Bible was assumed by family and friends.  If this whole thing was real, it (the Bible) would be expected to provide some direction; and so I began my search by reading the Gospel of Matthew.  What better place for a somewhat cynical Christian to begin than the first book of the New Testament?  Honestly, I’m sure the Bible didn’t make much sense to me at the time; but when I came to the Sermon on the Mount and the associated passages, I found a couple verses which seemed to provide something like a path forward:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks find, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.”  Matthew 7:7-8

Okay, fair enough.  If Jesus says so, it should be good enough for me.  And, in a very quiet, unassuming way, my journey began with a pretty straightforward prayer.  As instructed, I simply asked God to show me if he was real.  After all, if God was really God, he could do anything.  And let’s face it; this was a fairly straightforward request.  Seemed reasonable.  So, I waited.

I don’t know how long it was, but I’m pretty sure it took a while before I came across anything in my life that could remotely resemble an answer.  Along the way, I found myself involved in a project at work which had me traveling to central Illinois on a regular basis.  I know this because I would fly into Indianapolis, Indiana and then drive for over 3 hours through acres and acres of cornfields.  Boring, monotonous, and endless cornfields over miles and miles of flat terrain.  Honestly, it was mind numbing.  And, in a world before smart phones and satellite radio, it would drive me crazy.  You see, I can’t stand listening to music on the radio.  First of all, I’m a little picky about what music I listen to.  Secondly, nothing irritates me more than some DJ talking over the intro to the song.  But, I digress…

cornfields

At the time, my only option was to switch the radio over to the AM dial and listen to talk shows.  It probably explains (at least partly) why I started this blog.  I have always enjoyed listening to stories and ideas from a variety of perspectives.  So one day, as I was searching through the AM dial and passing yet another cornfield, I came across a couple of guys known as Bruce and Stan.  They were being interviewed on some Christian radio station and the discussion was centered on their new book:  The Guide to How It All Began.  Needless to say, I was fascinated.  I listened closely to every word and when I got back home, I ordered the book.

What I loved about Bruce and Stan (and still do) was how open and inviting they were.  Their approach was straightforward.  Here is the topic.  Here are the different viewpoints.  Here is what we believe, but here is where you can go to find out more on the subject.  You can go make up your own mind.  I liked them from the start.

I won’t beat around the bush, so to speak, because it’s pretty evident where I landed on the issue.  Simply put, God answered my prayer in a way that could hardly be considered miraculous and yet it was no less convincing. But, what I want to confess to you now after having been on this road awhile is how frustrating it has been for me to realize the greatest obstacle between me and my faith, ultimately, was not the secular world, but the church itself.  The scientific discoveries surrounding the Big Bang Theory have provided some of the most compelling evidence for God; and yet, there are many in the church that rail against it.  All the while the science, through the Big Bang Theory, is declaring to our world – that is, all space, matter, and time –  had a beginning nearly 13.8 billion years ago.  From there, we can make two straightforward observations:

  • If the universe had a beginning then something outside of it (that is something which would be immaterial and outside of physical space and time) had to create it. To borrow a proposition articulated by Bruce and Stan, every effect (the universe in this case) has to have a cause. The biggest question of our day must surely be: what was the “cause” that brought our universe into being.
  • Secondly, any consideration about what the great “cause” is, by definition, a study of something beyond the natural – that is the supernatural. After all, nature (or the natural as I’ve put it) and time came into existence 13.8 billion years ago. Science, as we know it, is a study of the natural or what can be observed. Therefore, any speculation about how the universe came into being is simply beyond the scope of science and is purely a philosophical discussion. Of course, scientists make philosophical assertions all the time, which I have no problem with (Well, most of the time. Scientists are like everyone else. They can be misleading with their comments, too). It’s normal to wonder about our beginnings. We simply need to recognize the difference between scientific and philosophical assertions, because the lines between science and philosophy get blurred in our world all the time. When it comes to a discussion around what put everything into motion, C.S. Lewis has just as much credibility as Richard Dawkins.

Having said all this, I don’t ever plan to write an apologetics proof of God or anything.  There are some great folks out there who are already doing an incredible job.  If you like science and keeping up with some of the latest discoveries in cosmology and biology, then I highly recommend you check out Reasons to Believe.  The founder of the ministry is a guy by the name of Hugh Ross who is an ordained minister with a PhD in astronomy (cool credentials, huh?).  His book, The Creator and the Cosmos  is one of my favorites because it completely changed my perspective on God, the Bible and science.  It’s becoming a little dated at this point in time given our ever-expanding understanding of cosmology; but, there is still a lot to be gained from the book.

But, aside from my own personal view on science, the age of the earth and any of those other things Christians get in a big ole tussle about, I’ve come to the belief that to bring the age of the earth or the universe into a discussion about the Bible is an exercise in missing the point.  First of all, why would a timeless being even care to have a conversation on how old something is?  I know some would come back and tell me it’s a matter of truth and we need to fight for truth.  Okay, I get that; but let’s consider this whole issue from another angle.

Let’s suppose you get to write a eulogy.  It could be your own or it could be for someone you’re really close to.  What would you say?  What would you choose to include in the eulogy?   What would make a great eulogy?  Facts and figures like dates, names or numbers of family and friends?  I’m sure that would be part of it.  But, what would be the stuff that would make the eulogy special?  Would it be those little factoids or would it be the stories that tell us something about the person’s character or their heart?  Would it be their age or the day they were born or the stories that bring to light something about who the person was?

You know what I’m talking about.  It’s those stories that tell us of the grandma who was described as a “giver” or the granddad who was known for his gentleness and humility.  It’s those stories about someone who regularly volunteered at Habitat for Humanity or gave their life in the service of their country.  Dates are nice, but they really aren’t the point. If a loved one of mine died tomorrow and I found out they were actually older or younger than I originally thought, I wouldn’t care.  Would you?  It might be a nice little piece of trivia for generations to come; but in terms of personal value, that would be about it.

Which brings me to my next point.  When did we develop this notion one of the purposes of the Bible was to provide us all these scientific and historical facts so we would one day be in a position to win Bible Jeopardy?  It’s as if we think God is going to assign someone like Peter to be heaven’s version of Alex Trebek presiding over a never-ending game show to find out who among us has amassed the most accurate collection of facts and figures about the history of the world.  I’ll take Floods and Fossils for 1000, Saint Peter.

All joking aside, I think these kinds of comparisons hold true when we read the Bible and try to make sense of it.  There are things which are really important in life and there are other things that simply aren’t.  As Christians, it’s our job to come to grips with those things that are important and make sure they are a priority.  Consider Jesus for a moment.  His entire ministry was oriented around giving witness to things like the dangers of greed, the blessings of generosity, what it means to let go of your ego and pride to find peace and joy in life.  And the list goes on.  These are issues of the human heart; not of the mind.

This brings us to one last point.  There is no doubt a search for “truth” played a key role in bringing me back to God.  But, as I look back on my journey I’ve come to realize it was only one small piece of the puzzle.  You see, what got me hooked and what ultimately convinced me Jesus was real was when I joined a community of people dedicated to wrestling and debating what it means to live out his teachings.  The most significant moment happened when one of my Bible Study partners asked me to help him work a department at our church’s annual yard sale.  I should stop and point out this event raises around $40,000 each year to help alleviate hunger locally and abroad (yeah, it’s huge, especially when realize the average transaction price is likely measure in cents and not dollars).  By participating in this massive effort, I found I wasn’t debating.  I was “doing” and I loved it.  Many years later, I realize my perspective on church was being transformed and I was being changed in the process.  And, this process of has never stopped.

world hunger

From a facts and figures perspective, it’s easy to see our giant yard sale may not be the most efficient or cost effective enterprise.  But perhaps there is value to be gained beyond what can be measured in dollars.  While I’ve seen the value in my own life, the event also brings together our town and gives many in our community a chance to buy items they need at a very affordable price.  And, for the participants, we get the opportunity to get off the couch and join our church family in doing something much bigger than we could ever do on our own.  And here’s the thing.  I can’t tell you when in our history the event began, the exact amount of money we’ve raised over the years or what particular year we raised the most money.  Honestly, I don’t care.  What matters is food, clothing and any number of items are being provided to those in need and the Gospel of Christ is being lived out in a very real and tangible way.

Before I close the post, I want to get back to the age of the universe question and offer one final point, which is this:  Without a doubt, I’m sure there are a variety of opinions on how old the world is within my church community.  But, the funny thing is, we have never gotten around to debating the issue.  It’s not that we’re above it or too good to get into an animated or impassioned argument.  I’m sure we could get down and dirty with the best of them.  After all, we’re human beings.  Maybe, it’s just that in the last 15-20 years I’ve been a part of this place, we’ve haven’t had the time.   It’s kind of ironic, don’t you think?  Maybe the lessoned to be learned is simply this:  By engaging in what’s really meaningful, trivial pursuits (isn’t that a board game?   More irony.) are relegated to their proper place in life’s priorities.

 

P.S.  I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize my church community, First Baptist Church-Huntersville, simply because this is as much their story as it is my own.  You can find out more about us through our website, www.fbc-h.org.  You have to love a place whose vision statement says…

“A church passionately pursuing Christ, sharing God’s limitless love, and bringing Christ-centered hope and healing in the community.”

…and, then is lived out through events like our annual yard sale, known in Huntersville, NC as World Hunger Day.

world hunger t-shirt

2 Replies to “Corn Fields and Yard Sales

  1. Great blog post Greg. Interesting the conclusions you’ve come to – we’ve been on a very similar journey – as Im sure many who have wondered about the faith road have. Our minister published a book recently that I’ve studied with a small group – The Christian Skeptic – which has really helped put into perspective those of us that question a lot of what is considered dogma by virtually all denominations. At the end of it I realize that it is OK – in fact I think God wants us to – to ask questions because in doing so we are engaging our faith, our connection to God, and spending time thinking about important matters. Just as you did on those lonely drives across the mid-western corn fields!!

    Thanks for sharing and look forward to reading more in the future.

    Your neighbor

    Bill

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