A paragraph from Chapter 8 – Thinking and Action
Awakening thought for social action
The purpose of arousing thought is twofold, first, to point people to the Source – God, and second, to generate the kind of powerful response (through the agency and action of that Source) that will contribute to the posterity of their children. Can we imagine what our world would be like today without Athanasius’ Contra Mundum or without the socio-political force of a William Wilberforce? We too have our own battles to fight. May people arise with wisdom and the accompanying response required of them to do what they are each called to do in their respective spheres of influence. The true heroes of today will look different and be different. They may be persons such as Bono or others whose social actions are fuelled by godly morals and the presence of MQ, or even of other naturally moral persons. Since the Scriptures indicate that much of what we enjoy as freedom today has sprung from God’s thoughts and actions, our ongoing Christian responses is doubly necessary. There is nothing to suggest in the socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-biological areas that any other means can produce better results. Therefore, the starting point people all share is how what they each choose to do will affect the future. The horror of the French Revolution, the devastation of Communism, the death camps of Nazism, and the rampant veins of modern racism have been just a small sample of what alternative social actions devoid of MQ (or of natural moral law) have done in recent history. Professor Muelder writes on what it will take to survive as a communitarian whole, “Without a system of world political cooperation and economic planning the quest for a rising standard of living through industrialization is now clearly impossible. The future of science itself now depends on a cooperative crusade for social justice and integral personal values in all phases of community living. The interdependence of justice, law, politics, economics, science, and technology in a communitarian whole should now be obvious.” Ideas, shaped by Christian ethics, await actions, so that as signposts to the next generations, on the roads already built and traveled, hope is engendered for anyone that might feel called to venture past the point where they have been brought.
1 response so far ↓
GaryFPatton // July 19, 2008 at 9:03 pm |
Hey Loys;
The writer expresses great wisdom when s(he) says: “We too have our own battles to fight. May people arise with wisdom and the accompanying response required of them to do what they are each called to do in their respective spheres of influence.”
What a wonderful way to describe Spirit-led social action for we Followers as individuals who each have a unique calling on our lives and day-to-day living.
It is so refreshing. And so freeing, when contrasted with the typical Christian approach of “we gotta stop this or that ’cause the “world’s going to hell in a handcart”!
Regrettably too much of “Christian Social Action” is us fighting to force our approach or our values on the world by trying to coerce politicians or businessmen to stop or start something …usually using Christian jargon they cannot understand plus harsh words of judgment.
Nowhere does the Scripture suggest we are called to do this.
Ding so just gives us a reputation for “only being against things”. And it inhibits the lifestyle evangelism of those who do their best to practise 1 Peter 3: 15-17 “while we’re going along”. (And, as you know, the infamous “Therefore go” in Matthew 28: 19 of the Great Commission is not in the Greek and, what is there, is better rendered this way.”)
Blessings,
Gary