A Renewing Mind

Several years ago I read Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis in which he describes some of the early influences in his life that caused him to (eventually) seek God. One such influence was author George MacDonald and works like Phantastes and The Princess and the Goblin. I immediately determined to read these works, but have only just gotten round to doing so. I recently finished The Princess and the Goblin and have now started The Princess and Curdie. Both are filled with beautiful insights into human nature and wisdom for right living. Take, for example, the following points expressed with far less eloquence than MacDonald commands:

• That which we hate we must also fear.

• As our bodies begin to outgrow our minds the inevitable result is that we begin to grow stupider in that we believe less and less in that which we cannot see.

• While we may not have intended harm, if we did not intend good then we were certainly open to doing harm. Indeed, if we are not always striving to do good, then we are doing that which is not good.

I wish I could express these as beautifully as does Mr. MacDonald. His stories have captivated me and his timeless wisdom rings of truth.

I’ve been participating in a bible study, a ten-part series on the Kings and Prophets of the Old Testament. It has really opened my eyes to the cohesiveness of the Old Testament. I guess I have always thought of the kings of Judah and Israel, the people of Israel, and the prophets as separate, independent entities. This study has helped me see how they are all intertwined together - and how much can be learned about the kings and their rule from the prophets. This study has also provided some much-needed background of the geopolitical landscape during Israel’s history - the Egyptions, the Assyrians, the Babylonians (Chaldeans), the Persians, and so on. The study has given me not only insights into God’s plan for Israel, but a renewed appreciation for the authority and authenticity of his word.

I am reading Darwin’s Black Box by Michael J. Behe this week. It’s been a fascinating read thus far. Behe’s key point, thus far into the book, is not so much an objection to evolution per se (he makes it clear that evolution does work at a micro [adaptation] level). What he questions is Darwinian evolution’s ability to explain how complex systems came into being. He lays down the gauntlet by arguing that many complex systems (blood clotting, for example) are irreducibly complex and thus cannot be the direct result of evolution. Similarly, a round-about approach to evolving such systems fails to meet the needs of minimum functionality. That’s a very high-level summary intended only to whet your appetite.

I have heard that there is a counter-argument to Behe’s Irreducible Complexity argument. I assume it has been advanced by Richard Dawkins and I would love to find out more about it. Behe makes it clear that he respects Richard Dawkins for his intellect, his passion, and his capacity for explaining complext topics in a light style. I have to confess that I have looked on Dawkins with some disdain, but Behe has influenced me. While I still disagree with Dawkins, I am certainly willing to read and consider his opinions on evolution. Behe has also written a follow up, The Edge of Evolution, to address these counter-arguments. This will be my next read, after looking into Dawkins’ objections.

We had a great youth retreat at the Lake Geneva Youth Conference Center this weekend. I’m still beat and will need another day to recover. I had a great time on the Zip Line, in worship, playing Ultimate, and building relationships with young people.

I led a session entitled “Walking in the Valley”. It was loosely inspired by St. John of the Cross’ classic “Dark Night of the Soul“. I was trying to share something of my own recent experiences, hoping to enlighten and encourage others should they encounter something similar. It was a tough session in that I don’t think I made my points very well and so was unable to generate a lot of discussion. On the other hand, I’m fairly convinced that God laid it on my heart to approach this topic and so I’ll hope that I at least planted some seeds for future thought.