In the last decade, here in these United States affiliation with a Christian church of any type has steeply declined from about 78% to 60%. This notable shift created a group called “Religiously unaffiliated adults” – people who are either atheists, agnostics, or “nothing in particular” often referred to as “Nones” and numbers about 30% of American adults today.
Various reasons for this decline in religious practice exist, but none is more widespread than the conviction, brought on by scientific explanations of life’s mysteries, the ability to understand the laws of nature, medicine, and psychology. This causes many to think that that they have no need for God or a god. Actually, this is not a new philosophy.
Friedrich Nietzsche, in 1882, wrote about the “death of God” in Europe. He did not actually mean that God had died, but rather that humanity was outgrowing the need for A Supreme Being. Thus, he concluded that the belief in the Christian God that had shaped the culture of that continent was dying.
He birthed the idea of "Superman" (or Übermensch in his native German). He suggested that by overthrowing “God” we could begin a process of self-discovery, create new values, and rise to new heights of accomplishment, driven by the "will to power." Humanity no longer needed to bow to the will of God. The best of us were those who could achieve great accomplishments with intellect and determination.
The violent spasms that shook the world in the 20th century
and the bleak secularism that grips much of Europe now can be traced to the
death of vital faith in a living God. I fear that America has headed down that same
path, replacing God with Self, with no good result to be seen. Radical
individualism and pursuit of our own happiness at any cost leads to a society
that is sickened by Selfishness.
Yes, science may explain the ‘how’ of the world, but our discovery processes
cannot explain the ‘why.’ I understand the mechanism of conception that brought
me to life, but that tells me nothing about why I am here, or why I even ask
the question – ‘Why?’
Is it enough to simply say that we exist? Shakespeare’s Macbeth said, “Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Is this the truth about us?
If we accept that “God is dead,” then in fact we have no greater purpose than survival of our genetic strain and a few years of pleasure. Our lives can achieve a sort of frail nobility only by tasting the delights of our senses and preparing the world for the next generation. By contrast, Christ offers us eternity, calling us to true nobility through love, the supreme law; and invites us to worship of a God Who cares for us as a Father, waiting to welcome us home.
Which Vision
shapes your life?
I am convinced that an honest inquiry about the world in which we live will not
lead us to superstition, but it will humble us enough to consider that God exists.
The wonder of the cell, billions of them form our bodies, are stupendous!
The beauty of the Universe, vast and yet to be fully explained by the most
brilliant minds among us, is stunning.
The power of love to move us, to draw us into relationship, to great sacrifice
remains a mystery.
To me, it requires greater faith to believe that such amazing things emerged by
chance from chaos that it does to accept that there is a Designer of it all. To
acknowledge that there is an Intelligence making the universe exist as we know
it does not automatically make a person a Christian, of course. But, if one
accepts that there is a God, then it would follow that we should want to know
Who God is.
And for me, the story unfolded in the Bible reveals Him, Lord of the Universe
who further revealed Himself as my Savior in the coming of Jesus Christ. Far
from diminishing our lives, this story gives meaning and purpose to us. Like
all good things, the Story can be misused to oppress and misunderstood in ways
that darken understanding. But, where the Spirit is allowed to make the Story
live, humanity is richer.
God is not dead. He lives. And I, for one, love Him and I am thankful that He
has chosen to make Himself known to me.
Here’s a word from the Word. Meditate on this, asking that the Spirit will make
the written Word into Living Truth in your mind and heart.
Ephesians 1:17-18
I keep asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you
spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I
pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the
confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich
and glorious inheritance.
Ephesians 3:14-19
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to
the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from
his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength
through his Spirit. Then
Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will
grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide,
how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of
Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made
complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
Amen
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