This is despite the loss of 250,000-plus lives in U.S.
Isaiah 1:18 begins, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord.” (CEV)
One of the first things I teach in my Introduction to Christian Ethics course is that as humans made in the image of God, we are the only species given the ability to reason by God. However, as I watch animals and the more I listen to humans, I am beginning to doubt those words even more.
As Christians when we make decisions on the way we will live and the choices that we make, those choices should be made based on Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience.
With Scripture not only do we have to understand the context of the text, we should make sure our interpretation of the Scripture is sound. For too many times, Scripture has been influenced by ideology that has resulted in actions that I feel were not pleasing to God.
Our Tradition should constantly be evaluated because traditions are basically of men and not of God. We must never find ourselves in the position as many in the Old Testament who thought they were doing the right things because of tradition, only to find out they were in total opposition to God.
Then comes reasoning because so many things we experience today are not addressed in the Bible. That places us in the position of having to call on the greatest computer on earth, our brains and our minds.
And since God gave them to us, it troubles me so that when many enter into worship, they check their minds at the door and some religious leaders demand the same.
Reasoning is the action of thinking about something in a logical or sensible way. But rather than using reasoning to come to needed conclusions, many of the decisions we make as Christians today are based on emotions. Emotions that ignore the facts. Emotions that play to our basic animal instincts. Emotions that have us deny the realities of life. Emotions that would even have us ignore history. Emotions that would have us embrace the lies that we hear, because we like the way the narrative is told.
Emotions allow lies to replace the truth, and the truth to be totally rejected.
Emotions allow us to label COVID-19 as a hoax, when by the time this is published more than 250,000 people will have died from this virus. I have lost not only a member of the church where I serve as pastor, I have lost family members and friends from COVID-19.
Emotions allow us to say that Christians are being persecuted when the fact is, that is not the case. We have lost privilege to set the standards on what marriage is along with other social practices, and many have turned away from Christianity because we have forgotten to love as Jesus said love. If you want to know about persecution, talk to Christians in China and Iraq. They will tell you what persecution is about.
As we deal with the many issues that life throws at us each and every day, even matters of faith, we will only find truth and meaningful solutions when we use our minds to reason.
In scripture, God is asking for a human to reason with The Divine. And since our relationships as Christians are not just vertical, they are horizontal. As we approach God in worship and in prayer. As we interact with one another. Yes, there is a time for emotions. However, when it comes to the serious issues of life, come let us reason with one another.
(The Rev. Leonard Edloe is a pharmacist, educator and pastor of New Hope Fellowship Church in Hartfield. His email address is leonard.edloe@gmail.com.)
