I think one of the most difficult things in life that we must learn is that other people often do not care about something as deeply as we do. Obviously there are differences in tastes, for there are vanilla lovers and chocolate lovers, people who drink Coca-Cola and people who drink Pepsi. We make allowances for desires and preferences even if we cannot relate to them or understand them. I own three Scottish terriers. I cannot understand why everyone does not want a Scottish terrier.
What I am discussing here is more than a simple matter of preference, but rather more deeply held values. For instance, there are people for whom environmental causes are the most important thing to them, and they cannot understand why it would not be so for others. Others crusade for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and some for the animals. For myself and many of my friends and associates, the pro-life movement is a deeply valued cause. And for each individual that holds something dear, it is horribly frustrating that others do not consider it so important.
Our reaction to the fact that someone does not care about something as much as we do is to assume that they simply do not understand. If someone truly and fully understood the issues as well as we do, and could logically follow the arguments for our beliefs, then it would also follow that not only would they believe as we do but they would care as deeply as we do. And this leads to voluminous writings, editorializing, teaching, and remonstrations. Occasionally, people's minds and hearts are changed, but not as often as we would like.
As individuals, we do not care as profoundly as another about their cause, and they do not care as deeply about the things so vital to us. However, also as individuals, the things we care about change over time. The things most important to me now were not always so, and the most important things to me as a youth are not so now. As a teenager, the single most important thing to me in life was football. My obsession with it in high school led me to play it in college. Today, I enjoy a good game as much as the next fellow, but I do not lie awake in bed every night thinking about it as I once did.
This is true for groups, cultures, and nations as well as for individuals. In my previous post, Suffering and Security, I put forth the argument that as a society today we value security over liberty. Our forefathers prized individual and economic liberty to the point of trading their lives for it. I would suggest that today, a majority of Americans do not care about what the founding fathers of this country thought. The Constitution is an archaic document that does not bear on modern society and central economic planning. And Christianity and the things of God no longer dominate societal discourse and thinking. These things are simply not as important to people in our country as they once were. If you doubt me, walk over and turn on your television.
As Christians, we must not give up on supporting our causes and beliefs. However, we must realize that we face an even greater problem than just trying to explain our views. Whereas we can have debates about security and liberty or capitalism and government dependency, the Christian has another obstacle in delivering the Gospel and the Word of God to others. As Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:4, "...the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Satan has spiritually blinded those who do not believe. They cannot care because they cannot see. The consequences are detailed throughout the Bible: "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing" (I Cor 1:18), and "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor 2:14).
There are a couple of points to take away here. Until a person is given the gift of the Holy Spirit by God, they will never see the things of God nor care about them the way that you do. It does not lessen our obligation to preach the Gospel, but we cannot expect that hardened hearts and blinded eyes will embrace these things. And we will be frustrated, because we see the light and the beauty of the Lord's Word and should delight in His commands. Secondly, if you knew a person who was deliberately blinded by a wicked person, would you consider them dull, ignorant, or stupid because they cannot see? I think not.
As a physician, I have many tools and medications to fight illness. When I enter the operating room tomorrow morning, laid out before me will be a plethora of instruments and sutures to solve a problem with a failing heart. As Christians, we have fewer devices to change a sickened heart, only God's Word and prayer. Fortunately, nothing compares to the power of these instruments of healing, for they can soften those hearts, open ears, and restore sight. Although these blinded people do not care for the things of God, we should care about them.
No comments:
Post a Comment