Nothing Sacred

Today, I saw second Timothy chapter 3 with greater understanding. The whole chapter speaks into the contrast between those who "love pleasure" and those who "love God." Those who love pleasure are said to

•  Love only themselves and their money
•  Be unloving and unforgiving
• Slander others
• Be unforgiving
• Be cruel
• Hate what is good 
• Betray their friends
• Be reckless
• Be prideful

The passage goes on to describe even more dangers of those who love pleasure. Yet, even as I write and study these words I am aware of the duplicity in myself.  On the one hand, I love God and in many ways live my life according to this orientation; and then there are the times when I reveal my own selfishness and my own love of pleasure. I daresay we are all in the same predicament if we claim that we love God. I struggle to "love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength, and all my mind; and to love my neighbor as myself." (Luke 10:27) You struggle as well. How can we possibly "love our neighbour as we love ourselves?" I can't even love my neighbour as well as I love my dog! (if I had a dog).

But the insight of the day for me is about a foundational aspect of the motivation behind those who love pleasure. It is found in verse two: "They will consider nothing sacred." (2 Timothy 3:2; NLT) If we consider nothing sacred, then we cannot love God. For all is sacred in God's economy. Creation is sacred, life is sacred, my dog is sacred, my neighbour is sacred, my children are sacred, that mosquito that annoys me on a warm summer evening is sacred, making love with my wife is sacred, the work I do in the sciences is sacred, the work I do in philosophy is sacred, and yes, even the work I do in theology is sacred. Those who are on a trajectory away from the love of God consider nothing sacred. Those who are on a trajectory toward loving God consider all things sacred. Selah.

Instincts

There is a common argument that goes something like this: "If we look at the animals of our world we see that many behaviors are normal and natural. Therefore they must be normal and natural for humans as well." This argument has been used for many years but so has an alternative argument that sees the behavior of animals as guided by instincts and that we humans, who also have instincts, are capable of choosing whether or not to follow those instincts. In 1954 C.S. Lewis asked the question, "Should we simply obey our instincts?"

But why ought we to obey instincts? Is there another instinct of a higher order directing us to do so, and a third of a still higher order directing us to obey it? - an infinite regress of instincts? This is presumably impossible, but nothing else will serve. From the statement of psychological fact "I have an impulse to do so and so" we cannot by any ingenuity derive the practical principle "I ought to obey this impulse." . . . Telling us to obey instinct is like telling us to obey  "people." People say different things: so do instincts. Our instincts are at war.1

Those who follow the teachings and example of Jesus know that many of our "normal" and "natural" instincts are opposed to the life of a disciple of Jesus. It is not normal or natural to "love our enemies" (Luke 6:27-36). Our instincts do not tell us to "love our neighbour as ourselves" (Matthew 22:34-40). Our instincts tend toward self-preservation, self-enjoyment, getting ahead of others, and revenge for wrongs done against us. The Bible clearly teaches, and the actions of humans show, that we are capable of rising above the impulse of instincts. It is not natural or easy to do so; but we have the ability to do so. The Bible also teaches that humans are not simply intelligent animals. We have been created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27); a concept that has much to do with our ability to be creative and to be able to over-ride our natural instincts.

I agree with Lewis that our instincts are at war. They are at war with the teachings of justice and fairness. They are at war with the image of God. They are at war with our higher calling.

1. A Severe Mercy [reprint: HarperOne, 2009, pp. 146-148]). The letter is dated 14 May 1954. I have only quoted a small portion of Lewis' letter. The whole letter is specific to sexuality and sexual sin and is a helpful comment on wider issues.

Celtic Prayer

In the spirit of St. Patrick, I offer this

Prayer for Starting the Morning Fire

I will rekindle my fire this morning
In presence of the holy angles [sic] of heaven,
God, kindle Thou my heart within
A flame of love to my neighbour,
To my foe, to my friend, to my kindred all,
To the brave, to the knave, to the thrall . . . .*

Not many of us kindle our own fire in the morning but we might turn up the thermostat. This morning I flipped on the switch that starts my gas fireplace and as I did I prayed this prayer.

It is a prayer I need to pray more often. It is not easy to love my neighbour. It is much easier to love and protect myself. It is easy to find fault with my neighbour. “God, kindle Thou my heart within – A flame of love to my neighbor.”

*From the Carmina Gadelica as quoted in George G. Hunter III, The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West. . . Again (Nashville: Abingdon Press) p. 33.