Category Archives: Christianity

CHARLES DARWIN MOTIVATES ME TO BE A BETTER CHRISTIAN

FIVE VALUABLE THINGS THAT I LEARNED FROM READING CHARLES DARWIN’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

David George Moore

Darwin’s autobiography is short (about 125 pages). It offers a good way to better understand what motivated one of the most consequential thinkers of the modern age.

Though Darwin’s autobiography is short, I still made over one hundred notes in the margins. It’s the type of book that invites that kind of engagement.

Following Augustine’s counsel to read with charity, here then are five beneficial things that I gained by reading and pondering Darwin’s autobiography.

*Love for a subject may get you further than raw talent

I am grateful for this truth! I know people with extraordinary talent or intellectual aptitude who have squandered it. I also know many with lesser abilities who get much out of what they have.

Darwin talked about his poor memory, but he had some strengths that separated him from many others:

“Therefore, my success as a man of science, whatever this may have amounted to, has been determined, as far as I can judge, by complex and diversified mental qualities and conditions. Of these the most important have been—the love of science—unbounded patience in long reflecting over any subject—industry in observing and collecting facts…With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is truly surprising that thus I should have influenced to a considerable extent the beliefs of scientific men on some important points.”

What we love and how much we love it makes all the difference in the world.

*Focus is a key ingredient to success

Those who knew Darwin best, like his wife, understood how absorbed he could get when conducting his research. It is not hard to imagine then why interruptions were not easy for Darwin to deal with.

Darwin’s ability to focus is probably best illustrated by the story of collecting beetles:

“I will give a proof of my zeal: one day, on tearing off some old bark, I saw two rare beetles and seized one in each hand; then I saw a third and new kind, which I could not bear to lose, so that I popped the one which I held in my right hand into my mouth. Alas it injected some intensely acrid fluid, which burnt my tongue so that I was forced to spit the beetle out, which was lost, as well as the third one.”

Shortly after describing this scene, Darwin adds, “It seems therefore that a taste for collecting beetles is some indication of future success in life.”  

Darwin’s focus is also revealed in what he was willing to give up. He loved to hunt but gave it up so he could concentrate solely on science.

Darwin ran for a perishable crown, but we Christians run for an imperishable crown. (I Cor. 9: 24-27) How much more zealous ought we to be for learning about God and His world?!

*Paying attention is a skill worth cultivating

Throughout Darwin’s book you see the value of paying close attention to the world around you. Darwin invites us to take note of what others might dismiss as unimportant or too obscure for the serious investment of one’s time.

Darwin motivates me to keep reflecting on my life and not quickly discount anything as trivial. Darwin reminds me that so-called lesser things can teach me invaluable lessons.

A great aid for me here has been the habit of writing. For forty years I have captured my thoughts, frustrations, answers to prayer, and reflections on Scripture in various journals (blogging was added later on). I regularly go back to these scribblings. It motivates me to keep paying attention, not only to the spectacular, but to the mundane as well.

*Lavish praise on your family

Darwin gladly praised his wife, Emma. She was an amazing mother and a devoted wife. He said she was his “greatest blessing.” Straining credulity is this comment by Charles:

“…I can declare that in my whole life I have never heard her utter one word which I had rather been unsaid. She has never failed in the kindest sympathy towards me, and has born with the utmost patience my frequent complaints from ill-health and discomfort.”

Darwin’s love for his children was equally intense:

“I have indeed been most happy in my family, and I must say to you my children that not one of you has ever given me one minute’s anxiety, except on the score of health. There are, I suspect, very few fathers of five sons who could say this with entire truth. When you were very young it was my delight to play with you all, and I think with a sigh that such days can never return.”

I resonate with the greatest happiness being the family and with the melancholy from no longer experiencing those days of play with our two sons. I can’t say that the health of our sons has been my only worry!

*How to address criticism

In our nasty age where snarky soundbites make us unwilling to give credence to any criticism, it is striking to see one of Darwin’s regular practices.

“I had, also, during many years, followed a golden rule, namely, that whenever a published fact, a new observation or thought came across me, which was opposed to my general results, to make a memorandum of it without fail and at once; for I had found by experience that such facts and thoughts were far more apt to escape from the memory than favorable ones.”

This kind of careful consideration of one’s critics is challenging, especially for those in the public eye. We can adapt the spirit of the Darwinian model by not quickly dismissing the criticism that comes our way. Sure, we need to be discerning. We also ought to invite trusted friends to say how much credence they would give to the criticism.

In closing, we again find help from Augustine. The African bishop reminds us that “all truth is God’s.” Augustine used the idea of “plundering the Egyptians.”  We ought to grab all the intellectual/spiritual booty that better helps us live the Christian life, no matter its source.

Perhaps it is now less surprising why some of the plunder in Darwin’s Autobiography spurs me to be a better Christian.

 

 

 

OWNERSHIP: THE EVANGELICAL LEGACY IN SLAVERY…

Since I already knew quite a bit about Wesley, Edwards, and Whitefield (=The Big Three), I wondered whether it was time well spent reading Ownership. I decided to read it, and am very glad I did.

In fairly short compass (184 pages of text followed by almost 30 pages of endnotes), Sean McGever has written a clear, convicting, and careful account of how slavery was addressed by The Big Three.

This is a cautionary tale where we see the problems and rationalizations of pragmatism, blind spots, and a tragic separation of heavenly existence and our present pilgrimage here on earth. On this last one, The Big Three (and many others) didn’t bother themselves with slavery because they were so focused on seeing people make it to heaven.

Jonathan Edwards spoke movingly that true virtue was “seeking the ultimate good of another person,” but it took several of his followers to make that apply to slaves.

This is a balanced and wise book on a most unsavory subject.

Highly recommended!

Since my annual books of the year was posted earlier, I was not able to include this book. It is now on that list.

EXPLORING THE PARANORMAL

In the early 1980s I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary.

I well remember hearing a radio show called “Streett Meetings,” hosted by Professor Alan Streett. Professor Streett clearly knew his material. What still stays with me even today is the evident joy of Professor Streett. He was confident about the truthfulness of the Christian faith, but there was nothing stodgy about his teaching. As of late, the word “winsome” has come under scrutiny, but I gladly use winsome to describe Professor Streett’s manner on the airwaves.

Years later, I did two interviews with Professor Streett over two of his books. You can find those interviews in the links below.

Alan recently sent me a copy of his latest book. To say the least, I was surprised when I saw the title: Exploring the Paranormal: Miracles, Magic, and the Mysterious. What is a conservative scholar doing writing a book on this subject? As I thought a bit more about the book, it made perfect sense. Professor Streett demonstrated a keen interest about other religions and apologetics on his radio show.

This book is a twofer of sorts: It is about the paranormal, but it is also a spiritual memoir of sorts. Streett traces his own pilgrimage through life as he comes into contact with various paranormal experiences. As I finished one chapter, my curiosity was piqued to find out what might be forthcoming in the next chapter.

Exploring the Paranormal is a thorough introduction that competently covers the waterfront. That said, it is not long (under 200 pages) and is happily written in a lucid style.

Streett doesn’t offer easy answers, but his balanced treatment provides the reader with material that spawns greater discernment.

Alan Streett: Heaven on Earth

Caesar and Sacrament

 

 

THE END OF WOMAN

Wife. Mother of five. Writer. Roman Catholic. PhD in philosophy.

Carrie Gress has the perfect background to write this book. Her training in philosophy and her commitment to womanhood and motherhood are put to great use.

This book is not long (under 200 pages), but the endnotes showcase the serious research that went into the writing.

Gress does a terrific job of describing the origins of modern feminism. It is a truly sordid story.

Since Gress writes as a committed Catholic Christian (I am a small c catholic Christian) her appreciation and explanation of the body’s importance is a real strength. Bible-believing Christians have much to learn about the importance of making arguments from natural law, though there are plenty of Roman Catholics who could also use a refresher course. Remember Clarence Thomas trying to explain natural law to his fellow Roman Catholic, Joe Biden?!

So, Protestants may be surprised to find that there is hardly any Scripture in Gress’s book, but that should not keep them from reading this terrific book.

Highly recommended!

WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? HAS ITS LIMITS!

It is easy to proclaim the “goodness of God” when circumstances are generally pleasant, and suffering is minimal. It is much more challenging to believe that God is truly committed to our well-being when acute suffering, the kind that is not going away anytime soon, abruptly enters our life.

Like C.S. Lewis after losing his wife Joy to cancer, we may feel that God is absent. And it can be an absence that mocks our trust in a God who is supposed to care. Many Christians don’t like to acknowledge the silence of God, but Lewis provides the candid and raw reflections of a person who suffers not only the loss of a spouse, but also wonders whether God is now AWOL:

When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him…you will be—or so it feels—welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that silence.

God could change our circumstances. At the very least, He could tone down the intensity of our suffering. But many times He doesn’t, and so we are left with a bewildering list of questions, nagging doubts, and the temptation to abandon our confidence in God altogether.

Learning to trust God in the midst of intense suffering is a process which usually contains many twists and turns. That certainly was the case for C.S. Lewis who wrote two books on the subject of suffering. The first one, The Problem of Pain, sought to address some of the typical questions about suffering. Rather predictably, Lewis underscored things like human freedom. The Problem of Pain has some helpful insights, but it is what I like to call a “rather neat and tidy book.” Suffering is presented in such a way that the reader is invited to conclude, “Oh yes, I see, this suffering of mine makes sense after all.” Lewis was a bachelor when he wrote The Problem of Pain.

On the other end of the spectrum is A Grief Observed. It is like reading the dark and desperate reflections of a friend’s private journal. This second book on suffering was written as Lewis tried to “make sense” of his wife’s death. The ache Lewis felt was too raw for neat and tidy, philosophical truths, no matter how true they happened to be.

Suffering has many causes. Furthermore, everyone processes their suffering differently. Different Christians tend to emphasize different things about God, so what it means to trust God during times of suffering is no simple matter.

The idea of imitating Jesus to ascertain the right choice in any given situation is a popular one. Various iterations of it have appeared throughout the church, but certainly In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? by Charles Sheldon, greatly influenced many of us modern Christians. It certainly did for me.

Years ago, I vividly remember our young sons playing with a favorite train set. Well, our oldest son was playing with it while his younger brother was trying to join in. David was typically good at sharing, but not on this occasion. Spying out an opportunity to wow our sons with some godly wisdom, I asked, “Hey David, what do you think Jesus would do?” I was hoping David would respond, “Jesus would share the train.” Instead, David briefly looked my way and nonchalantly declared, “Jesus would make another train.”

My son was focused on the power of God while I was focused on God’s generosity!

Christians may focus on different things about God, but two things remain constant for every believer going through deep waters: the desire to know God is still on our side and that there is a grand purpose behind (and beyond!) the suffering. To feel abandoned by God and/or believe the suffering “is a waste” is simply too great a burden. It can shatter the confidence of the most resilient saint.

When we are suffering like Lewis did after the death of his wife, we need something in addition to arguments as to why there must be so much pain in the world. We are in need of regaining confidence that God is truly for us (Rom. 8:35-39) and that His will is indeed “good, acceptable, and perfect.” (Rom. 12:1,2)

I’ve certainly seen God’s faithfulness in a myriad of ways throughout my life. Even so, I still carry a substantial trunk loaded with questions. There are, however, many important things we can know that offer confidence and joyful perseverance even when we are deeply hurting.

HUMILITY AFTER HUMILIATION

Pat Nemmers is a pastor of a thriving church in Des Moines, Iowa. That church has planted several other churches that are also doing well. Pat is the father of ten children and thirty-eight grandchildren. No typo there.

Lest you think Pat’s life is one of blessing upon blessing, his wonderfully conceived Retractions: Cultivating Humility after Humiliation will quickly disabuse you of that assumption.

Pat’s book is an honest yet hope-filled book on the life of a pastor, husband, father, and friend. Honest books on the pastoral life are somewhat rare, but I am happy to say that Pat’s book makes a healthy triumvirate alongside Zack Eswine’s The Imperfect Pastor and Eugene Peterson’s The Pastor: A Memoir.

Pat knows joy and he knows deep grief. His first wife died in his arms while still in her thirties. He knows what it is like to have wayward children. More importantly, he knows the importance of submitting his own life all over again to the Lordship of Jesus.

This is an honest, searching, life-giving, and Christ-honoring book that you just might want to give to your pastor.

 

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: JOHN DONNE’S AMAZING ESSAYS ON DEATH

John Donne

The older I get (66 at the moment), the more I am reading or rereading the books that have stood the test of time: classics in literature, history, and poetry.

I have read several books by Yancey. When I saw that he had put Donne’s essays in modern form, it was a no-brainer to buy the book.

In short, these essays are beautifully rendered by Yancey. Donne’s process of struggling with the horror of death and dying is realistic. He doesn’t sugarcoat the awfulness of it or as Scripture says, that it is the final enemy.

Donne’s coming to peace through realizing that only fearing God made sense of life and death takes time, but journey with Donne as he goes there. It is time very well spent!

AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY: THE SO-CALLED BIBLICAL VARIETY

I could describe and defend the following seven statements at length but will hold off.

Various polls confirm the following observations. I am happy to know several Christians who have chosen a better way.

Many American Evangelicals are more concerned, even consumed, with being politically or culturally literate than knowing the Bible, the church’s history, and theology.

Discipleship, as Dallas Willard regularly declared, is almost non-existent.

We love resurrection power but have forgotten what it means to be crucified with Christ.

Too many churches tolerate unqualified leaders. 

J.I. Packer said the greatest need of the church is Christian education (he used the word catechesis), but few have heeded his counsel.

Many of us are confused by what the gospel entails, and fewer still share it with others.

We are gladly stuck in our tribes and echo chambers.

 

PRACTICING THE WAY BY JOHN MARK COMER

I have benefitted from listening to John Mark’s sermons and interviews. He has much good to offer the church.

My expectations for this latest book were high, but I was disappointed.

It is not easy to convince others that a popular book may be lacking in some critical areas because the sheer success in sales makes most wonder what the heck you are yapping about.

Since I am sure John Mark would want me to register these thoughts as he seems to have a genuine desire to honor God, I plow ahead with this review.

There are certainly some wonderful insights and turns of phrase that we have come to expect from the author, but the punchy and provocative style failed to deliver this time. Here are some of my concerns:

On page 140 he approvingly cites John Wimber’s longing to do miracles. Like John Mark and Wimber, I believe miracles happen today. However, quickly citing Wimber’s famous question about being antsy to see miracles was careless. Wimber’s “When do we get to do the stuff?” meaning his eagerness to see miracles, needs more warning about the abuses inherent in such desires.

Comer says that he does not care much about whether you attend a megachurch or house church. He doesn’t think forms matter much. As he says, “…they each have pros and cons.” What matters is whether formation (or apprenticeship to Jesus to use his language) is taking place.

Here there needs to be an honest conversation that perhaps some forms stymie formation from taking place. I’m increasingly convinced that form is not neutral. Forms matter. For example, if your church is so big that it is impossible for the elders to be known by the body (I Pet. 5:1-3), then the form is keeping you from fulfilling the clear teaching of Scripture.

John Mark says that “Love is the metric of spiritual maturity, not discipline.” Again, I wish John Mark had written more. I wish he had brought Gal. 5:22,23 into this discussion where both love and discipline are fruit (not fruits) of the Holy Spirit. He leaves the reader assuming a false dilemma.

One final example comes from the short discussion on prayer (pp. 183-85). In an effort to encourage us to start praying, John Mark writes, “There is no bad way to pray and there is no one starting point for prayer.” I know John Mark believes the warning Jesus gives about “bad praying” in Matt. 6:5-15 is very much applicable today. Jesus makes it clear that there are in fact “bad ways” to pray.