Strength vs. Hardness: A New Years Resolution for Mr. al'Thor

I received the latest book in The Wheel of Time (WoT) saga for Christmas. (Thanks, Amy!!) I've been reading it in gulps since Christmas (in the midst of prepping for the new spring term---that was a WoT joke) and am almost 300 pages into it.

There's a theme in WoT that has always haunted me since I started reading it: "Men become hard when they should become strong." The contrast (which is all over this latest book) is primarily illustrated in Rand al'Thor, the story's main character, who thus far has opted for hardness instead of strength.

What an amazingly astute and (I would say) biblical insight into the human condition! What a difference it makes in difficult times to seek the strength that God supplies via our faith in His grace instead of walling up our own defenses. And what a picture Jesus is of that strength, without a shred of hardness to be found.

I hope that 2010 finds Rand, and me, and all of us, seeking strength instead of hardness, faith instead of fear.

How have you seen this contrast make a difference? How do you think we can change from being hard to being strong? (And no WoT spoilers---I'm not done reading yet!)

Pluralism and Relativism in December

I think there's a bit of confusion in terminology in the church. I hear a lot of Christians praying against "the evils of pluralism in our society," especially during the holiday tidal wave during December. I think the problem is that Christians often confuse pluralism with relativism.

Pluralism simply means that the holder of a worldview tolerates the existence of other worldviews. If a person has an attitude of pluralism, it means that he doesn't interfere with others' rights to believe differently than he. That doesn't mean that the person cannot think of other worldviews as wrong (in fact, he wouldn't have much of a worldview if he didn't), nor does it mean he cannot dialog with others about their worldview and try to convince them of his (again, he wouldn't have much of a worldview if he didn't); it means that he affirms for others the freedom that he enjoys. It's like the saying that arose around the time of the American Revolution: "I may not agree with your beliefs, but I will fight for your right to believe them." To put it pointedly, pluralism is what Christians are thankful for every time we praise God for our freedom to worship Him (which I think comes up in most church services on a regular basis).

Relativism, on the other hand, goes a step further (quite a few steps, really) and says that all worldviews are equally valid. Because we're all equally finite, the relativist says, each of our worldviews is equally flawed. Thus, no one worldview is better than any others. (The irony, of course, is that relativists hold onto their relativism very dogmatically, and are rather intolerant of non-relativists.)

The key difference is that the pluralist can still think that other worldviews are wrong. The key difficulty (and the one that, I think, makes Christians think "pluralism" is evil) is in discerning how pluralism should be lived out.

A big example this time of year is what holiday benediction Christians should use in a secular environment.

• Should we say, "Merry Christmas," because, to us, "Happy Holidays" is empty and meaningless?
• Should we say, "Happy Holidays," because we acknowledge that the other person might not celebrate Christmas, making that benediction empty and meaningless to them?
• If we know the person celebrates a holiday other than Christmas, should we specifically wish them to enjoy in that holiday?
• Should we not say anything, and run the risk of appearing uncaring?
• Should we just respond with whatever the other person says to us?
• If we're in academia, should we just wish them a "Happy Break," since that's the primary benefit we're all looking forward to, anyway?
  

I'm not entirely sure how to answer this question; thus, I alternate between answers depending on how a given situation feels. (Does that make me a good pluralist or a bad pluralist?)

But I think we can keep in mind that pluralism---when rightly defined---is a good thing. It's the basis for our beloved freedom of religion. Whatever we say between now and December 25, let's not lose this precious distinction.

When have you seen the difference between pluralism and relativism played out? What do you see as the difference between pluralism and secularization?

Thoughts About the Incarnation

I was intrigued by this article in Image that talks about the significance of the Incarnation, centered around the quote by Saint Irenaeus: “The glory of God is man fully alive.” It should make some good reading as Christmas approaches.

Undergraduate Corner: Some Alternative Christmas Readings

On this blog, the first and third Tuesday of each month are dedicated to presenting discussion geared toward undergraduate students, in a series called, "Undergraduate Corner."

If you're like me, one of the biggest challenges you face as you head into winter break is the familiarity of it. The familiarity can be very comforting---heading home, eating Mom's food, going to church with your parents, hanging your favorite ornament on the tree (if your younger brother hasn't already!)---but it can also be very detrimental.

I've written about this before, but the scenario goes like this: If you're a typical undergraduate who's grown up in the church, you've heard the Christmas story read to you upwards of 100 times now. The wording that Luke and Matthew use roll through your ears without really touching your brain or your heart like a song that was popular ten years ago, especially since your home church's pastor is probably reading from the same version he's read from those other 100 times you've heard it. Before you know it, the beginning of the Spring semester hits, and you haven't really felt spiritually refreshed.

So, here's a challenge both for you and for me: Let's try reading on our own some alternative Christmas-related texts from the Bible this month.

Here are a few suggestions; please add your own in the comments section, and we'll build a list to last us all Christmas!

Isaiah 11

Philippians 2:1-11 (You might even just read the entire chapter!)

1 John 1:1-5 (You might even just read the entire letter!)

Revelation 12

Exodus 29:45-46, Leviticus 26:11-13, Ezekiel 37:24-28, Revelation 21 (Note the similar theme with John 1:14.)