My previous post has got me thinking about an issue that came up during a recent conference I attended on the sovereignty of God and disability, hosted by Desiring God. It was a phenomenal conference that examined several aspects of disability through a theological lens. One of those aspects was how God judges people with disabilities.
There are certainly several cognitive impairments that people can suffer from that might limit said person's ability to understand the gospel, or even make it impossible for them to understand the gospel. How does God judge these people when they die? I've been thinking about this because one of my wife's special ed. students passed away unexpectedly this morning.
In one sense, we can have somewhat of an emotional reaction to the thought that God would judge someone who is not physically or mentally able to appropriate the content of the gospel message for himself or herself. How could God hold such people to such a standard? Certainly such a practice would be unfair at best, and cruel at worst. I certainly wouldn't want to submit to - much less love - a God who would judge a person as guilty because he or she couldn't comprehend the knowledge that could lead to their innocence.
The picture that we see of God in scripture, however, is not like the one described above. Instead we see a God who will judge each one according to his deeds (Rom. 2.6, 1 Peter 1.17). In other words, God's judgment is personal, and takes the unique circumstances of the person into account. God knows ever detail about every person, and his judgment is rendered accordingly. God does not make far-reaching, sweeping judgments on groups of people, but on individuals.
Secondly, we see that their is a degree of judgment, based on the amount of "light" a person has been given. In Luke 10 we see Jesus condemning cities of his day for rejecting the truth that they had been exposed to as a result of his preaching and miraculous works. He says that it will be better on the day of judgment for wicked cities of old who had never seen or heard him than it will be for those who had seen and heard him but nevertheless rejected him. So God holds some people to a higher account than he does others, seemingly based on the amount of truth he has exposed them to. Because of this, I believe that people who have never read the Bible, heard about Jesus, etc., will be held to a different standard than those of us who are swimming in revelation. I think this applies to people with cognitive disabilities that could impede their comprehension of the gospel message.
But what comfort is there in that? OK, people who can't understand the gospel won't be judged as severely, but they'll still be judged. Not much consolation there for those with friends and family members who suffer from such impairments. But there's one thing we have failed to mention thus far, and that is God' s unquenchable sense of justice.
When we think about God's justice, we usually think about the pouring out of his wrath on deserving sinners, or on his Son as he died on the cross. But another part of God's justice is his relentless commitment to give people what they deserve. God will never give someone something they don't deserve. He will never unjustly punish someone, nor will he ever award someone who is unworthy of it. God always does what is right - always.
What does this mean for people with cognitive disabilities who may not be able to understand the gospel in its entirety and could seemingly "miss" some of the necessary ingredients for salvation? What it means is that God will always deal fairly with those people, taking into account their personal situations and circumstances that influence the way they think and understand. This should be a remarkable comfort for all of us who are touched by disability: we may not know exactly how God will judge people with disabilities, nor do we know to what standard he will hold them accountable, but we do know that what he will do with them will be fair, just, good and right.
This is a remarkable and praise-worthy reality. It might not be so if God were a vindictive or vengeful or angry God. But no, he is in fact, a kind and good God who delights in showing mercy. Therefore his justice is always good, and that includes when his justice interacts with people who have disabilities.
One of the speakers at the conference I referenced earlier told a story about his severely disabled adult son. His son is non-verbal and wears adult diapers. To the best of his ability, his father has explained to him the gospel, his sinful condition, and his need for a Savior. Does the son understand the message? Has he fully comprehended the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment? The speaker explained that he frequently asks his disabled son, "Where is Jesus?" and his son points toward the sky. "Where else is Jesus?" the father asks, and the son points toward his own heart. This is all the assurance this faithful father has that his son has indeed appropriated the truth of the gospel for himself. The speaker told us at the conference, "Although that might seem rather tenuous at best, to me his pointing at the sky and at his heart in answer to the question 'Where is Jesus?' says, 'Jesus Christ is forever at the right hand of the father interceding on behalf of the saints!'" I think that's a good assessment!
There are some questions that we can't and won't have answers to. But the things we do know about God can provide assurance and comfort and hope in times and periods of uncertainty. We may not know what is going to happen, but we do know that we have a God who is good and kind and delights in showing mercy who is sovereignly ordaining all things! This is our hope, and we rest comfortably in that hope, in spite of doubts and difficult questions.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Unrelated Things (That Are Somehow Related)
Today was an interesting day. Most days are, but this one even more so.
Thursday is one of our "school days," which means that Ferguson goes to preschool for two hours and fifteen minutes. This morning, as we were getting dressed and ready for school, I got a call from the Mrs. She seemed a little verklempt on the phone, and she quickly explained that one of the students in the special ed. department where she works had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from what appears to have been a seizure. The student was not in her class, but was one that she worked closely with on a regular basis. Knowing that I am a police chaplain for two different local departments, she asked if there was anything I could do to help the family, and I told her I could look into it, but probably wouldn't be able to until some time after noon. More on that in a minute.
So the kids and I finished getting dressed and we went to school. After dropping the Ferguson off at his class, Han and I made our way to church for Ladies' Morning Out, where I teach a class of ladies about the names of God. This week's name that we were studying happened to be Jehovah Rophe - "The Lord My Healer." A part of my lesson was about the difficult truth that God chooses sometimes not to answer our prayers for healing in the ways that we would like. Sometimes he allows the ailment or injury to continue and linger on. While this may be the case, it is also true that whatever God does is for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose. So if God doesn't answer our prayers for healing, we can take heart that God is doing something good for us. We may not know what it is just yet, but it is a reality that we must trust.
Also, I told the ladies about how God sometimes heals people through death. There are some prayers for healing that God does not answer this side of the grave. Instead, he heals a person by allowing them to die and go to be with him, where there is no sickness, no cancer, no injuries or ailments. This is the ultimate form of healing, as my friend Al Ahlquist told me one time before he died of pancreatic cancer: "Death is the ultimate form of healing." It's a difficult truth, but one that we must come to terms with: sometimes God heals through death.
After lunch the Mrs. called and asked what I could do as a police chaplain to see what was going on with the family of her now deceased student. I've been on a death notification call before and have a bit of experience with some of the processes around how the police and coroner's offices handle sudden deaths. The Mrs. relayed that the child's father had been in contact with some people at the school and had implied that he could really use some counseling. I ended up calling the city's police department and getting ahold of the chaplain that was assigned to the case. He assured me that he would get in contact with the father and talk to him and perhaps even point him to a local church or ministry that could minister to him in this time of need. I was glad that someone was able to help him, and that it turned out to be the same chaplain he had worked with when it was discovered that his child had died tragically.
The day before all this happened I had told the kids that we would go to the church to practice riding bikes in the parking lot. We told the Ferguson that we were going to start trying to ride his bike with the training wheels off - a proposition that he wasn't necessarily excited about, but seemed willing to try. Needless to say, the kids were looking forward to when Mom would return home so we could go bike riding. The Mrs. returned home from work after an understandably long and heavy day, especially after telling the other students about the tragedy, but she sucked it up and we all piled in the car after loading up the bikes.
We got to the church and immediately had the Ferguson start trying to ride without training wheels. He had the usual difficulties that kids have doing such a thing, but after a while he got the hang of it. Pretty soon he was riding long distances like a champ, although he was still a little shaky. His pride and joy were overflowing as a result of being able to ride his own two-wheeler! It was a blast to see him get the hang of it, and then to really enjoy the fact that he was able to do what he was doing. What a privilege for a parent. We celebrated with supper at a local restaurant. Below is a a short video record of the process.
In many ways, our day today was a dichotomy between the difficulties of death and the joy of life. Combine that with the fact that my head was already full of all kinds of thoughts about death, sickness, and healing. All of the news about death in our day today, combined with seeing the triumph and joy in my child's eyes as he learned to ride his bike presents a stark contrast that can make your head spin.
One family in the city mourns the tragic loss of a seemingly healthy teenage child, while another (mine) celebrates a new experience and triumph in the life of their child.
Thursday is one of our "school days," which means that Ferguson goes to preschool for two hours and fifteen minutes. This morning, as we were getting dressed and ready for school, I got a call from the Mrs. She seemed a little verklempt on the phone, and she quickly explained that one of the students in the special ed. department where she works had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from what appears to have been a seizure. The student was not in her class, but was one that she worked closely with on a regular basis. Knowing that I am a police chaplain for two different local departments, she asked if there was anything I could do to help the family, and I told her I could look into it, but probably wouldn't be able to until some time after noon. More on that in a minute.
So the kids and I finished getting dressed and we went to school. After dropping the Ferguson off at his class, Han and I made our way to church for Ladies' Morning Out, where I teach a class of ladies about the names of God. This week's name that we were studying happened to be Jehovah Rophe - "The Lord My Healer." A part of my lesson was about the difficult truth that God chooses sometimes not to answer our prayers for healing in the ways that we would like. Sometimes he allows the ailment or injury to continue and linger on. While this may be the case, it is also true that whatever God does is for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose. So if God doesn't answer our prayers for healing, we can take heart that God is doing something good for us. We may not know what it is just yet, but it is a reality that we must trust.
Also, I told the ladies about how God sometimes heals people through death. There are some prayers for healing that God does not answer this side of the grave. Instead, he heals a person by allowing them to die and go to be with him, where there is no sickness, no cancer, no injuries or ailments. This is the ultimate form of healing, as my friend Al Ahlquist told me one time before he died of pancreatic cancer: "Death is the ultimate form of healing." It's a difficult truth, but one that we must come to terms with: sometimes God heals through death.
After lunch the Mrs. called and asked what I could do as a police chaplain to see what was going on with the family of her now deceased student. I've been on a death notification call before and have a bit of experience with some of the processes around how the police and coroner's offices handle sudden deaths. The Mrs. relayed that the child's father had been in contact with some people at the school and had implied that he could really use some counseling. I ended up calling the city's police department and getting ahold of the chaplain that was assigned to the case. He assured me that he would get in contact with the father and talk to him and perhaps even point him to a local church or ministry that could minister to him in this time of need. I was glad that someone was able to help him, and that it turned out to be the same chaplain he had worked with when it was discovered that his child had died tragically.
The day before all this happened I had told the kids that we would go to the church to practice riding bikes in the parking lot. We told the Ferguson that we were going to start trying to ride his bike with the training wheels off - a proposition that he wasn't necessarily excited about, but seemed willing to try. Needless to say, the kids were looking forward to when Mom would return home so we could go bike riding. The Mrs. returned home from work after an understandably long and heavy day, especially after telling the other students about the tragedy, but she sucked it up and we all piled in the car after loading up the bikes.
We got to the church and immediately had the Ferguson start trying to ride without training wheels. He had the usual difficulties that kids have doing such a thing, but after a while he got the hang of it. Pretty soon he was riding long distances like a champ, although he was still a little shaky. His pride and joy were overflowing as a result of being able to ride his own two-wheeler! It was a blast to see him get the hang of it, and then to really enjoy the fact that he was able to do what he was doing. What a privilege for a parent. We celebrated with supper at a local restaurant. Below is a a short video record of the process.
In many ways, our day today was a dichotomy between the difficulties of death and the joy of life. Combine that with the fact that my head was already full of all kinds of thoughts about death, sickness, and healing. All of the news about death in our day today, combined with seeing the triumph and joy in my child's eyes as he learned to ride his bike presents a stark contrast that can make your head spin.
One family in the city mourns the tragic loss of a seemingly healthy teenage child, while another (mine) celebrates a new experience and triumph in the life of their child.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Thus & Such, Vol. 24
This edition of Thus & Such will be comprised of only 1 link, although that link will take you to dozens of other interesting articles.
For the past several weeks, theological and ministerial heavyweights, Doug Wilson and Thabiti Anyabwile have been having a back and forth regarding the issue of American slavery, racism, and racial insensitivity. Doug Wilson authored a couple of booklets several years ago that attempt to provide some retrospective biblical and theological application to the Civil War and the race issues that led to it. Anyabwile, an African American pastor, took issue with much of what Wilson had to say in those booklets, and the two graciously and lovingly "duked it out" (I hesitate to use that phrase, because their interactions were charitable and edifying in the best ways possible) over these issues.
I have been following Doug Wilson for at least a couple years now, ever since the "Collision" documentary was released (I've posted on that documentary here). I have since found wilson to be a brilliant man, theologian, and wordsmith who is second to none. When I recommend Wilson to others, I often say that I can feel myself getting smarter with each word I take in. His writing is witty, concise, and packs a powerful punch.
I know less about Anyabwile, and my knowledge of him is basically limited to a blog posting on the Gospel Coalition site every now and again. After reading his back and forth with Wilson, I have a new respect for him as a theologian and pastor.
Needless to say, the issue of race is an important one, and is also one that can get out of hand rather quickly, and is also one that is need of being addressed by the church. I'm happy to say that both of these godly men handled the issue and each other with grace and love.
So check out this long list of articles by both men (a brief synopsis of each posting is available here too). Like me, I think you'll find yourself learning how to better think logically and biblically.
For the past several weeks, theological and ministerial heavyweights, Doug Wilson and Thabiti Anyabwile have been having a back and forth regarding the issue of American slavery, racism, and racial insensitivity. Doug Wilson authored a couple of booklets several years ago that attempt to provide some retrospective biblical and theological application to the Civil War and the race issues that led to it. Anyabwile, an African American pastor, took issue with much of what Wilson had to say in those booklets, and the two graciously and lovingly "duked it out" (I hesitate to use that phrase, because their interactions were charitable and edifying in the best ways possible) over these issues.
I have been following Doug Wilson for at least a couple years now, ever since the "Collision" documentary was released (I've posted on that documentary here). I have since found wilson to be a brilliant man, theologian, and wordsmith who is second to none. When I recommend Wilson to others, I often say that I can feel myself getting smarter with each word I take in. His writing is witty, concise, and packs a powerful punch.
I know less about Anyabwile, and my knowledge of him is basically limited to a blog posting on the Gospel Coalition site every now and again. After reading his back and forth with Wilson, I have a new respect for him as a theologian and pastor.
Needless to say, the issue of race is an important one, and is also one that can get out of hand rather quickly, and is also one that is need of being addressed by the church. I'm happy to say that both of these godly men handled the issue and each other with grace and love.
So check out this long list of articles by both men (a brief synopsis of each posting is available here too). Like me, I think you'll find yourself learning how to better think logically and biblically.
Thus & Such, Vol. 23
1. Here's one of the more fascinating things I've run across on the internet lately. I spent quite a bit of time scrolling through this scale model of the universe, down from the smallest particle to the largest galaxy. Isaiah 66.1: Thus says the Lord, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool."
2. "The frontrunners in worship music do not adhere to most of the best practices that have long defined the songwriting craft." Here's an interesting article that ponders whether modern worship music is more like good hockey or bad painting (it will make sense when you read the article).
3. In most conversations about worship, an obstacle stands in the way of understanding: you. Whether you know it or not, intend it or not, you carry a deep well of ideas about what worship is, what it looks, sounds, and feels like. You've built this knowledge over the years and decades of your life, adding to it each time you've gathered with the church." What does the way you worship say about your church? The gospel? It communicates something, but what is it? Check out this article.
4. As a minister, I've often thought about the effects of my job on my kids. My wife, a pastor's daughter, was often told as a child that her behavior would reflect - either positively or negatively - on her father and his ministry. Here's a new take at that line of thinking, and how pastors and their families work together to display the gospel to their churches.
5. What is the state of the Bible in 2013? Here's an infographic that will give you all the information.
2. "The frontrunners in worship music do not adhere to most of the best practices that have long defined the songwriting craft." Here's an interesting article that ponders whether modern worship music is more like good hockey or bad painting (it will make sense when you read the article).
3. In most conversations about worship, an obstacle stands in the way of understanding: you. Whether you know it or not, intend it or not, you carry a deep well of ideas about what worship is, what it looks, sounds, and feels like. You've built this knowledge over the years and decades of your life, adding to it each time you've gathered with the church." What does the way you worship say about your church? The gospel? It communicates something, but what is it? Check out this article.
4. As a minister, I've often thought about the effects of my job on my kids. My wife, a pastor's daughter, was often told as a child that her behavior would reflect - either positively or negatively - on her father and his ministry. Here's a new take at that line of thinking, and how pastors and their families work together to display the gospel to their churches.
5. What is the state of the Bible in 2013? Here's an infographic that will give you all the information.
Monday, April 1, 2013
The Lord My Healer
And then, in Numbers 21, the people are grumbling against God and against Moses about the harsh conditions of the wilderness, so God sends some snakes to bite them. As a result, several people died. The people ask Moses to pray to God and ask him to take away the snakes. So Moses does, but God tells him to make an image of the snake that bit the people and put it on a pole. All those people who have been bitten, God says, can look at the snake and be healed.
This raises some interesting questions. Why did God choose to heal the people of their snake bites in this way? Why didn't God just "snap his fingers" and have everyone be healed? Was there something particularly cleansing or soothing about the bronze serpent on the pole that it had some medicinal effect?
No, God wanted to show them that he alone was their healer. They needed him. They were totally dependent on him and owed their very lives to him. Without him, they would die. Looking at the bronze serpent was a reminder that God sustained them, and it was his power that healed them. It caused them to focus on him as their healer and sustainer.
Fast forward to our day in age. We don't look at bronze serpents to be healed. Instead, we go to doctors. But God is still the same as he was back in the time of the Israelites in the wilderness, and he still has the same power to heal. God could heal us of our ailments with a thought. Then why doesn't he? Why do we go to doctors?
There are some more-extreme brands of Christianity that believe that patronizing doctors and using medicine is a sign of disbelief in God's power to heal. And there are some in the less-extreme brands of Christianity (such as the evangelical tradition) that believe something similar. If God can heal, then why don't we trust him to do so? Is it a sign if unbelief if we go to a doctor?
No, I don't think so. I think doctors and medicine are the "bronze serpents" of our day and age. Just as looking at a bronze serpent was the vehicle by which God healed the Israelites in the wilderness, so are doctors and medicine the vehicle by which God heals in our time. But we need to remember that it is God who heals, and not doctors. Just as the Israelites were to look at the bronze serpent and realize that it was God who sustained them and healed them, so are we to visit the doctor and remember that it is God who sustains us and heals us.
I once heard John Piper say that the reason that God gave us money was so that we could show the world that money is not our god. That's a fascinating statement, when you think about it, and I think it also applies to the way we think about healing and medicine. God has given us doctors to show us that he is the healer, and so we can show the world that we trust in God to heal, and not in doctors. He is the one who makes healing through doctors and medicine possible.
If we were to visit the doctor and not give a second thought to God's healing power through doctors, we would be unwise. It is only God's power that allows doctors to be able to do what they do, and it is only God's wisdom that enables medicine to be able to perform its healing function. If he were not sovereign over doctors and medicine, they would be powerless to help us. Doctors have no power to heal, and medicine no power to save without the power and will of God behind them.
So then, I believe Christians can and should go to doctors and use medicine, because it is the power of God at work in their lives. It is The Lord My Healer manifesting his power and might in this world. That being said, to visit doctors or take medicine without a recognition of God's power and sovereignty over said doctors and medicine is unwise to the point of sin.
When we're sick, let's go to the doctor; when we feel crummy, let's take some medicine. Let's just not forget that it is Jehovah Rophe, The Lord My Healer, behind it all.
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