I am a big sports fan. I love competition. I love the battle between teams, and the dedication, sacrifice, and teamwork that goes into a successful sports season. Most of my time on the field as a kid was in baseball. My dad was a baseball player, and taught me the beauty of a cognitive game without a clock, that is one-on-one (pitcher vs. batter), while simultaneously team vs. team. I also played basketball, golf, and even a season of soccer in the 6th grade. I wasn't very good at that one, but I could kick pretty far.
But, in light of that personal draw toward athletics, I must say I HATE the modern phenomenon of instant replay. I am old school to the core. Part of the fun of sports used to be the "can you believe that call!?!" conversations the day after. Now, we spend an extra 30 minutes in every game to review every breath to death just to make sure the call was correct, and eliminate the controversy. I like human umpires and referees overseeing human athletes apart from cameras and computers, even if it is not perfect. The flow of the game was better. The excitement was better. The constant stoppages in today's games just mess it up. However, I totally understand the reason we rely on instant replay these days - because it reveals the truth. Did the guy really catch the ball? Let's check the replay. Was his foot on the line? Let's go to the review booth. Did he beat the throw to 1st base? We need to take a look because we want to know the truth, or it will negatively affect the bigger outcome. Hopefully, that is the same attitude we all have in life. What is the truth? How do I find it? Who ultimately has the authority to declare what is true?
This is all the more important in today's crazy world of emotionalism, political correctness, and media sensationalism. We are inundated with everyone's opinions on everything. For those of us who are the pre-internet generation (graduated high school before 1995), we can cope with today's world, because we grew up in a time when we were influenced by only a few dozen people (parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors, friends), and still hold those simple values. No one else's opinions really mattered. But, for those who came along afterward, every day of life is filled with thousands of opinions on hundreds of topics. We no longer ask key life questions to our mentors and friends; instead, we "Google" them (and tend to believe whatever pops out of that search, regardless of who wrote it). This is our children's world. So, truth is at stake more today than it has ever been, and is watered down at times beyond recognition. How do we know what we are reading is true? How do we know what we are feeling is true? How do we know what we are seeing is true? (There used to be a saying, "seeing is believing", but with Photoshop, virtual reality, and other altering technologies, you just never know anymore).
In John 17:17, Jesus was praying for His disciples, as well as for all those who would be born after his crucifixion, when He said, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." To sanctify means to grow in the knowledge and image of God - To become more like Him. When Jesus spoke these words, He was literally saying that to become more like God, we need to have access to the truth. Then, He immediately identifies the source of that truth - The Word. A Robinson Version paraphrase of this verse might read something like this: "Lord, make these people more and more like you each day by reinforcing in them the truths found in your Word." This would be very similar to the overall vision HCA has for its students on campus.
So, assuming that Christians reading this blog believe that Jesus speaks absolute truths, we can bank on the fact that God's Word is truth, and can be relied upon for our daily and eternal direction. In the first verse of scripture, we see that "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." God's first recorded words are found in Genesis 1:3, "Let there be light". God is the only one who can make light out of darkness. This is deeper than just physical lights, like the sun and moon. It also refers to intellectual and spiritual light - the revealing of absolute truth to a dark, confused, lost world. This is why Jesus is referred to as the Light of the World. He didn't just make the sun shine brighter. He illuminated our minds and souls to the truth.
In those first few verses of the Bible, we see all of creation come into being through words. God spoke light into existence. He spoke the earth, sky, water, plants, birds, and animals into being. Then, he spoke mankind out of the dust of the earth into His image bearers. The words of God were all that existed, and all that was needed.
Later, in the first chapter of John, we see it all come together in verses one and fourteen. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." The Word of God that spoke into existence all life, embodied all truth, and existed from the beginning was born in a feeding trough in Bethlehem around 2000 years ago, and walked the earth just as you and I. To quote the familiar song:
So, assuming that Christians reading this blog believe that Jesus speaks absolute truths, we can bank on the fact that God's Word is truth, and can be relied upon for our daily and eternal direction. In the first verse of scripture, we see that "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." God's first recorded words are found in Genesis 1:3, "Let there be light". God is the only one who can make light out of darkness. This is deeper than just physical lights, like the sun and moon. It also refers to intellectual and spiritual light - the revealing of absolute truth to a dark, confused, lost world. This is why Jesus is referred to as the Light of the World. He didn't just make the sun shine brighter. He illuminated our minds and souls to the truth.
In those first few verses of the Bible, we see all of creation come into being through words. God spoke light into existence. He spoke the earth, sky, water, plants, birds, and animals into being. Then, he spoke mankind out of the dust of the earth into His image bearers. The words of God were all that existed, and all that was needed.
Later, in the first chapter of John, we see it all come together in verses one and fourteen. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." The Word of God that spoke into existence all life, embodied all truth, and existed from the beginning was born in a feeding trough in Bethlehem around 2000 years ago, and walked the earth just as you and I. To quote the familiar song:
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb?
That sleeping child you're holding is the great I am?
The truth is simply this: God created the heavens and the earth by speaking them into existence, and then entered the world in the flesh to become the only source of truth for mankind, meaning He is the only hope we have. Everything else is a smokescreen and a distraction, pointing us in other directions. So, as we watch the evening news, and hear about the political circus, the vying for attention and power, and the emotional breakdown of our culture, the simple story of a virgin holding her divine infant under the celebratory watch of angels, shepherds and wise men is indeed cause for joy. A baby born to die for our sins, when we could not save ourselves is Good News of Great Joy for all mankind.
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb?
That sleeping child you're holding is the great I am?
How do I know this is truth? Let's watch the replay again for the 2000th time.
"For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." - Luke 2:11
Merry Christmas!
We enjoyed reading this as a family! We are so thankful for you and your crew!
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