Hitler tried to save the world. He tried to save it from the Jews and the Communists, from women and the disabled, from the "inferior" and the "weak". Less famous and harmful people try to save the world. Environmentalists struggle to save the environment. Ecologists try to save the whales. Social workers try to save children. Psychiatrists try to save minds. Teachers try to save society. Activists work to save the hungry. Doctors attempt to save lives.
We all try to save things, and there are some things we can and do save, for a while.
But who will save us when we need the saving? Who will save us when the money runs out? When hurricanes hit? When our children become alcoholics? When wars ravage cities? When millions are hungry? When the doctors say, "There is nothing more we can do"? Who will save us then?
And why do we need saving?
(This is just the beginning of a much longer article I'd need more time to think about. In the mean time, could make for a good discussion topic? )
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wow--you know I think that most people think that they can save themselves--that they should be self-sufficient enough to take care of themselves. But I think that after seeing disasters hit and people's lives be devestated, that it's simply a lie that one person can completely take care of him or herself because there's always a stronger power out there--whether it's a hurricaine, or social injustice that creates poverty and inequities in education. Of course we have free will and a need to do our best and to make our situations as best we can, to "rise above the circumstances" as I've heard so many politicians spout...but in the end, is it ever good enough when it's just you? is it ever good enough if you don't have a God who cares about you who promises you a glorious eternity even if this life isn't all it's cracked up to be?
ReplyDeleteIf we didn't need a savior...what would be be like? What would we look like? Certainly not how we are now, because I can't think of a single person who has it all figured out and is so "safe" in where they are in the world that they couldn't be shaken--cancer, death, finances, heartbreak, natural disaters all bring our human efforts at protection crashing down. If we didn't need a savior, we would all be supermans...capable of anything God is......and clearly we aren't...hmmmmm
This is great. I think human limitations is a good place to start when it comes to the need for a savior. Perhaps the limitations begin with the fall. Our nature is fallen and nature itself is fallen. There are all kinds of limits in this life. The limits of science, the limits of economics, the limits of what we have control over. We are so limited, but I think there is this false belief that we are not, that we are in control, and often people don't realize the falacy until they lose something precious or until things fall apart. And in the most desperate times, we often reach out for something more. Something beyond those limits. Is it more than wishful thinking then? Or is life just suffering, ambiguity, and death and humans have constructed God simply out of need and the desire for transcendence? I suppose this is what the atheist would say. (We'd need a whole other discussion topic on reasonable arguments for the existence of God and the reliability of the Gospels here perhaps). But, the other interesting thing we need to address is this idea of being made for another world. I suppose what the Gospel tells us is this is not all there is. Jesus conquered death. There is the scripture, "...the wages of sin is death..." So the Lord is giving us the keys to eternal life, life beyond death. He is saying that death does not have the final say. It is such a strange story, one would have to conclude it is true. I'm just thinking out loud here...thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWow. Deep. I should go to bed : ) Kim, a spin on what you originally wrote about people trying to save certain aspects of society. I believe as a Christian, I should be striving to fulfill heaven on earth. And, I'm sure we all know heaven is not on earth. I believe I should be living as though it is coming and in preparation for that. That's why I believe justice is so important and why it convicts me like it does.
ReplyDeleteIt's cool too, that death doesn't need to be that scary. In fact, the more and more I live in the world, the more and more I just want to die. Ok, so I know that sounds suicidal, but it isn't. I guess the more and more I live and see how messed up this world is, the more an more I yearn for a different place that I am designed to be in. I am ok with me dying, but not so much anyone close or dear to me. Another reason why the world is messed up--selfishness.
Ok buenas noches!
Erin