Worldview
I was reading an article in the newspaper about a study done on the composition of some meteorites, and apparently, within these meteorites, is the genetic composition to manufacture life. Evidence, say some, to show that the big bang theory of origins is correct. Others say that there is still a missing link that indicates the hand of an outside power of some sort. We who are Christians stay with the foundational text with which our Scriptures commence: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. All very interesting but not terribly relevant today – after all, that is in the distant and obscure past. Who really knows what happened, and why should it matter.
Thinking about the article though, I saw how the beginning point determines the end. If I believe that it all happened by chance, by accident, then my life too, another link in a chain of accidents, is also merely by chance. I have no purpose, no meaning, no ultimate reality. I am dispensable and without value. ‘Survival of the fittest’ and other cut-throat philosophies begin to make sense. If my being here doesn’t really count for anything, then my absence doesn’t either. Even the suffering and grief caused my loved ones by my death is not important – after all, they are just experiencing a chemical reaction the overall purpose of which is to ensure survival of the species. And why should I care about my fellow man? He, like me, is just a blob, outworking of a cosmic accident, and just as dispensable. So if 80,000 people are killed in an earthquake, so what? It leaves more resources for those who survived. What is wrong with this thinking? There is no right and wrong after all; it all boils down to my personal code of ethics, whatever it may be.
Everything in me reacts against this line of thinking. Like sour grapes, my mental teeth are set on edge. Why? Simply, because of my beginning point. I am confident that God created the world and everything in it. Nothing is an accident – everything is by His masterful design. Yes, the corruption of sin has had tragic effect. But there is still enough of God’s masterpiece for me to see that there is a meaning in the work of art He has created. Because He is a personal God, the one and only God, all that he created is personal too – an expression of His creativity and personality. This is why the Scriptures speak of the heavens declaring His glory; of creation testifying of His nature. Adam and Eve were created with intent and purpose. And God has continued to reveal His purposes in His people all through the ages – from Abraham and Moses and King David and Jesus Himself, and the Apostle Paul and the heroes of the church and C S Lewis and Mother Teresa and all the way down to my own life today. And so, many generations down the line from Adam, my life too has meaning and purpose. And because my life has meaning and purpose, so do the lives of those around me. And thus, when another person suffers, it matters. And thus, when another is suffering, I am supposed to do something about it.
In our society there is great concern expressed about the lack of concern and care for our fellow man, for animals and nature, for our environment. Children in schools have lessons on respect, citizenship, and environmental issues. There is an increasing push to create awareness of our impact on those around us. Our society makes a great fuss about situations in which the rights of another have been undermined. But why? Why should I care about anything other than myself if there is no Creator? The beginning determines the outcome. But people fail to see the obvious discrepancy between the thoughts ‘It is all by chance’ and ‘I am here to add value’
In our home education environment it is crucial that we build these foundational concepts in our children so that they will have a reason for good works and righteous living.
Thinking about the article though, I saw how the beginning point determines the end. If I believe that it all happened by chance, by accident, then my life too, another link in a chain of accidents, is also merely by chance. I have no purpose, no meaning, no ultimate reality. I am dispensable and without value. ‘Survival of the fittest’ and other cut-throat philosophies begin to make sense. If my being here doesn’t really count for anything, then my absence doesn’t either. Even the suffering and grief caused my loved ones by my death is not important – after all, they are just experiencing a chemical reaction the overall purpose of which is to ensure survival of the species. And why should I care about my fellow man? He, like me, is just a blob, outworking of a cosmic accident, and just as dispensable. So if 80,000 people are killed in an earthquake, so what? It leaves more resources for those who survived. What is wrong with this thinking? There is no right and wrong after all; it all boils down to my personal code of ethics, whatever it may be.
Everything in me reacts against this line of thinking. Like sour grapes, my mental teeth are set on edge. Why? Simply, because of my beginning point. I am confident that God created the world and everything in it. Nothing is an accident – everything is by His masterful design. Yes, the corruption of sin has had tragic effect. But there is still enough of God’s masterpiece for me to see that there is a meaning in the work of art He has created. Because He is a personal God, the one and only God, all that he created is personal too – an expression of His creativity and personality. This is why the Scriptures speak of the heavens declaring His glory; of creation testifying of His nature. Adam and Eve were created with intent and purpose. And God has continued to reveal His purposes in His people all through the ages – from Abraham and Moses and King David and Jesus Himself, and the Apostle Paul and the heroes of the church and C S Lewis and Mother Teresa and all the way down to my own life today. And so, many generations down the line from Adam, my life too has meaning and purpose. And because my life has meaning and purpose, so do the lives of those around me. And thus, when another person suffers, it matters. And thus, when another is suffering, I am supposed to do something about it.
In our society there is great concern expressed about the lack of concern and care for our fellow man, for animals and nature, for our environment. Children in schools have lessons on respect, citizenship, and environmental issues. There is an increasing push to create awareness of our impact on those around us. Our society makes a great fuss about situations in which the rights of another have been undermined. But why? Why should I care about anything other than myself if there is no Creator? The beginning determines the outcome. But people fail to see the obvious discrepancy between the thoughts ‘It is all by chance’ and ‘I am here to add value’
In our home education environment it is crucial that we build these foundational concepts in our children so that they will have a reason for good works and righteous living.