The power of ideology to change the world

“I think the fact that they were alive and murdered right before they could have been saved—that broke it. That’s a breaking point for a lot of people—[they] are on the edge of their seat, and they realize that sitting at home is not going to do anything.” This is how one protester explained the mass demonstrations that have filled streets in Israel this week.

The crowds have been the largest since October 7 and included a general strike on Monday that brought much of the country to a halt. Many blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for refusing to make a cease-fire deal that would bring the hostages home.

For his part, Mr. Netanyahu continues to insist on a long-term military presence along Gaza’s border with Egypt, even as this reportedly is holding up a hostage deal that many analysts consider vital to Israel’s interests. When asked whether the prime minister is doing enough to secure a deal, President Joe Biden responded, “No.”

Whatever our views regarding Mr. Netanyahu, we must not forget that Hamas created this crisis when it invaded Israel on October 7 and massacred some twelve hundred people, committing war crimes too horrific for description here. Hamas also abducted 251 children, women, men, and elderly people.

Then they recently murdered six hostages, shooting them multiple times at close range before Israeli troops could rescue them. They threaten to kill more hostages if Israel attempts further rescues. The group’s political leader, Yahya Sinwar, was charged yesterday by federal prosecutors with planning and carrying out years of terrorist attacks in Israel, including the atrocities of October 7.

If the terrorists could travel back in time, they say they would do it all again. They vow to repeat the horrors of October 7 “again and again” until Israel is completely destroyed. The group’s founding document clearly calls for the genocide of the Jews and the destruction of Israel to “liberate” Palestine.

This ongoing tragedy illustrates the deep and pervasive power of ideology to change the world, for evil or for good.

“Progress, infinite progress!”

I spent a year in my PhD seminars studying the thoughts of the philosophical theologian Paul Tillich. I find his sermon “The Shaking of the Foundations” to be among the most powerful of all his works.

Published three years after the atomic bomb brought an end to World War II, Tillich noted that there was a time when science persuaded us “to believe in our earth as the place for the establishment of the kingdom of God” and “to believe in ourselves as those through whom this was to be achieved.” These false prophets cried, “Progress, infinite progress! Peace, universal peace! Happiness, happiness for everyone!”

But then science gave man the power “to annihilate himself and his world.” Now, according to Tillich, we know that we are not achieving “infinite progress” and “universal peace.”

He was right: Israel is facing the greatest existential crisis in its modern history. Iran is closer than ever to a nuclear weapon. Nuclear powers China, Russia, and North Korea are aligned with Iran in opposition to the West.

The COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to be the last. Genomics could lead to genetic manipulation that alters the essence of what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence could threaten our very existence.

Tillich’s warning is still valid and urgent:

Man is not God; and whenever he has claimed to be like God, he has been rebuked and brought to self-destruction and despair. When he has rested complacently on his cultural creativity or on his technical progress, on his political institutions or on his religious systems, he has been thrown into disintegration and chaos; all the foundations of his personal, natural, and cultural life have been shaken.

As long as there has been human history, this is what has happened; in our period it has happened on a larger scale than ever before. Man’s claim to be like God has been rejected once more; not one foundation of the life of our civilization has remained unshaken.

Fishing with a shoe or a hammer

In response, let’s exchange the secularist ideology of our day for the foundational ideology espoused by our Savior. Jesus taught us that the greatest commandments in Scripture are to love our Lord and to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39), explaining that “on these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (v. 40).

Why are they so foundational?

Other laws seek to prevent sin by regulating behavior, but we cannot sin against God when we are in love with him. Nor can we sin against our neighbors when we are in love with them. Instead, when you “delight yourself in the Lᴏʀᴅ,” then we all position ourselves to experience his best such that “he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

What, then, are we to do?

One: Since “love” is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), we need to submit every day to the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), then pray through the day for him to empower us to love our Lord and those we meet.

Two: Make love the heart of our service to others. We are commanded, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14, my emphasis).

I recently saw two people fishing at a pond and thought of Jesus’ assurance that he would make us “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). I couldn’t see the bait they were using, but I assume it wasn’t a shoe or a hammer. It would have been something that would attract the fish they sought to catch.

What do humans want more than to be loved? Thus, when we love our neighbors as unconditionally and sacrificially as we love ourselves, we draw them to the One who is love (1 John 4:8). They respond to our love by turning to its Source.

“The salvation which has no end”

Tillich closed his famous sermon:

“In these days the foundations of the earth do shake. May we not turn our eyes away; may we not close our ears and our mouths! But may we rather see, through the crumbling of a world, the rock of eternity and the salvation which has no end!”

And may others be drawn to such salvation through us, to the glory of God.

Wednesday news to know:

• Russian missile strike kills more than 50 people and wounds over 200 in  Ukrainian city of Poltava, officials say
• Ukraine’s foreign minister resigns in largest shake-up since war began
• Attempted jailbreak at a Congo prison kills 129 people as chaos erupts with a stampede and gunshots
• Suspected Boko Haram militants kill at least 37 in Nigeria attack
• On this day in 1951: President Truman makes first transcontinental television broadcast

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Why “character is destiny” for those we influence

Whether you follow golf or not, you probably know of Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 who just finished one of the greatest seasons in history. I have long admired his steadfast commitment to Christ and to his family as values transcending the game he plays so magnificently. However, you may not know the name Sahith Theegala. He was born in California to Indian immigrants and has become a dominant player on the PGA Tour. However, he made headlines last Saturday not for his talent but for his character.

He was playing a shot from a sand trap when he noticed a small amount of sand move on his backswing. (Touching the sand in this way is a violation of the rules.) No one else saw the sand move, but Theegala immediately notified his playing partner and a rules official. He was assessed a two-stroke penalty, which ended up costing him $2.5 million in prize money.

Now I am a Sahith Theegala fan as well.

Five centuries before Christ, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed that “character is destiny.”

If it were easy for us to have greater character, we would do so. Our next steps will therefore come at a cost. The higher the mountain, the harder the climb, but the more worthy the destination.

How, then, can we live with sacrificial integrity today?

See sin as endangering everyone we influence

Paul spoke of “the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). In a day when thatched roofs were common, such a dart lodged in your house could easily ignite a fire that would spread to surrounding homes. What started with just you then endangered everyone around you.

I spoke recently with a Christianity Today reporter who is writing an article on the consequences of ministerial moral failure for members of their churches. She is right to be concerned: sin affects the innocent as well as the guilty.

1. S. Lewis warned in Mere Christianity:

When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world. The war-time posters told us that Careless Talk Costs Lives. It is equally true that Careless Lives Cost Talk. Our careless lives set the outer world talking; and we give them grounds for talking in a way that throws doubt on the truth of Christianity itself.

I am convinced the clergy abuse scandal and other integrity issues are at the heart of the ongoing cultural shift away from Christianity. When Christians fail to live what we proclaim, why would non-Christians believe what we preach?

See integrity as blessing everyone we influence

I was drawn to Christ through the character of the Christians I met. I sensed in them a peace, purpose, and joy I lacked and came to faith because I was so impressed with the difference their faith made in their lives.

John Donne famously observed:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were:
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were.

Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

Lord Byron was therefore right:

“Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life.”

As was Oswald Chambers:

The main thing about Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the atmosphere produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to look after, and it is the one thing that is being continually assailed (my emphasis).

“Give us a love for what you command”

To manifest the character of Christ to the world, spend time with Christ. Experience his presence in worship; hear his voice in Scripture; make time to be still and know that he is God (Psalm 46:10).

As you do, pray for his Spirit to empower you to choose sacrificial character today. Remember that your integrity shapes for good everyone you influence.

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer includes this supplication I invite you to pray with me:

Give us a love for what you command
and a loving for what you promise,
so that, amid this world’s changes,
our hearts may be set on the world of lasting joy.

Will you choose “the world of lasting joy” today?

Tuesday news to know:

• Rare strike disrupts Israel while Biden says Netanyahu isn’t doing enough to reach Gaza deal
• Russian missile attack rocks Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine
• Brazil’s Supreme Court upholds X ban
• He spent the summer coaching little league. Now he’s baseball’s oldest player
• On this day in 1783: Treaty of Paris signed

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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This is the headline of an analysis by Oxford professor Samuel Ramani warning that the weapons technology of our enemies is surging ahead of our own. His article comes in response to recent reports that President Biden ordered US forces last March to prepare for possible nuclear war with Russia, China, and North Korea. In Dr. Ramani’s view, the US must urgently modernize our nuclear capacities to deter these unprecedented threats.

In related news:

• Chinese government hackers have penetrated deep into US internet service providers to spy on us. A cybersecurity expert calls the latest attacks “an order of magnitude worse” than previous hacks.
• Russia and China are escalating their diplomatic relations with the global south, infringing on America’s influence in this vital region.
• Russia is claiming that America’s support for Ukraine risks World War III, which it warns would not be confined to Europe.

Meanwhile, Israel launched its biggest West Bank raid in two decades yesterday, killing at least ten Hamas militants. The move comes as the region on Israel’s eastern border is rapidly developing into a third battlefront alongside Hamas to the west and Hezbollah to the north.

Yesterday we discussed a paradoxical response to the anxiety of our age. Today, we’ll identify a second source of personal peace in a place most overlook.

Beware spiritual poison

On a recent walk, I noticed a dead tree surrounded by thriving trees. Nothing I could see could explain its demise. The nearby trees did not seem to crowd out its access to the sun. It was as close to the lake as other trees that were thriving. Since I am the farthest thing from an arborist, nothing I could see could explain this.

I therefore assume that the tree’s problem is what I cannot see—its roots. My observation illustrates a theological fact: you and I were made for a personal, intimate relationship with our unseen Lord (John 15:1–11). Nothing less or else will nourish our spiritual lives.

So, of course, this is where Satan attacks, for two reasons.

First, his strategy works. If you want to kill a tree or stunt its growth, poison its roots.

Second, we often don’t see the danger in time. No one will know or be hurt by our unseen sins, or so Satan whispers to us. But “the father of lies” is lying to us (John 8:44). And we end up committing public sins we would never have imagined when they were private transgressions.

This is why God warns us: “Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15).

So, allow me to ask: Do you find yourself facing temptations in private that you do not face in public? Learn to see them as poison your enemy wants to pour on the roots of your soul. They will corrupt your “tree” and stunt your growth.

And since the Holy Spirit must have a holy “branch” on which to manifest his “fruit” (Galatians 5:22–23), we forfeit God’s best by choosing what we want now over what we want most.

Three steps to spiritual victory

Our enemy is a defeated foe. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). As a result, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). You and I can say with Paul, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

How can we experience this victory today?

First, see temptation for the threat it is. If you wouldn’t pour poison on the roots of a tree, you shouldn’t pour spiritual poison on the roots of your soul.

Henri Nouwen testified:

I am discovering the importance of naming the darkness in me. By no longer calling the darkness anything else but darkness, the temptation to keep using it for my own selfish purposes gradually becomes less. . . .

A hard task is given to me—to call the darkness darkness, evil evil, and the demon demon. By remaining vague I can avoid commitment and drift along with the mainstream of our society. But Jesus does not allow me to stay there. He requires a clear choice for truth, light, and life. When I recognize my countless inner compromises, I may feel guilty and ashamed at first. But when this leads to repentance and a contrite heart, I will soon discover the immense love of God, who came to lead me out of the darkness into the light and who wants to make me into a transparent witness of his love.

Second, give temptation immediately to God. Seek his power and victory. In this way, you will use Satan’s attacks against him. And you will experience that peace which is a fruit of the Spirit in the hearts of all who are right with him (Galatians 5:22).

Third, if you fall to sin, return to your Father. Confess your failure and claim his forgiveness and restoration in grace. You can still have his peace, but it comes at the cost of repentance.

Watchman Nee made today’s point simply but powerfully:

“If you would test the character of anything, you only need to enquire whether that thing leads you to God or away from God.”

Your soul is a bike on a hill: you are either advancing upwards or you are sliding backward.

Which is true for you today?

Thursday news to know:

• Supreme Court refuses to revive Biden’s latest student loan debt relief plan
• US consumer confidence rises in August as Americans’ optimism about future improves
• Parental stress is an urgent public health issue, US surgeon general says in new advisory
• Ancient 3,500-year-old Bronze Age jar shattered by young boy at Israeli museum
• On this day in 2005: Hurricane Katrina slams into Gulf Coast

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“I know of no other way to triumph over sin long term than to gain a distaste for it because of a superior satisfaction in God.” —John Piper

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