Skip to main content

Optical Illusions

 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18)

 



 

            Optical illusions are fun. The one above is famous. Is it a picture of a girl or an old crone? For some folks, it is definitely one or the other and even if you show them both, they won’t see it. But when you finally see the second image, it’s almost transformative. Technically, it’s a paradigm shift, but another name for it is the “A Ha! Moment.”

            Today’s passage speaks of a sort of optical illusion. Some people look at the cross, and see foolishness. How could anyone believe that someone who died came back to life? How could anyone believe that His doing so could be the key to anything? How could His death and resurrection have anything to do with our lives? How can you even say there is anything beyond the material universe? All that stuff Christians talk about is just n.o.n.s.e.n.s.e.

            Until you see it. And once some see it, they can’t see the other way anymore. A new world has opened to them, and not only do they not want to go back, but they can’t seem to see what they saw before. And some people who have come to see the power of God in it all can also see the foolishness. This is why I find it amusing when someone tells me that I just don’t understand anything about evolution, or the material universe, etc.

            Put simply, if evolution and materialism were true, the universe would look the way the universe looks. But if God created the heavens and the earth, and man in His image, then the universe at least could look the way the universe looks.

            But the optical illusion effect isn’t only found between those outside of the faith and those among the faithful. Within some supposedly scientific circles is the question of nature v nurture. Within Christian circles, there are questions about things like free will and total depravity.

            And when it gets personal, there are questions like “Does God care?” and “Is God involved in my life?” I suspect the problem is that we can’t see past the “old crone” to see the young lady. Maybe the problem isn’t with what we’re seeing so much as in how we see it. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Way, The Truth, and The Life

              Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . (John 14:6)           If “I am the gate of the sheep…I am the good shepherd” from chapter 10 is a double whammy, this verse is a triple whammy. And its first victim is the notion that any other so-called god was acceptable or the same as Jesus. He, and He alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to get to the Father. There is no other Savior, or Redeemer, according to Jesus. Now, to be fair, other religions will claim that their religion or god(s) are the only way. That is the nature of gods and of religions. If this and that are equally good and agree on what’s necessary, then this and that are the same thing, so there’s no need to from the other to one. If that’s the case, then why speak against the other or promote the one? There’s a song I’ve been listening to i...
Post a Comment
Read more