Reason's End

I like to think of myself as a skeptic. A theology nerd. A rebellious critic who was nonetheless won over by Jesus.

Formerly, when my friends argued that Christianity is unconvincing, I countered them with my own conversion experience from doubt to belief. “There are apologetic articles for every question you have, and Romans 1:20 says God revealed Himself in creation… so why don’t you believe yet like I do?” This was the essence of my response, an easy chastisement to make with my own faith crisis in hindsight.

But was my answer truly wise (for the situation)? Was it also Biblical (not just for quoting a verse, but by example)?

I can’t help but contrast it with Paul’s speech in Athens, described in the latter half of Acts 17. The apostle to the Gentiles reasoned with them using their own culture-- affirming that God revealed Himself in it, and the Gospel answers those issues they couldn’t solve. It’s the difference between “I know something you don’t, even though you totally should already!” and “You’ve had an idea of this all along, now here’s what I was shown to complete the missing pieces of the puzzle.”

I’ve concluded that both my friends and myself were lacking an essential ingredient, and I realized reason does have an intended end.

From the careful investigation of Luke’s gospel, to Paul’s challenge in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 that we “test everything; hold fast what is good,” we see a place in the faith for rational thinking and inquiry.

However, even the Greek philosopher Socrates realized that “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing,” which I see as the same principle (though in a pagan context) behind “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10 ESV). A quest for knowledge shows us how much we don’t know after all; learning of creation leads us to humility before an awesome God.

Humility is the missing ingredient.

It’s what my friends neglected as they took a cursory tour of Christianity while clinging to unbelief.

It’s what I forsook as I rebuked those friends, as if facts alone would win them over without a fundamental shift in their worldview.

It’s what my enlightened generation sets aside, as we dissect the natural world into neat boxes for everything but wonder, and view the cosmos which testify to a Creator as our own stage for human glory.

Of making many books there is no end . . . The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 

-Ecclesiastes 12:12-13

Humility, because while I encourage critical thinking for believers and skeptics alike, we’ll find knowledge and logic to be stunted and futile… should they accomplish anything less than pointing to the divine Logos, their source, Jesus.

Humiliation, because I gave myself too much credit, as if I approached Christ and solved every issue by my own intellect. The real story is something far less dignifying-- a prodigal son dragged into the kingdom spitting and screaming, finally subdued through the patient love of other Christians and the relentless transformation of the Holy Spirit.

Exaltation, because this limited view of knowledge and wisdom is nonetheless greater than I ever believed. If we insist on using these precise tools as destructive bludgeons for argument, we will give the world good reason to think us fools… yet if we shape the raw materials of culture to properly reflect that Person all was made through, and endeavor to etch His renewed order into human hearts, humility will prove infectious by our example and reason will have reached its appointed end.