In this
issue:
i) Wellspring
of Wonder- J. Carattini
ii) Spiritual
Gifts - Part 9 - C.E. Wigg
The Apologetic of
Story
Jill
Carattini
Gregory Wolfe, editor of Image journal, tells a story about
telling stories for his kids. He describes the memorable bedtimes when he
attempts to concoct a series of original tales. "My kids are polite enough to
raise their hands when they have some penetrating question to ask about plot,
character, or setting," he writes. "If I leave something out of the story, or
commit the sin of inconsistency, these fierce critics won't let me proceed until
I've revised the narrative. Oddly enough, they never attempt to take over the
storytelling. They are convinced that I have the authority to tell the tale, but
they insist that I live up to the complete story that they know exists somewhere
inside me."(1) Children seem to detest a deficient story.
There is no
doubt that our sense of the guiding authority of story and storyteller often
dramatically lessens as we move from childhood to adulthood. And yet, regardless
of age, there remains something deeply troubling about a story without a point,
or an author not to be trusted.
In an interview with Skeptic
magazine, Richard Dawkins was asked if his view of the world was not similar to
that of Shakespeare's Macbeth: namely, that life is but "A tale told by an
idiot, filled with sound and fury, signifying nothing."
"Yes," Dawkins
replied, "at a sort of cosmic level, it is. But what I want to guard against is
people therefore getting nihilistic in their personal lives. I don't see any
reason for that at all. You can have a very happy and fulfilled personal life
even if you think that the universe at large is a tale told by an idiot."(2)
His words attempt to remove the sting his philosophy imparts. And yet,
it stings regardless--both with callousness and confusion. If I am but a poor
player fretting my hour upon the stage of a tale told by an idiot, what is a
"fulfilling" personal life? There is no room in the naturalist's philosophy for
intrinsic dignity, human worth, or human rights. There is no room for moral
accountability, right or wrong, good or evil. There is no room for the layers of
my love for my husband, the cry of my heart for justice, or the recognition on
my conscience that I am often missing the mark. There is no room for my surprise
at time's passing or my longing for something beyond what I am capable of fully
reaching in this moment. This is not the story I know.
In the words of
G.K. Chesterton, "I had always felt life first a story: and if there is a story
there is a story-teller."
Could it be that our relationship to stories,
our first love of the tale beyond us and the author beside us, conveys a deep
truth about our own cosmic tale? Are not the very philosophies we carry attempts
to make sense of the grand story of which we find ourselves a part?
The
first words of Genesis 1 boldly claim that we are not lost and wandering in a
cosmic circle of time and chance. There is a story that emerges from the
beginning, and we have a place within it. Similarly, the writer of Hebrews
describes Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith, where ultimate
significance is aptly defined as being written into the story of God. God's Word
places us in the timeline of a coherent history, delivering us from the
deceptions of the enemy, telling us who we are, and where we came from, what is
wrong with us, how we are made whole, and where we are going. We are placed
within a story of which we know and celebrate the outcome, even as we wait for
it through time and trial. In Christ, history's outcome—its ultimate end—is
revealed. Dark days may follow, but the ending is known. It is a story
neither deficient, nor untrustworthy.
C.S. Lewis fittingly describes
heaven at the end of his Chronicles of Narnia as a place where good things
continually increase and life is an everlasting story in which "every chapter is
better than the one before." His compelling reflection has often reminded me of
Christ's beloved disciple in the closing chapters of his testimony to the
significance of Jesus Christ. Notes John, "If all of the acts of Christ were
recorded, the world would not have enough room for all the books that would be
written" (John 21:24-26). Like children, eyes widen at the thought. What a story
to be a part of, a life to find touching your own.
(1) Gregory Wolfe,
Intruding Upon the Timeless: Meditations on Art, Faith, and Mystery
(Square Halo Books: Baltimore, 2003), 81-82.
(2) Skeptic
vol. 3, no. 4, 1995, pp. 80-85.
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[Copyright(c) 2005 Ravi Zacharias International
Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission.]
Spiritual Gifts - Part
9
Charles E.
Wigg
In
our exposition of the above subject we have come to First Corinthians chapter
twelve and verse ten, and we shall now expound the matter of the gift of
prophecy. We need to understand that there is a difference between prophecy, and
prophecies. This latter we are told in the next chapter and verse eight, that
they would fail. But we are told in chapter fourteen, that if one was to
exercise the gift of prophecy in the public meetings of the local Church, those
gathered would be edified, exhorted and comforted. Such ministry will be needed
in the local Church until the very end. It is numbered amongst the best gifts,
and in fact is superior to them all, except the love that is spoken of in
chapter thirteen, and we are exhorted to covet the ability to prophecy.
Perhaps the difference can be explained by the use of two words.
Prophecies is the ability to foretell the future, or future events; whereas
prophecy is forth-telling, that is to be able, (with the aid of God’s Holy
Spirit), to bring the current message of God, from the word of God, which is
inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, (to the people of God). The former Satan can
counterfeit, (or imitate), the latter he can never do. As mentioned earlier,
across the Gulf of Corinth, situated at the foot of two mountains was a very
famous place called Delphi. There when she sat on a certain stool, and inhaled
fumes, (which were said to arise from the ground), the priestess of Pythia would
fall into a trance like state, and then make utterances, which the priest of
Apollo would then translate, and it would suitably give answer to the question
of the enquirer.
Thus
the once Pagan Corinthians were accustomed to the foretelling of future events,
or would receive guidance as to the waging of war, love affairs etc. Before the
Scriptures were completed the gift of tongues was continued for a time, and was
very useful in the foretelling of future disasters such as famines etc, as we
are told on the Book of the Acts. The operation of this gift of the Holy Spirit
enabled the people of God to prepare for such events. However God is able to
guide His servants even today, to do things without being forewarned as we shall
show from a recent event, (as follows).
On
26th December 2004 there occurred a terrible undersea earthquake. There was an
Island North West of Sumatra, (Indonesia), where a full time worker from Ang Mo
Kio (Singapore), Bro. S.V.Ramalingam had been going for many years to preach the
gospel. As the result of his labours, and the working of the Holy Spirit, a
Church was established, and it was decided that on that weekend they would have
a big outreach programme. Without praying about the matter, Bro, Ramalingam got
some canvas, and a lot of nylon rope, which he intended to use to the erect a
big tent-like structure. However first the earthquake shook everything, and the
brothers knew from experience that trouble was coming. So they lashed together
some large cocoanut palms that had fallen, with the nylon rope, and made some
huge rafts, which were big enough for the whole Assembly to sit upon, and thus
they were saved when the Tsunami came.
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[Reproduced by
permission of the
author]