Mood:
quizzicalNow Playing: Casting Crowns
Topic: Faith
Began at 07:35:51 a.m.
Well, last night was interesting...
First, I got out of work and went straight on home to pick up Dee and the boys so we could go out to get something to eat before church. I decided on Huddle House, because it's right there on the way, and I really didn't feel like Maccy-D's again. (ugh) So anyways, we got there at 5:30, or just before actually. We sat, placed our order like within 2 minutes. The waitress brought our drinks right away...
And then we sat there for half an hour. The idiots never even started cooking our food yet. I had been checking them out the whole time, looking for our order, because we were on a time limit. We had ate there about a month before and service was quick and we had plenty of time... but not this time. So I walk over and get the girls attention:
ME: "Just cancel our order."
HER: "Huh? Why?"
ME: "We have to go. We don't have any more time to wait."
HER: "Are you sure?"
ME: "Yeah. (trying not to be irritated) How much for the drinks?"
HER: (she rings up on the register) "$5.09."
ME: (eyes popped out of my head. heart skipped a few extra beats that they normally don't.) "5.09" I repeat dumbly. For four drinks?? "Wow," I say, "that's quite a bit for 4 drinks." as I hand her a 20.
HER: (smiling and giggling, like she's happy about screwing people over) "I have a dime." (she rings it up and gets my change)
ME: (thinking, "ooh, don't do me any more favors, Carnegie." Then I take my change) "Thanks."
Then we left. I couldn't believe it. It was yet another ridiculous episode of life in West Plains, Missouri. *sigh* And what was worse was that Dee forgot her purse in our haste to leave. She didn't realize it until we got to church. So I had to run back and get it... At least it was there...
So anyways, back to church. I've been back with the kids for AWANA on Wednesdays. I did that when I was little, for a couple years anyways. But it's a lot of fun. I really enjoy getting to see these kids know their bibles and memorize verses. Later in life, those scriptures will come back to them in a time of need. It's been that way for me. And that's something really cool. When I was young, I went to a christian school, so I had biblical learning every day. But for about 90% (or more?) of these kids, wednesdays is the only biblical boost they get. I love being around that. I know it makes me a vampire, but I feed on that energy. As burned out as I have been, I need an infusion of that kind of excitement and zest. *sigh*
Anyways, things went well. When it came to counel time, Shirley (our AWANA leader) read a story to them. I slipped out - it was very warm and stuffy in there - the heaters always do too well when the kids are in there... And out in the hall, between the main building and the fellowship hall, there was the (apparently) usual group of adults who are doing their thing, to either log the kids' info or prep for game time, etc...
Frankie (one of Shirley's teen girls) was talking with Charlotte (her Sunday School teacher). They were discussing some of the harder questions that come up during their class times. I had heard a bit of one o these exchanges before, and it always intrigues me as to what kids these days are questioning. Because, lo and behold, they have the same questions I struggled with when I was their age or older...
It came up to a mention of "Predestination, God's Omniscience (knowing ALL), and Free Will." Not wanting to just overtake the situation, I mentioned to Charlotte that if she would like, I had an explanation I had figured out concerning that, and I could share it with her later if it might help. Both Charlotte and Frankie said "What is it?"
So, with their blessing and interest, I launched into it. I first asked Frankie what the exact nature of her questions were. They were (and I'm recounting from my faulty memory, and paraphrasing, so I hope I get it right):
1) If we have free will, how can God know what we are going to do; the choices we will make?
2) If God is all-knowing (Omniscient), and knows what decisions we will make, and knows who will choose Him and who will not, why does He allow people to be born who He knows will not choose Him? This is essentially creating people who will eternally suffer. How can a loving God do that?
I struggled with this kind of thinking. How could a loving God knowingly create someone who He knows is not going to choose Him, and they end up in hell? In the Bible, it says that God desires no man to go to hell... Contradiction? No. Bear with me a little longer...
Now, my understanding first had a breakthrough when I watched, belive it or not, The Matrix Reloaded. There's a scene when Neo speaks with the Oracle. I'll paste the relavant bits here:
Neo: I suppose the most obvious question is, how can I trust you?
The Oracle: Bingo! It is a pickle, no doubt about it. The bad news is there's no way if you can really know whether I'm here to help you or not. So it's really up to you. You just have to make up your own [dang] mind to either accept what I'm going to tell you, or reject it. Candy?
Neo: D'you already know if I'm going to take it?
The Oracle: Wouldn't be much of an Oracle if I didn't.
Neo: But if you already know, how can I make a choice?
The Oracle: Because you didn't come here to make the choice, you've already made it. You're here to try to understand why you made it. I thought you'd have figured that out by now.
Neo: Why are you here?
The Oracle: Same reason... (to herself) I love candy.
Neo: But why help us?
The Oracle: We're all here to do what we're all here to do. I'm interested in one thing, Neo, the future. And believe me, I know - the only way to get there is together.
Okay. Granted, the Matrix films are not christian specifically, but even the writers/directors admit these films touch on spirituality on many levels. I don't doubt this, and neither should you. If all good things and real truth come from God, there is no reason that God's truths can't be brought to light by people who may, or may not, knowingly acknowledge Him. God shines through in many places that most don't think to look. That's because, like Jesus said, it is the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy. Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost, not what is already found. God's truth has to show up in places the Redeemed aren't looking, or else those who are not redeemed will never become Redeemed.... Get it? Okay, now back to my explanation.... ;-)
During that Matrix scene, I had an epiphany. Questions and concerns that I had struggled with for years just spun like tumblers in a lock, fell into place, and the lock opened. I have no doubt, to this day, that the Holy Spirit gave me an illumination into understanding this hard truth that for many years was part of my block-wall that I built to separate myself from God.
First I explained in brief the scene bewteen Neo and the Oracle. The whole concept of "understanding the choices we make," even though these choices are "already made." In truth, this bit of movie dialogue only served as the catalyst in my brain, but it truly never answered the whole question. But it is a good point of reference, especially with kids who have seen the movie and hopefully will get that same catalyst I had.
Then we moved onto the question: If God is all-knowing (Omniscient), and knows what decisions we will make, and knows who will choose Him and who will not, why does He allow people to be born who He knows will not choose Him?
To this I say: If God only created people who He knew would follow Him, at what point during their life did they have true, free will? If they never had a choice, and God created them, knowing they would choose Him, then they never had free will.
Think about the word Freedom. If you break it down it becomes FREE, and the second half comes from DOOM. FREEDOM is that you are FREE to CHOOSE your DOOM.
BUT, if God created people with free will, a true ability to choose, freedom, then there would HAVE to be the option that they can choose NOT to follow Him. This does not mean that He is happy about this. God still anguishes over the fact that people do not choose Him. But if He took that option out of the picture, he takes away our greatest ability, the thing that makes us Human: FREEDOM -> the ability to choose. Then we become Robots who serve God, and that is not why He created humans.
So, our free will, our own ability to choose, that gift of freedom that we all cherish, is the very reason God will allow the birth of people that He knows will not choose Him.
"What is the point of creating people who will suffer?" Well, God offers everyone a choice, a simple one, either to choose Him, or not. When those people who do not choose Him go through life, and suffer (just like those who do choose God - we all suffer on this earth; as it is now an imperfect, flawed and damaged place) it serves as a learning experience for us all. Like Neo, we must now understand the choices that were (or will be) made. If you take away that suffering, then you circle back on your logic, to taking away our freedom of choice. And then we begin the discussion again.
Frankie understood that, she said. (I truly hoped I hadn't confused her even more, and I later heard that night from someone she talked to that she did now understand. So I hope all is well.)
Then we go back to the concept of God knowing everything we do, even before we do it. How can an Omniscient God who bestows upon us free will to choose our path in life, possibly know every little choice we will make?
Actually, this ends up coming back to the concept that God, while being near to us and omnipresent (literally, everywhere and everywhen at the same time) is also existing on a level that is far above and outside of us, in that He can see and know about everything throughout all of time and space - past, present, and future.
Knowing that God can see from that angle leads me to use the concept of looking at a globe, or a map that shows roads, buildings, etc. (Like on Google Maps that shopw a hybrid of road maps and satellite imagery)
I asked Frankie if she is driving yet, to which she said yes. I asked her, then, when you get out on the road and start driving, with or without a particular destination, how many options do you have on how to get there? Usually, lots of options, even though most of the time there's only one direct way. From your persepctive in the driver's seat, you only see what is in your immediate view. You may have some knowledge of the roads, but sometimes that is not enough. If someone was in orbit, or even just flying above you at a distance high enough to see far before you, they can relay information on obstacles and routes.
This relates to us in our life in the way God exists above and around us, with His omniscience. As we are born and live, traveling the roads of our lives, God can see far ahead of us. He can see our intersections, other drivers, and obstacles and accidents waiting to happen. Sometimes we heed His warnings, sometimes we don't. The road signs have been placed and directions have been given in His Holy Word, the Bible. These directions have been laid out for all humanity, and they all have the choice to make, to follow those directions or not.
Frankie understood this analogy and asked if she could use the explanations to share. Of course I said yes, as long as I didn't ultimately confuse here even worse. As I mentioned before, she said she wasn't and it was all good. (I hope!)
So anyways, it felt pretty good to talk with someone else who was experiencing the same kind of dilemma I had experienced in the past, sharing how I had worked it out and having my explanation help them answer their own dilemma.
It just goes to show you that God uses the Holy Spirit to give illumination into all sorts of things, by all sorts of things, to help us understand the world we live in and the problems we create for ourselves, and yes, sometimes for others.
Well, I started writing this early this morning, got distracted dozens of times by work (ugh) and tried not to lose my train of thought. Hopefully I made better sense last night than I explained here. ;-)
Finished (finally) at 12:35:29 pm.
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