"For when we leave off believing and protect ourselves by mere strength of argument, and destroy the claim which the Spirit has upon our faith by questionings, and then our argument is not strong enough for the importance of the subject (and this must necessarily be the case, since it is put in motion by an organ of so little power as is our mind), what is the result? The weakness of the argument appears to belong to the mystery." (Gregory Nazianzen, Orat. XXIX.21, qtd in Oden 494).
As Christians our commitment is first to the Lord of the resurrection, not to reason. I can testify in my own life about reasons weakness to produce much of anything that is helpful to me apart from faith in Christ.
Abandon the pernicious cravings of the modern sophists, who are far too comfortable with their own intellects and the fruit yielded thereof (here being futility and later a meaningless death). What good will your disbelief in the resurrection yield you when your life comes apart (as it most certainly will) through sickness or trial? Will your silly intellectual friends avail anything for you on this day, a few comforting passages from The God Delusion or An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding? What will their fine-sounding boasts be to you but maxims of ashes and catalysts for despair as you stand before the wide jaws of oblivion?
Yes, abandon your petty reason. It is not saving you but killing you.
No comments:
Post a Comment