A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Harold Myra
October 1, 1981
Do you agree, out of the experiences of your own life, with the following?
"If a preacher uses his position to further his own ends, he is heading for disaster. There are many devoted to causes, but few devoted to Jesus Christ. If I am devoted to a particular cause only, when that cause fails, I fail too. "
This Oswald Chambers statement is one of many I've underlined recently. In fact, I've quoted Chambers so much that the editors asked me to read through his books and develop selected portions for our next issue's theme: "The Devotional Life." I've gone through about a dozen Chambers books so far, and I've never had a more enriching experience.
There's one side of Chambers that makes him especially ring true to me personally. He perceives not only piety, but the depth of despair without it. Like many of my generation (I'm 42), I've seen more brillant articulations of life's absurdity than its meaning. Although I've hung on fiercely to my faith for the past twenty years, I've also wrestled a great deal with the angst of existential despair. When one looks straight into the face of terror, ennui, and wretchedness, which is the world most people know, the haunting images of Ibsen, Sartre, Camus, and Pinter become persuasive. One keeps peeling the onion of orthodox Christianity and finds it, too, full of contradictions and cultural encrustations that must be stripped away, and down it goes until nothing is left-except this historical Christ . . . and has he also been gilded by his followers?
I have heard all the airtight arguments from Christian apologists, but have known deep down that every argument of the orthodox can be met with an equally persuasive counter-argument. Christian books convincingly refute existential despair, ...
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 18,013 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
