The concept of justice occupies a special place in many religions, both world and regional ones. Faith that sets it as one of the main principles, virtues, and elements of philosophy is Christianity. A person of faith is not only supposed to seek justice but also is provided by the needed resources and is meant to be responsible for justice. However, the resources a person of faith has to contribute to justice are not the same as more common understandings of justice. A person who believes may seem limited in resources as seeking justice must be conducted through passion and love. Nevertheless, such a toolbox of virtues does not make people of faith helpless, as propounded methods may be considered effective or even the only right ones.
Justice is manifold and requires a contradictory combination of equality and an individual approach. According to Keller (2016), there are three main aspects of justice a Christian person should consider. It is crucial to have the same law and the same treatment to a foreign person and for a native-born, as equal treatment is one of the main aspects of justice, promoted in the Bible. It is also important to treat the poor and the rich equally. In addition, a person of faith should seek justice by establishing concern about those who are in need or ask for help.
Christianity views radical generosity as one of the principal means or methods of conducting justice as being generous is not only a possibility to seek justice but a responsibility and should be considered a must. In Isaiah 1:17 (King James Bible, 1769/2017) everyone is told to “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and please the widow’s cause.” Biblical justice starts with the eternal in mind. “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute” (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Psalm 82:3). Justice is the foundation for building and maintaining society as well as one of the ways to save the soul of a person.
Human rights
Religion overall and the Bible particularly had a significant impact on the establishment and the interpretation of human rights. It can be said that human rights are an ideological continuation of Christianity, namely, such aspects of it as justice, equality, and God’s law or, to be more precise, The Ten Commandments. One of the most considerable contributions is the idea of equality. The principle of equality of rights is supported by the idea that every person is made in the image of God, which means worth and dignity are not acquired but given by birth (Dietrich, 2017). No matter what rights are represented in society, the main principle is that the law and any right must apply to any person exactly the same way it is applied to another.
A person’s right or a person’s freedom is commonly limited when it encroaches on the rights and freedoms of others. Such principle is reflected in of Ten Commandments already mentioned above, and seven deadly sins as most human rights are indirectly represented by the prohibition of actions, which may have a harmful impact on society or an individual. The most obvious example is one of the Commandments forbidding murder not to let a person infringe upon the right to life, which may be considered the fundamental right. Another example may be the deadly sins representing acts or omissions that in most cases affect other people, which is an indirect establishment of human rights.
The Impact of Language, Meaning and Dialogue
Even though it is commonly believed that justice should apply to all people equally, individuals or even groups of individuals interpreting justice in different ways is inevitable. Definition of justice and especially understanding of its aspects or principles is provided through the prism of ideologies, beliefs, moral and ethical standards. Various societies have opposing views on many of the mentioned aspects. Therefore, meaning may have a significant impact on the understanding of justice.
Language is a reflection of the cultural background of various nations, civilizations, or societies. Therefore, in different languages, similar concepts or words may have distinct emphasis. The word justice itself may have a slightly different meaning from one language to another. In some cases, it is positive and in others, it may even be harmful, as its direct translation may be associated with regret, anger and desire for revenge (How language reflects culture, 2019). Whereas language differences may lead to misunderstanding and misconception in justice interpretation, dialogue, on the contrary, may have the opposite impact. Despite cultural and moral, a dialogue might result in the arrival at a common reading of justice concepts. Such agreement is crucial to allow justice to serve its most important purpose of uniting people and bringing equality.
The ancient Romans and early Christians are prime examples of the influence of language and meaning on the concept of justice. The citizens of the Roman Empire believed in the Talion principle. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.) notes that according to this principle, “criminals should receive as punishment precisely those injuries and damages they had inflicted upon their victims” (para. 1). In contrast, early Christians believed that divine justice occurs in the afterlife, where a person goes to either heaven or hell, depending on his actions and thoughts in worldly life.
Cities from a Biblical Perspective
Both Judaism and Christianity have developed as religious concepts in an urban and multicultural setting. Judaism’s perception of cities was influenced by the Neo-Sumerian Empire and Ancient Egypt, while Judea and the Roman Empire impacted Christianity’s one. Cities have a special meaning from a Biblical perspective, changing their appearance in the Old and the New Testaments. Cities represent a symbolic significance in the Bible, as they reflect cultural, structural, religious, and commercial characteristics of the people they are inhabited by. For example, Babylon represented materialism, consummate evil and sin, whereas Rome was a symbol of militarism, development and protection. In addition, cities often change their appearance and are depicted from different perspectives to symbolize ups and downs of morality and faith of the people.
In some cases, cities may even appear as gifts of God as they provide protection and food, represent socialization and an opportunity to demonstrate generosity or find redemption. Additionally, cities had religious value related to holy places, sacred acts or miracles (Falcone, 2016). For example, Jerusalem has served such purpose in the Bible, providing people with a temple, symbolizing shelter, where one can find justice. All in all, cities are used to summarize distinguishing features of communities to create a more explicit image of good and evil.
Faith is a broad topic and remains mysterious to most people. Most scholars have tried to explore the concept of faith but only to the best of their understanding and the extent of their research. Faith as a topic and a concept cannot be exhaustively covered due to its broadness.
The purpose of this research paper is to explore the concept of faith as understood by different people. The research will specifically attempt to unravel some truth about faith. The concept of faith, types of faith and the criticism of faith are the key areas explored in this paper.
The concept of faith
Faith is the unwavering strong conviction that something is wholly true. According to Migliore (2004), faith can also be a belief in someone considered as being supreme and possessing supernatural ability and qualities. Faith is a concept that is central in most world religions. This is because their beliefs are founded in certain religious teachers whose teachings are considered as the absolute truth to them that possess that faith.
There is also the belief in an all powerful, all knowing being in these religions whose ability is never questioned but people professing the faith seek to obey this being without failing. On the other hand, there are those who think that such beliefs which are not founded on reality but on what one is persuaded is the reality is illogical and lacking any validity and hence choose not to believe in any religious teachings or existence of a supreme being because faith and reasoning do not agree.
Types of faith
The most common type of faith in the world is the religious faith. There are many different religions professing different faiths. What each religion believes in causes a major disparity among the different religions or even among members of the same religion. For example both Christians and Muslims believe in Jesus but there is a great discrepancy in their belief.
The greatest difference that exists to date is the belief of the Christians that Jesus is God but came in form of a man to atone for the sins of men through His death on the cross and resurrection (Migliore, 2004). This belief is strongly refuted by Muslims, who believe that Jesus was sent by God as a prophet to the Israelites and that he was not crucified and did resurrect after his death.
Within the same religious group, there can also be differing views about the faith they profess. This is one of the reasons why there are many denominations within some religious groups for example the Christians.
In regard to the Holy Books, the Muslims see the Koran as the absolute truth and being God’s unchanging word to the human race. The Christians view the Bible as the God-inspired word which can never be altered. Other religions too have what they consider Holy Scriptures for example the Bhagavad Gita for Hindus.
Criticism of faith
The concept of religious faith is not universally acceptable by all. There are those who do not believe in the existence of a supreme being controlling the universe but chose to have logical and scientific evidence and explanation concerning any belief they may be having.
They see religious faith as a misconception of what is real and those who choose to engage in it as being escapists who try to justify their illogical beliefs by disguising these beliefs as faith. Religious faith has at times been criticized for its lack of tangible scientific evidence. This has been the source of conflict between the major religions, whose proponents believe that everything in the Holy Scriptures is true, and scientists who at times have been unable to verify the truth and validity of certain claims in these Books.
Faith has also been seen by some people as something close to mental illness. The behavior of those professing a certain faith at times is beyond human reasoning and hence it becomes hard or impossible for anyone using reason to convince such a person that their belief is illogical.
Extremes in faith have been known to cause people to engage in things that not everybody can understand (Jackson, 2010). People have been killed and others have been engaged in killing others not of their religious faith. For example the Christian martyrs who would not denounce their faith and instead chose to die for what they believed in.
Although there are such criticisms about faith, its importance in the society can not be overlooked. Those who believe in reason for example are of the opinion that faith is an important aspect in the society so long as it does not cause any harm to it. Certain things also taught in the various religious teachings help regulate behavior within the society as regarding what is right and what is sinful hence peaceful co-existence among members of the society.
Conclusion
Faith has been a controversial topic over the years with each person seeking to advance their belief on what they think is the right thing or being to believe in. There is still no major consensus as to which faith is right. The choice to or not to believe in certain religious teachings or in a deity is entirely individual. Faith and reason have also been incompatible hence creating a big gap between those who base their faith in some Supreme Being and those who choose to use reason to come up with logical explanations about things.
Reference List
Jackson, P. (2010).Extremes of Faith and Nation: British Fascism and Christianity. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Migliore, D. L. (2004). Faith seeking understanding: an introduction to Christian Theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans. pp. 3-8.
It is possible to show God’s love in a professional line of duty. Nursing is one of the fields that has exemplified this concept. Nurses are tasked with providing emotional, physical, and spiritual care, and they apply their faith every day to achieve this (Fowler, 2017). Some people join nursing as a call, while others are interested in it due to career choices available in the existing society. Nurses live out their faith daily because of the aspiration they have to care for people in need. Nurses apply their Christian faith in their duty by believing in caring for people in need.
The desire to fulfill God’s commandments triggers them to undertake their duties according to the Christian faith. This paper shows the ways in which a nurse can exemplify their Christian faith in performing their duties. The key points that the paper discusses are the need to care for patients, the desire to offer emotional support to them, the responsibility of personal sacrifice, and the call to be committed to the nursing duties.
Many activities such as drawing blood, assisting in diagnosis, and providing general care can apply the Christian faith to achieve the goals. Nurses believe that they serve Christ when doing their healthcare duties (Davis, 2018). The healthy are called to look after those who are weak during the needy time. The perspective is reflected in the biblical context in several books. For example, Romans 15:1 says that “We who are strong have the obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Davis, 2018). The second verse that can be drawn in this perspective is Galatians 6:2, which says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Davis, 2018). The verses are essential in motivating nursing practitioners in their duty as they perceive them as obeying God’s commands.
Nurses can integrate their Christian faith by offering emotional support to children when they are sick. The physical care that nurses provide to infants when they are born shows the elements of an important role, they take to fulfill their faith’s desire (Davis, 2018). The caring compliments can make a difference in little children who may feel they have lost hope in their lives due to sickness. Emotional support is frequently referenced in Proverbs 16:24, which says, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet the soul, and health to the bones” (Fowler, 2017). Proverbs 17:22 explains that “A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Davis, 2018). Therefore, nurses use the verses as a source of motivation for their clinical duties while attending to children who have an illness. By offering emotional support to the young ones, nurses integrate that as a Godly command which requires them to make patients stable in health. Nurses guide children not to give up in life due to temporary ailments that can be healed if they believe in the Christian concept of healing.
The sacrifice is another key motive that nurses believe should be utilized while working on clinical duties. The power of sacrifice is important as it enables healthcare professionals to withstand terrifying issues in hospitals, such as death. The influence of devotion is a major motivation as nurses believe that offering comfort to needy children requires sacrifice. Even though nurses are remunerated better, they still face challenges in dealing with draining conditions while performing their nursing duties (Fowler, 2017). People who suffer and die while being attended to may make nurses become discouraged, but this has to be dealt with with faith. The ideal career allows nurses to apply their natural gifts for a meaningful purpose while honoring Christ’s command to serve others (Davis, 2018). Biblical verses that have the context of sacrifice are in Hebrews 13:16 that says “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifice, God is honored” (Fowler, 2017). Nurses draw the sacrificial motivations from Bible that encourage Christians not to stop doing good to others.
Nurses integrate the Christian faith by committing to work for the achievement of the primary goals. They have busy schedules that are characterized by comprehensive workloads in healthcare institutions. In the pediatric department, which deals with children, nurses must pay full attention to the details so that no cases of omission of the procedure are reported (Fowler, 2017). Therefore, they believe that it is a Godly habit to be committed just as Christ was committed to serving children who died due to ailments in society. Galatians 6:9 says that “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Fowler, 2017). Therefore, nurses devote themselves to work by incorporating their Christian faith while serving in pediatric departments from the analysis. Nurses use Christian readings on the commitment that gives them the power to be focused on their medical duties (Davis, 2018). Commitment is paramount as it pleases God and gives a chance for expansion for the different professional lines.
Spiritual growth and continuous work to achieve this growth are among the expectations that God places upon Christian believers. The ultimate goal of spiritual formation is to become closer to God in order to discern, understand, and realize His purpose for oneself while staying true to the teachings of the Bible. Being a moral, ethical religion at heart, Christianity does not offer an easy and straightforward way to spiritual formation.
A believer does not achieve spiritual enlightenment through mere external manifestations of faith by completing rituals and uttering prayers. On the contrary, the spiritual formation of a Christian often demands hard and determined intellectual work in order to not merely follow the pre-set forms of worship but to become closer to understanding God. This course has aided my spiritual formation and hopefully improved my ability to approach learning as a necessary component of faith that makes one closer to God’s truth. In particular, the course repeatedly highlighted how faith may motivate learning and how learning about the Bible textually and interpretatively may bring one closer to understanding and experiencing God and His presence.
Faith as Motivation for Learning
One way in which this course has aided my spiritual formation so far is by stressing the importance of faith as a motivation for learning. The Scripture says: “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). When I think of these lines as applied to me, I do not interpret them at face value – that is, thinking that God inspires primordial dread, forcing people to learn under the pain of severe punishment.
Rather, this course has aided me in viewing the reverence of the Lord as the “first and controlling principle of wisdom.”1 Since God is the creator of the reality that surrounds us, reverence before His creative power that achieved it is a powerful motivation for learning. Interestingly, even secular philosophers recognize the motivational power of faith as a fundamentally positive force for learning, recognizing the immense “motivating and inspirational power” that faith can bring to the study of many disciplines.2 I already knew about the motivational power of faith before taking this course, but it helped me understand better how it may become a strong foundation for learning specifically.
Methodology of Combining Faith and Learning
Motivation is one thing, but the methodology is just as important. For my part, this course helped me understand that studying theology is not about acquiring God’s truth immediately in its totality but about gradually becoming closer to understanding divine will and intent. Historical study of the past, including biblical past, has moved from one extreme to another. A positivist approach claims that scientific methodology allows true-to-fact, objective and exhaustive knowledge of the past, while postmodernist thought posits that “history writing as such is… impossible” because of its absolute subjectivity.3
The course has told me that a proper approach to the study of the biblical past is neither – rather, it is gradually achieving a better understanding of the past without claims of absolute objective knowledge. While it might be tempting to view theology as a “black-and-white discipline” with definite answers to every ontological, epistemological, and ethical inquiry, that would be an immense oversimplification.4 It would be far too presumptuous to claim the objective understanding of God’s design in all its complexity – but this is not the reason to forego learning as a way to understand it better.
Combining Learning and Faith to Recognize God’s Presence
Apart from the things listed above, this course has also strengthened my understanding of learning not merely as a supplement to faith but as an important part of it. Learning about God is not just “learning about him cognitively as an object of exegetical inquiry” – in the sense of the original Hebrew text, it means experiencing him intimately and interpersonally.5 A person willing to learn but with no faith will likely found him- or herself among those who are “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). On the other hand, those who have technically embraced faith but applied no intellectual effort to it risk repeating the situation of the Israelites in Sinai, who, despite their once-proclaimed devotion, have “not yet learned of his great character” and, thus, could not enter the Promised Land.6
Recognizing the presence of God requires both faith and intellectual preparedness, and lacking in either may leave the person incapable of experiencing the Lord. This strengthened understanding of the mutual necessity of faith and learning in becoming closer to God is a crucial result of this course for me.
Recognizing Subtleties of the Bible
Finally, the course has also impacted my spiritual formation by making me more aware of the necessity to trace subtleties in the Bible. To say that the Scripture is nuanced and subtle, employing “an array of… indirect means in developing the narrative” would largely be a truism.7
The subtleties of the original Hebrew text are well-known and mentioned particularly often in the context of translation.8 Yet what I learned is that no detail is accidental, and they all serve an eventual narrative purpose. For example, one may read that Ruth worked in Boaz’s field “until the barley and wheat harvests were finished” (Ruth 2:23). One may easily neglect the “barley and wheat” part, but it is important because two months pass from the beginning of the barley harvesting season to the end of the wheat harvesting season. This small passage highlights Ruth’s virtue – she worked for Boaz for months yet remained modest and did not pursue a relationship with him for her own sake. The importance of reading the Bible inquisitively is one of the essential things for my spiritual formation that this course helped me to learn.
Conclusion
To summarize, the course has aided my spiritual formation in more than one sense, and most of these influences were related to the importance of combining faith and learning in one’s lifestyle. To begin with, I have reinforced my understanding that faith can be a powerful and crucial motivation for learning and also came to know that even secular scholars recognize it as such. Apart from that, the course has also aided me in understanding the methodology of learning about the Bible. Instead of pursuing positivist objectivism of postmodernist nihilism, theological learning focuses on gradually becoming closer to the truth, just as faith focuses on gradually becoming closer to God.
One more significant impact on my spiritual formation was a strengthened understanding of how both learning and faith are crucial for a Christian. The lack of each may leave one unprepared to recognize the presence of God, meaning the two must function in accord within a person’s lifestyle. Finally, I have also learned of the necessity of reading and re-reading the Scripture inquisitively, as the seemingly little details an immense amount of meaning to the text.
Bibliography
Alter, Robert. The Art of Bible Translation. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2019.
Arnold, Bill T., and Brian E. Beyer. Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015.
Cook, Maeve. “The Limits of Learning: Habermas’ Social Theory and Religion.” European Journal of Philosophy 24, no. 3 (2016): 694-711.
Provan, Iain, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III. A Biblical History of Israel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003.
Wilson, Marvin R. Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage: A Christian Theology of Roots and Renewal. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2014.
Footnotes
Bill T. Arnold and Brian E. Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament; A Christian Survey, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015), 295.
Maeve Cook, “The Limits of Learning: Habermas’ Social Theory and Religion,” European Journal of Philosophy 24, no. 3 (2016): 695.
Iain Provan, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III, A Biblical History of Israel (Louisville, Westminster John Knox Press: 2003), 44.
Marvin R. Wilson, Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage: A Christian Theology of Roots and Renewal (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2014 ), 3.
Ibid., 119.
Arnold and Beyer, The Old Testament, 87.
Provan, Long, and Longman, Biblical History, 92.
Robert Alter, The Art of Bible Translation (Princeton: Princeton UP, 2019), 44.
From my point of view, there is undoubtedly a certain kind of connection between the development of faith and other areas of human development. In this context, I agree with Fowler and Dell (2004) and their theory that links spiritual growth to specific stages in a person’s life. However, although there are parallels with Piaget’s framework in this work, even the authors themself speak of the possibility of non-coincidence. Although the development process, according to Fowler (2001), is strictly sequential and hierarchical, it can be separated from other factors. Undoubtedly, the initial stages of development coincide since, for example, an infant cannot suddenly reach enlightenment.
Thus, it seems that it is necessary first to reach a certain level of development in other areas before the vectors of development of the spiritual and material can diverge. For example, you first need to go into adolescence to get a general understanding of the world, after which spiritual development can get much faster. In addition, I would agree with specific points of criticism of Piper (2002), especially regarding the non-strictly vertical development process. However, from my point of view, faith is a much more dynamic and complex concept to be subject only to vertical movement. In addition, religion can be the basis for spiritual development, greatly expanding this process (Lunn, 2009). Therefore, there are specific interactions of faith development with other areas, but there is no strict dependence.
In the context of my personal development, I can note that it was in my case that the personal development of faith was separated from physical development since I had to grow up spiritually much earlier. As a teenager, I had to take care of my younger brother and sister, forcing me to reconsider some of my views on life, relationships with parents, and my place in the world. Because of this, even though Fowler and Dell (2004) argued that I was supposed to be in Stage Three, I had to advance to Stage Four in advance, taking responsibility for my emotions, feelings, and beliefs. However, this transition was fraught with great difficulties, so it is difficult to assess whether this influence was positive or negative. At the current moment, my spiritual and biological development are stabilized and are approximately at the same level.
References
Fowler, J. W. (2001). Faith development theory and the postmodern challenges. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 11(3), 159-172. Web.
Timothy Keller, minister of the gospel, preacher, teacher, and writer. He has written a Christian book titled, “Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism” where he shares his insights on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ from both the podium and the tea shop. The book is divided into three main parts each comprising of chapters. Part one has three chapters, part two has three chapters while part three contains one chapter. This essay aims to summarize the book’s thesis, and major concepts carry out a critical review identifying a few areas of agreement and disagreement.
In part one, preachers should proclaim the Bible (Chapter 1), which means teaching the gospel (Chapter 2), which involves preaching Lord Jesus (Chapter 3), who is the subject of all Scripture. Keller believes that preachers should present topical sermons on occasion, but that their main sermons should be expository dialogue. Sermons should always be gospel-centered since Scripture reveals the cohesive story of what God says in Jesus through the Spirit to bring us salvation (Timothy 2015). Keller provides six approaches to preach Jesus from all of Scripture that are appropriate to both the message and the context of a given chapter to assist avoid these pitfalls.
In part two, preachers must interpret their messages to their congregations, according to “Reaching the People” (Chapter 4). Contextualized preaching entails a two-step process in which sermons both adapt to and confront society. God has placed traces of himself in all societies because he created the universe and humankind in his image. Chapter 5 “Preaching and the (Late) Contemporary Mind,” in my viewpoint, is an excellent chapter in the book. It reveals the basic cultural narratives that define the late-modern psyche. Keller prefers close to the end to postmodernism because he believes that contemporary society is less a turnaround of modernity than a deepening of its core tendencies. In my perspective, Chapter 6, “Preaching Gospel to the Heart,” is the second finest chapter. It acknowledges that humans are emotive as well as intelligent creatures. Keller contends that preaching cannot merely be factual and sound. I concur with Keller that the message must pique the curiosity and imagination of the audience; it must be appealing and reach into their hearts.
Part three “In Manifestation of the Spirit and Authority” is made up of just one chapter about ministers’ personalities. Your audiences will indeed be persuaded by someone’s message if they have been inspired by you as an individual. Preaching thus works with text (Holy Bible), context (ideology), and subtext. These three words, however, Keller does not mention, roughly correlate to the tripartite division of traditional rhetoric of logos by the text, the contextual arrangement (pathos), and the philosophy of subtext (ethos).
Most believers, especially preachers, find it hard to talk out their faith in a manner that effectively integrates the gospel’s ability to improve people’s lives. Timothy Keller is well-known for his practical, straight sermons and speeches that enable people to recognize themselves, experience Jesus, and relate the Gospel to everyday living. Therefore, through this book, Keller enables the reader to acquire knowledge to effectively deliver the message of the gospel of faith in a much more captivating, powerful, and empathetic way to doubters.
Concepts that Christians should apply Based on the Text: Ecologies of Faith in the Digital
The Ecologies of Faith in the Digital Age has proved to be one of the excellent books that have supported spiritual formation and provide well-researched concepts that Christians should use in their lives. The well-researched text raises some questions that are directly related to the online enrolment and development of students in higher institutions. This book was purely designed not only to help in developing the student holistically but also to provide the ecological framework that makes online education viable.
There are several spiritual formations addressed in the book that I will need to incorporate into my walk of Christian life and ministry.
One such is the spiritual growth in the life of a Christian. The author, in his thesis, takes care of the need for spiritual growth among the student through constant engagement in online education. As a result, he structures his work into three major parts, the biblical theology of ecology, the spiritual formation through digital technologies, and the ecology connections among the Christians and the entire community. As a result, he creates a well-documented story on how christens are interconnected through the digital community as they learn about the scripture (Lowe et al., 2018). Therefore, based on this powerful technique, I believe that embracing the concept of spiritual growth through the use of the online platform will enable me to learn from the online community as well as to achieve the best possible results in my quest.
The second spiritual formation that I will adopt is the application of the knowing self and knowing God. As a Christian, the discovery will have a powerful effect in promoting self-discovery as well as establishing the right boundaries that are required for growth (Lowe et al., 2018). According to the author of the book, spiritual formation is perfectly created through the process that involves all these elements. The application of these factors allows the Christian to grow spiritually and fulfill the promises that had been promised by the Messiah. Self-discovery and knowing God will further make me understand the power of my new creation and its possible benefits in my growth as a Christian.
A Plan of Action to Implement those Areas into My Life and/or Ministry
As a Christian, there are several key plans that I have managed to put in place to enable the implementation of the spiritual formations that have been addressed. The first approach is through the adoption of the online learning approaches that are required in the current community. The mastery of the above skill will enable me to work within the prescribed area and operate in the interconnected field. As stipulated in the book, a well-developed technological understanding will enable me to interact perfectly with my colleagues as well as instructors in the theological field. Working within the online spaces will not only enable me to promote my ecological connection as well as promote the overall growth within the Christian community. The application of the online program will further promote my circle as I continue to interact with other members of the global community and spread information among people.
The second plan of action is engaging in constant prayer, devotion, and reading the bible. The approach will enable me to understand the main aspects that constantly affect my life and how to perfectly connect with God. Through sincere prayer, I will be able to manage to understand myself perfectly as well as make discoveries that will promote my spiritual life. Through devotion, I will manage to discover the real battles that continue to affect the life of a Christian. I will achieve effectively pray for the issues that affect my life and other factors affecting society. Finally, through prayer and devolution, I will succeed in engaging perfectly with the members of society. The implementation of the above course of action will help me to achieve the right growth and development that is required for Christian growth. Finally, it will allow me to understand the various parameters affecting Christian life as well as move in the right direction, which is critical for my growth.
A piece of advice from Surviving and Thriving in Seminary to help the new Seminary student to Grow in the Faith
Based on the text, Surviving and Thriving in Seminary, a new seminary student understands that growing spiritually must be pegged on Holy Spirit, orderly and intentional. As a result, they should be able to operate with the Holy Spirit to help them achieve divine-human interaction. They should allow the Holy Spirit to act as a perfect agent of transformation in their lives. They allow the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts as they continue to work on seeking the grace to live Christian lives. They must understand that the new transformation in their lives cannot occur without the genuine work of the holy spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that will allow them to achieve personal awareness, cooperate with others as well as create the faith response that is required in their lives. The new student must understand that as the mind and the heart continue to discern the holiness of God; they continue to increase their connection and maturity in their Christian lives.
The new Christian student needs to understand that the secret of achieving a new life in the seminary completely depends on his/her connection to Christ. They should understand that apart from Jesus, there is no other power that can help them grow as a Christ and resist the temptations that continue to affect their lives (Zacharias et al., 2017). The student should understand that they are weak and cannot serve without writing the laws of Christ in their hearts. Therefore, those who fully depend on him have the power to get transformed in his image and live a new life full of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
The texts Ecologies of Faith in the Digital Age and Surviving and Thriving in Seminary have proved beyond reasonable doubt that Christian growth is systematic, intentional, and practical. All new students should work within the technological age to adapt to the new practical means of connecting with others. These members should also work within the Christ realm to connect with the Holy Spirit and achieve the right growth. They should seek the knowledge of the risen Christ and make progress to achieve internal growth. Attaining maturity in their lives simply calls for the understating of the various dimensions that continue to directly affect their lives and growth. By applying these important parameters, they will manage to achieve the required growth in their lives.
References
Lowe, Stephen D., and Mary E. Lowe. Ecologies of faith in a digital age: Spiritual growth through online education. InterVarsity Press, 2018. Pp. 1-264.
Zacharias, H. Daniel, and Benjamin K. Forrest. Surviving and Thriving in Seminary: An Academic and Spiritual Handbook. Lexham Press, 2017.
In his book, Timothy Keller underlines the centrality of the gospel as one of the major means to connect an individual and the Church and establish fair and effective relationships. The gospel should be applied to every area of human activity, including thinking, feeling, and behaving. People cannot ignore the fact that the only way to be saved is “through Christ alone, by faith alone, but not by a faith which remains alone” (Keller 2016, 49). As such, the gospel may grow in people, depending on their acceptance of Christ. It shows how to solve problems, understand the environment, and never neglect the Christian doctrine. In other words, the centrality of the gospel lies not only in salvation but the solution that every person expects to get.
In Chapter 2, the author says that people have to serve Christ and preach the gospel every time. Keller (2016, 48) writes that when people use the Bible text, they try to demonstrate what Jesus can do in this situation and follow his example, but just “settle for general inspiration or moralizing.” First, this frequency of preaching allows fitting the Bible together. Second, this decision helps individuals change from the inside, achieve the desired outcome, and become true believers.
In addition, Keller wants people to preach from all of Scripture, meaning that all sections of the Bible have a specific impact on people’s thoughts and beliefs, and every theme has its particular follower. It is not enough to preach the gospel every time but to use examples and explain why to do or not to do something. I have to agree with what Keller says in these two chapters, even if it is challenging to what he is saying. Sometimes, people do not want to accept that there are some rules that cannot be ignored. Still, when there is a plan to solve problems and be saved, like the one in the gospel, people benefit from not making mistakes and staying protected.
Reference List
Keller, Timothy. 2016. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism. New York: Viking.
The gospel of Matthew is a book that alludes to the Old Testament books and other books from the New Testament, which had preached the coming and the works of Jesus Christ. Though the book has about three divisions, chapter six, verses twenty four to thirty (Matthew 6:24-34), enormously condemns worship of wealth due to greediness because such worship competes with the true worship of the sovereign Lord. According to Matthew, Jesus used parables, narratives, and miracles to pass his message to the people.
Moreover, he openly condemned ungodly practices like wealth possession at the expense of the faith of an individual. Matthew chose words with precision to ensure that all Christians, even children, clearly understood the message in the sermon. With application of literary elements like symbols and similes among others, Jesus convinced people to worship God and not wealth.
Although the bible has different authors, some of the stories are parallel or similar especially in the Gospels, which are the case with Matthew, John, and Luke. Though translated from Greek, the book of Matthew (Matthew 6:24-30) elaborates the themes of faith or trust, materialism (wealth, possessions and greediness) and Christianity, which ultimately separate man from God.
The passage translation
Originally, Matthew 6:24-30 was in Greek, which led to different translations according to personal understanding of the text or message. Therefore, the following is the personal translation from the Greek language and New International Version (NIV). ““No one can serve two masters.
Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not valuable than they are? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in his entire splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” (Matthew 6: 24-30 New international Version Bible).
Choice of words in the translation in comparison to others
The above translation may differ slightly from the Greek version due to the choice of words, which may have a slight different meaning. Greek is not as popular as English; therefore, the use of simple English verbs, phrases or words enables students or readers who are non-native speakers to study effectively.
The words are simple, straightforward, and unsophisticated to enable anyone, even a child, to understand the message in the text. Due to simplicity, readers do not have to refer or infer to the original text in Greek or to the bible dictionary to get the meaning of the complex words in the text.
Moreover, the interpretation of the message is easier due to the simplicity of the words; therefore, the themes like trust and faith are clear. The bible is a complex and enormous book that needs clarity of words; thus, simple words not only attract the readers, but also encourage them to read on.
As aforementioned, English is a worldwide spoken language and unsophisticated language or choice of words enables all new learners to understand clearly the words including the message without the need of an instructor or a teacher for interpretation. Words like “single cubit” are complex words that will force a reader to use a dictionary. Therefore, I opted to use the word “increase your earthly survival time” to bring out the clarity that is lacking in the original text.
The other word is “masters”, which I replaced with “people or individual” for easier understanding. The word ‘masters’ might have two meanings viz. a leader or a boss; therefore, it may confuse the reader. However, a simplified word like ‘person’ cannot have multiple meanings leading to clarity.
I also used the word “richness” instead of “splendor” when describing King Solomon’s wealth to elaborate the text or message. Therefore, the simple choice of words as rich, people, and individual over others like Masters and splendor not only promotes easier understanding of the verses, but also attract new English learner to read and understand the sermon.
The literary elements used in the passage
Although the bible has been in existence for many years, Matthew explicitly used different literary elements to elaborate and cite the preaching of Jesus as it is the case in chapter six. According to Matthew, symbolism is one of the major elements applied by Jesus during his preaching. For instance, He used clothes, food, and money among other items during his preaching. According to Jesus, the aforementioned items connoted wealth, greediness, and other worldly possessions that most people fight and struggle to achieve.
Even though Jesus did not condemn directly the issue of amassing wealth, the items he mentioned contribute to wealth, which eventually separate man from God. Money is a symbol of wealth, power, and luxury and thus anybody focusing on money is likely to forget about the existence of God in his or her life.
From the preaching of Jesus about wealth and God, it is evident that, in the process of amassing riches, an individual commits a number of sins. Such deeds not only diminish his or her faith, but may also end up shortening his or her lifespan. On the other hand, Jesus used wild birds, flowers, and grasses, which are symbols of poverty.
True to Jesus’ words, birds, flowers, and grass do not have houses, own land, money, or clothes; nevertheless, they eventually live a happy life, something that majority of human beings lack. Jesus used such symbols to warn people of the futility of chasing earthly possessions at the expense of knowing and revering their Creator.
Additionally, the body is a symbol of life and happiness; therefore, people who take care of their body or life assume God cannot do so. For anybody to live a longer life on earth, he or she should have faith in God and not work hard to prolong it. Finally, Solomon was a famous sagacious rich King; he is a symbol of wealth. However, Solomon’s life did not shine, as it is the case with the birds.
When Jesus used Solomon as a symbol of wealth, he meant to discourage people from struggling or worrying about wealth, which separates them from God. However, slightly complex, symbols motivate the readers to reflect and meditate on the message and understand it fully. To sum it all, Jesus used different elements of work to not only attract his listeners, but also to encourage them to trust in God.
The second literary element is narration, which elaborates Jesus’ preaching. He gives a story on a servant with two masters before underscoring the inability to serve them equally. A servant is mostly a poor person struggling to survive and by having a divided attention, s/he will do a shoddy or poor work.
The master will have to dismiss such a servant for inefficient work and the same story applies to anybody struggling to work for earthly possessions. The use of narration is to bring out simplicity in a bid to clarify the intended message or sermon. The second story is about birds, their lifestyles, and happy life void of anxiety. The third story is about wild flowers and grass, which shine but do not struggle to gain wealth.
Though living in wild habitat, flowers and grasses worry less about what might happen the following day. Through narration, Jesus was able to use common examples that are visible and easy to understand; thus clarifying his preaching .The third literary element is a simile, which compares clothes to flowers. “Not even King Solomon with all his richness dressed like flowers” (Matthew 6: 29).
Though not tended, flowers outshine clothes, which need skill and precision to make and even the inherent beauty of flowers outshines the clothes of a rich man. Therefore, the use of a simile in his comparison elaborates and clarifies the intended message. The simile gives a direct comparison to physical, visible, and tangible items thus making it easier for anybody to interpret the message.
The different translations of the words ‘single cubit’
In the old books, the phrase “single cubit” is a bit complex when compared to my translation, which I have replaced with “extends earthly survival with one hour.” conventionally, an adult stops growing in height at the age of twenty-two.
Therefore, he or she has to read the text with concern and deep reflection to understand the hidden meaning, which is to increase one’s lifespan. On the other hand, the best choice of words and other literary forms is simple, open, and clear; no complex words in the translation. Moreover, simple forms of literary choices also promote clarity and easier interpretation of the text or message.
According to the teachings of Jesus in the book of John, the word “food” has different or symbolic meaning as opposed to my periscope. According to John, Jesus used the word food not to mean literary eating, but to imply spiritual nourishment.
In John, Jesus says, “My food, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:31-36). Therefore, according to Jesus, his food was to nourish spiritually all people and the accomplishment of his earthly work is his ‘food’. Although Jesus and his disciples were hungry, he did not allow them to look for food until he was done with his preaching.
The harvests from the fields are useless if nobody listens to the preaching of Jesus. When compared to Matthew, the word “food” has different meaning in the two books. While the book of Matthew literary uses ‘food’ to imply food for body nourishment or nutrients, the book of John uses the same to imply spiritual and Godly nourishment.
Nevertheless, the apostle Luke uses the word ‘food’ when referring to the miracles of Jesus. In the book of Luke, the word ‘food’ has the literary meaning of eating for body growth (Luke 9:13). Though used in different books, both Luke and Matthew refer to ‘food’ as necessity for body nutrients, while in John it means listening to God’s word.
The similarity, difference/contradictions of the story with other Gospels
The story of ‘God and Possessions’ is also similar to the story of ‘trust in God’ in the book of Luke 12:22-29. In the two texts, Jesus is asking his disciples not to worry about wealth especially food, clothes, and other forms of possessions at the expense of their spiritual wellbeing.
The two stories are also similar because the apostle Luke uses wild flowers and grass to symbolize poverty. In the same way, he also alludes to the Old Testament on the lifestyle of King Solomon in that, despite being rich, Solomon’s clothes were not as shinny as the flowers of the field.
Therefore, the two stories have the same literary elements and thus the same meaning. The two disciples used the element of narration to emphasize the ministry work of Jesus. Additionally, though slightly different, the simile used in both stories is similar and thus has a similar meaning. The themes of the stories are same whereby trust, faith, Christianity, and wealth are the main themes highlighted. On the other hand, there is a slight difference because instead of using birds, Luke uses a cow as a symbol to elaborate his message.
In addition, Luke does not start with a story about a servant with two masters; thus, slightly differs with the book of Matthew. The book of Luke also highlights the theme of management, which lacks in the book of Matthew. The two stories also contradict because, while Matthew uses ‘bird’, John uses ‘cow’ to symbolically mean poverty yet both of them were the disciples of Jesus who listened the same story at the same time.
Therefore, Jesus preached a similar story to the same audience but at different times, which led to the difference especially in the symbols used. Similarly, the commencement of the story is not in the same way because while Luke omits some of the aspects, Matthew adds some words or phrases that are missing in Luke’s text thus bringing out the contradiction or difference.
Significance of the pericope to the First audience
During the times of Jesus, most people struggled to amerce wealth, which made them to commit sins while others decided to worship their wealth and not God. Eventually, Jesus had to condemn the people’s act of leading to the emergence of the above pericope.
Because of the tough times and the need to make ends meet, the first audience to listen the sermon on the above pericope was not only surprised but also confused. Everybody has to work in order to meet his or her daily needs but Jesus was urging them to forget about that and concentrate on God (Musser Para.3).
Therefore, Jesus compelled Christians to practice the virtues of faith or trust other than doubting God. However, some of the disciples and the followers of Jesus opted to forgo their daily routine jobs like fishing to preach the word of God. The disciples of Jesus had to trust in God for the provision of their daily upkeep thus most of them had to continue to compel Christians to worship God other than wealth or other gods.
Significance of the pericope in the contemporary world
Contemporarily, wealth or riches are the essential needs but at the expense of God’s word. Currently, both Christian .Most priests, pastors and other church leaders compete to drive lavish cars or enormous bungalows at the expense of their Christian faith. Some preachers or church leaders/ elders especially of the newly sprouting churches fight for leadership positions in their institutions.
The aim for fighting for the leadership positions is to enable them control church funds (money). On the other hand, “Christians or people who acquire wealth or riches in ungodly ways will definitely pay the price” (Wiersbe “Bile Exposition Commentary set volume 2” 1).
Therefore, Christians should trust or have faith in God thus enabling them to acquire genuine wealth. In addition, most Christians like politicians and other leaders worship either their wealth (vehicles, bodies) or other gods. Some people decide to worship other gods because of the lure of acquiring quick money, which completely separates them from God.
Due to greed, some church leaders accept or give bribes to gain favors. Others people (Christians) either practice politics or are politicians who end up supporting one party or the other. Finally, enmity brews up in most churches or Christians. When Christians practice virtues like equality, trust, faith, mercy and love everybody in the world will be worshipping God. Due to fight for power, money and other forms riches kill, fornicate, or even consult witch doctors thus separating them from God.
Eventually people or Christians are not only living a devilish lifestyle but also die prematurely. According to Wiersbe “Bile Exposition Commentary set volume 1”, people or Christians who trust God for their daily provisions live both a longer and peaceful life (15). Therefore, the above pericope preaches or ministers to both Christians and non-Christians to practice Godly virtues. Thusly, the world will be a better place to be if wealth is not a priority among Christians.
Conclusion
In Summary, the book of Matthew is an entity in the bible that preaches the desire of Jesus. Jesus always wanted Christians to practice Faith and trust in God for their everyday survival. Although the pericope is in many translations, the message is the same. The apostles of Jesus were among the early Christians or audience to hear the above pericope. Most of them opted to follow Christ and his preaching and they had to forgo their jobs or family. Contemporarily, few Christians practice the message in the above pericope.
Besides worshipping wealth, they also adore other god apart from the sovereign mainly due to greed. Some even kill or fight due to property ownerships but if they adhere to the message in the above pericope, nobody in the world will die or fight over wealth. Finally, according to the pericope God is the provider of all earthly riches therefore anybody who struggles singly to acquire wealth will end up as a pauper.
Works Cited
Musser, Donald. An introduction to the Bible revised edition. Nashville: Abingdon, 2001.
Suffering is usually perceived as a negative experience since it is commonly believed that it is a punishment for the sinner. Yet, I believe that suffering is a much broader notion. Even if a person is virtuous and there is no real ground for him/her to be punished, there is no guarantee that he/she will avoid suffering.
If we address the Old Testament for the answer, we will see that not only those who deserved suffering suffered. In some cases, this experience was aimed to test a person in his/her faith and devotion to God. For instance, Job could not be blamed for any sins; yet, he had to suffer a lot to prove that his commitment to God is unquestionable.
Although this position seems Christian and deserves respect and even admiration, I believe that Henri Nouwen’s understanding of suffering was much more deep-rooted and grounded. The point is that he does not perceive suffering as a punishment or even an obstacle to joy. On the contrary, suffering is a kind of means to it. It is important to understand that suffering is both gladness and sadness since any disaster should be perceived as a way to joy. Moreover, even the most negative experience is a part of the realization of our humanity.1
It is still unclear why people must suffer. According to the Bible, this is the major way to repent for our sins. Yet, there are many cases when people suffer even though they do not deserve it. Thus, there arises a question where sufferings come from. On the one hand, we may answer as Nowen does: It comes from the necessity to realize what joy is (as according to Asian painters, beauty cannot be fully understood without ugliness).
On the other hand, we may find more profound reasons for humanity to suffer. “Why suffering?” is a question that cannot be answered objectively. If we resort to James Baldwin’s contemplations on the topic, we will see that there is more than punishment for sins in it. Baldwin teaches us that any pains of our lives (even if they seem unbearable to us) are intimately connected with the pains of Jesus Christ; therefore, we must be proud that our sorrows contribute to the general hope of humanity.
Alice Walker goes even further, claiming that the sense of suffering is collective. Thus, it means that the reason for our sufferings is not only our failures, injustices, and errors. We may suffer from injustices committed to our family, community, nation, race, and even the whole of humanity. Thus, we can conclude that our response to suffering may come not only from our failures or unpleasant experiences. The notions are much broader: we may respond to other people’s sufferings if we feel that they are closely related to our understanding of justice. For instance, it is not necessary to undergo physical tortures, punishments, or humiliations to realize that slavery contradicts the idea of humanity.2
As far as spiritual practices are concerned, I believe that meditation, yoga, and all kinds of creative activities (poetry, music, painting, etc.) might be helpful; yet, they do not decide if a person is truly convinced that he/she suffers for a good reason. Again, if we address the Bible, we will see that people who believed that they suffer for a good reason (the best reason was to show how truly devoted they are to God) never needed any additional practices to go through this hard experience. That is why I am convinced that all spiritual practices are useful to relieve suffering but are still complimentary. 3
Bibliography
Nouwen, Henri JM. Life of the Beloved. London: Hachette, 2016.
Gilbert, Paul. Human nature and suffering. London: Routledge, 2016.
Footnotes
Henry JM Nouwen, Life of the Beloved (London: Hachette, 2016), 28.
Paul Gilbert, Human nature and suffering (London: Routledge, 2016), 59.