Absolutely Not!

This week I was introduced to the story of a young man named William. Raised in a Christian home that was deeply reflective and intellectually stimulating, with parents who had academic and pastoral ministries, William had become deeply alienated with the Christian faith during his university years. Now, while in law school, he states, “I’ve decided that I am a theist. I’ve concluded that autonomy is not all it’s cracked up to be. I no longer believe that I am totally in control of my life. There is a higher power—God—with whom I must be in relation.” Unfortunately, he followed up that statement with “This doesn’t mean that I’m reading the Bible on any regular basis, though.” The reason given by William for his lack of desire to study the Bible—every time he opened it, he bumped up against the absolute. To quote him again, “Actually, it’s more that the absolute punches me in the face whenever I read this book.”

What is our response to the absolute statements made by God and the Scriptures? Does that help or hinder us as we navigate the troubled waters of faith? For me personally, I can’t imagine being on any journey without knowing where true North was at all times. Neither can I imagine navigating this journey of faith without some absolute directives by God.