Lynn Green

Category: Education

  • Pharaoh’s Scribe and Pope Benedict

    Pharaoh’s Scribe and Pope Benedict

    Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash.

    **This is a personal website and reflects my thoughts and convictions. It does not represent any official position held by Youth With A Mission.**

    Recently I had a visit with two of the co-founders of Compedia.  Compedia is the Israeli company that won the contract for the augmented reality and virtual reality presentations at the astounding Museum of the Bible in Washington DC.  Marti and I, along with our friend, John Peachey got to don the virtual reality headsets and experience a VR summary of the six days of creation.  I was impressed with the technology and hoped that, one day, every pupil and student in the world would get to experience the Bible in this way.

    Then they opened one of four Bible workbooks, three for the Old Testament and one for the New Testament.  These are “augmented reality” tools. They have pictures of significant objects, maps and other details from Bible times.  My eye fell on a photograph of a small Egyptian figurine that is held by the Louvre in Paris.  When I looked at it through my smartphone camera, via the Compedia app, the figure seemed to rise from the page and take on three dimensions.  It was captivating! 

    As the 3D figure “floated above the page” I could see digital icons surrounding it and by clicking on the icons I could find out more about the figure.  The text that was accessed via the icons explained that this figure was a representation of a scribe from the time of Moses.  He held a stylus in his hand; it was the sort of tool that was used to write on clay tablets, or perhaps on papyrus.

    HOW DOES THE POPE FIT INTO THIS STORY?

    As I examined the figure and learned more about it, I thought of Pope Benedict the 16th.  He was the Pope who immediately preceded the current Pope, Francis, and was the leading theologian for the Catholic Church for decades before he became Pope. 

    “So,” you might ask, “what was the connection?”  Stick with me here!

    In the 19th and early 20th centuries, scholars who came to be known as Higher Critics subjected the Bible to literary scrutiny that had been unacceptable in earlier centuries.  One of the conclusions they reached was that the first five books of the Bible, commonly known as the Books of Moses, could not have been written at the time of Moses, because literacy, as we know it today, did not exist at the time.  The Higher Critics advocated the idea that those first five books were written centuries after Moses but ascribed to him for the sake of greater authority.  But here I was in November of 2019 looking at the figure of a scribe writing, and that small, seated statue is dated to the time of Moses.

    Here’s where the Pope fits.  On the 12th of September 2006, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a scholarly paper at the University of Regensburg, Germany, and made a plea for holding faith and reason together.  He was deeply concerned about the idea that there is incompatibility between religious faith and reason and he lamented the tendency to  “exclude the question of God from reason”.

    FAITH DOES NOT SET ASIDE OUR ABILITY TO THINK

    In those decades when the Bible was under an onslaught of academics who were determined to disprove the reliability of scripture, many Christians responded by divorcing faith and reason.  I remember, rather painfully, asking my mother about how a loving and all-powerful God could co-exist with a world where there is so much suffering.  Her response was, “There are some things we should not think about.”  In other words, “Stop thinking and just have faith!”  That was not helpful!

    When the Pope made his famous speech, there was an uproar from Muslim scholars.  One of the reasons why they were so outraged is that their view of God, Allah, is that he is so transcendent that he is not bound to reason.  He can contradict himself and we must simply accept it.  Of course, that means that ordinary people can never find their way to him by the pathway of their own thinking; the “professionals” tell them what he demands.  When their words are irrational, we must not question; their view of faith is that we must simply accept how they interpret their scriptures. 

    HISTORICALLY, THE CHURCH AS ALSO BEEN GUILTY

    Of course, there was time when the Church (or, more accurately, the institution that claimed to be the legitimate Church) also advocated that only professional clergy could understand what God demands from human beings.  Those days are gone, thank God!  I have been so grateful to watch how the Roman Catholic Church has increasingly emphasized the reliability of scripture and the importance of every believer reading the Bible.

    Over the past 70 years, archaeologists have made huge progress in Israel, and Compedia have contractual agreement for access to over 5000 artefacts that have been uncovered during my lifetime.  Like the pharaonic scribe, those artefacts consistently strengthen the trustworthiness of the Biblical view of history and the Bible time-line.

    OUR INTELLECT IS SET FREE, AND THE RESULT IS A BETTER WORLD

    It is this marriage of reason and faith that makes Biblical Christianity unique.  We are commanded by Jesus to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and all your strength.”

    This way of thinking, unique to the Protestant Christian world has developed a way of living that is far from perfect, and yet it offers the most attractive way of living in the history of the world.  The flow of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers is from the Muslim world and other poorer parts of the world to the nations with Protestant Christian roots.  These nations have never been thoroughly Christian nations, but Protestant thought, which is informed by the Bible, and the marriage of reason and faith have resulted in a way of life that is freer, more respectful of all human beings, more innovative, more prosperous and offering greater opportunity than any society ever.

    That marriage of faith and reason starts with the rational acceptance that there is a God and we are created in His image.  We glean from reading the Bible, and we accept by faith, that the Bible is God’s inspired Word; but, that is not an irrational leap of faith.  It is a presupposition that is demonstrably true when we live by the truths we find in the Bible—starting with Jesus at the centre.  He is the perfect image of God and is “the way, the truth and the life”.

    THE POST-MODERN LEAP OF FAITH

    Much of the world where Protestant Christianity was in the ascendency for centuries has now turned to another way of thinking.  Most of our places of higher education start with the assumption that there is no God, or that if there is, he is irrelevant. From there they adopt some version of post-modern philosophy.   One outcome is that each person then decides for themselves what is true.  That is completely irrational, and no one can live a consistent life with that philosophy, but there are few other options once God is evicted from our thinking.  In fact, the only other options are other religions and they are not very attractive to the highly individualistic people of today.  Each post-modern person would like to tailor a set of beliefs for themselves.

    POST-MODERN THINKING ERODES THE MOST DESIRABLE SOCIETIES

    But we have a problem.  As we pursue that Godless path, life becomes less liveable.  Our set of values clashes with the values of other individuals and we resent any laws or cultural norms because they restrict our pursuit of being our own God.  The result is depression, self-harm, a rising suicide rate, identity problems including sexual dysphoria, and many forms of self-hatred.  At the level of society as a whole, any minority group can impose their views on all others provided that they shout loud and long, then accuse anyone who does not accept their values of having some of the many varieties of phobia.

    That little figurine of a scribe from the time of Moses is just one of countless confirmations of the veracity of the Bible and is one of the many finds that refute the Higher Critics of previous centuries. And that means that we really can “love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength”.  Thank God for that!

    I’m also grateful that Pope Benedict XVI had the courage to make a plea for more reason and rational thought in religion.  Thank God for that too!  

    We live in a world where each of us can discover truth for ourselves because it is there to be discovered, and the confirmation that something is true, is that it works for us and for others as we live it.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Believe Him and it will work!

    Lynn Green.

  • Stopping the Illegal Cannabis Trade

    Stopping the Illegal Cannabis Trade

     

    **This is a personal website and reflects my thoughts and convictions. It does not represent any official position held by Youth With A Mission.**

     

    I mentioned in a blog last year that I was watching the consequences of legalizing pot in my home state of Colorado.  So I was back there last week with a chance to see how it is working out.

    There was a strong argument that changing the law to allow cannabis to be sold openly would stop the illegal trade.  That would make everyone safer because the strength and purity of pot could be openly verified.

    While I was there, the local paper ran a headline that the police had raided 247 properties where illegal marijuana was being grown. WHY?  I thought legalizing would put an end to all that!  At least that was the argument.

    I stopped to imagine that I had been growing and selling marijuana products illegally before the state made it legal.  Would I be happy to register, submit to the regulators and pay taxes on my products?  If I had been making a good profit, what would convince me to go to the authorities, register as a grower, welcome the inspectors and pay a good portion of my profits to the state?  Would the change of law transform me into a law-abiding citizen? Not likely!

    If the police are still busy trying to stop the illegal and unregistered trade in cannabis, what has changed?  Well, a lot of pot is being sold legally too and that produces revenue for the State of Colorado.

    So, what is the argument for making it legal to sell and use cannabis?  Money.

    There’s nothing new under the sun.

    Lynn Green.

  • Weight Loss Testimony

    Weight Loss Testimony

    YOU CAN DO IT!

     

    **This is a personal website and reflects my thoughts and convictions. It does not represent any official position held by Youth With A Mission.**

     

    I recently met a friend who was looking SO much better than when I last saw her.  She just seemed a lot more energetic and happier than before.  It seemed to me that she had lost quite a lot of weight, so I asked her if that was the case—always a bit of a risk—and she said, “Yes, I have lost more than 25 pounds and I feel so much better!”

    People who know me know that I have generally stayed fit (That’s the English term.  In American-speak, I have stayed in good shape.), and I suspect most people think that I just got the “luck of the draw”, speaking genetically.  As a result, I have been hesitant to write about healthy living.  The truth is, I have had to be careful about eating and have kept up at least moderate exercise, even when I had heart arrhythmia problems.  With that combination, I have generally kept my weight at the level where I feel healthy.

    I figured my friend’s story was much more relevant and helpful than mine, so I asked her to please write a short account of how she did it and here it is:

    It started out as a simple Lenten Fast – determining to fast sugar during the Lenten Season for 40+ days.  In the past, I have always given up during a fast, and have never been able to complete one that I can ever remember.

    As I sought Abba about how to go about it to stay on course, I reflected on the purpose of giving up something for Lent – it is an expression of love towards and dependence upon Jesus out of gratitude for all He has done, and to prepare my heart for the glorious celebration of the cross and the resurrection!

    So a phrase came to me to repeat to myself throughout the fast to keep me on track – “I love You, Jesus, more than sugar!”

    That phrase and the heart behind it was the key for my successful completion of the fast.  And for the first time after many failed attempts, I finally was able to drink coffee without sugar from Day 1 of the fast, which started on Ash Wednesday.

    What was surprising to me was how much weight I began losing as a result of the fast!  It began to feel so good that I had to keep reminding myself that the fast was NOT a weight-loss program!  My purpose was to simply express my love for Jesus above and beyond sugar and processed carbs (which I also added to the fast). 

    After Easter, I felt so good from the weight loss that I decided to continue limiting sugar, processed carbs, and then I began logging calories consumed. The 40+ days of the fast had helped ‘kick-start’ a re-boot of my cravings, and I had begun consuming more nutrient rich calories, rather than craving the ‘empty calories’ of processed carbs and sugars.

    I didn’t really increase my daily exercise, but I did start more core-strengthening exercises, as well as squats and arm stretches.  Other than that, I didn’t do too much.

    For my 63rd birthday, my 4 children and their spouses gave me a FitBit to track my steps, which I actually do quite a bit around my home.

    Since June, we have the family of one of our children living with us for surgery with a lengthy recovery, giving me the responsibility, along with the father, as care-giver for their 2 children – a toddler and an infant.  With the stairs in our home, it is very taxing physically.  At the beginning of this year, it would have been very difficult for me to manage with the little ones.  But since I’ve lost all this weight, and have gotten in better shape with simple exercises, I am able to climb the stairs up to 35 times a day, and to care for the 2 little ones.  (At my age, it is a daunting task.) The 30-something parents are better suited. But God knew and helped me get into shape for just such a time as this.  I’m so grateful to Him for His help, grace and strength.  

    That is one of many success stories I have heard or read in the last two or three years.

    There has never been a time like this in the history of mankind, where the food industry provides us with tastes and textures that we enjoy, but do not nurture our bodies.  They can also be addictive.  Sugar, complex carbohydrates and processed foods can be incredibly appealing, but can also cost us dearly in the long run.

    If you know you are not stewarding the body God gave you as well as you think you should, perhaps this brief testimony can provide some encouragement to not give up!

    Lynn Green.

  • The Dangers of Overstating the Case

    The Dangers of Overstating the Case

    Photo by ©Alena Koval from Pexels.

     

    **This is a personal website and reflects my thoughts and convictions. It does not represent any official position held by Youth With A Mission.**

     

    I bought a T Shirt because I thought the slogan was very funny:

    “Exaggerators Anonymous – a trillion-strong and growing!”

    Have you ever been in an argument where you overstated your case?  An old friend of mine used to refer to that sort of conversation in his marriage as “the always and never conversations”.  Such as, “You NEVER think of how I feel!”  Or “You ALWAYS have to be right, don’t you!?”

    When any case is overstated, we tend to dismiss it, or at least take it less seriously.

    There is no question that we have a number of environmental problems—endangered animals, insects and plants, plastics in the oceans and landfills, climate change, air pollution, scarcity of fresh water etc. The crisis message is coming through loud and clear.

    The extent and the urgency of these problems are very hard to state clearly because they are often nearly impossible to measure and causes are hard to pin down with certainty.  If we read beyond the headlines and opening paragraphs, we are confronted by their complexity.  In their attempts to simplify, journalists run the risk of exaggerating.

    When a new member of the Congress of the USA, states that man-made climate change will destroy the world within 12 years if we don’t act now, she will get two responses:  the first, immediate response will be more fear and anger, especially from children and young people.  That creates wider gaps between generations; more blame and tension between young and old will not be constructive!

    The second response will be a medium to long term credibility gap.  The Congresswoman in question and her message will be discredited as year follows year; the result of that will be exactly the opposite of what she is trying to accomplish.  Those who were stirred to anger will lose interest, go quiet and then will be unlikely to take the message seriously again.

    But for the moment, school children have been stirred up to strike and demand change.  Christopher Booker, one of my favorite newspaper columnists, writes the following in the Sunday Telegraph on March 24, 2019.

    “Whatever we may think in general about the BBC’s absurdly skewed coverage of all matters relating to energy and climate change, there has been something peculiarly distasteful about its relentless promotion of the “school strikes” and the “children’s crusade” against global warming.”

    From endless sound-bite interviews, it was clear that the children knew virtually nothing about either the science or politics of climate change. Their faces may be contorted with self-righteous anger, but their heads are merely stuffed with a few little “the end of the world is nigh” slogans, presumably fed to them by the same teachers who urged them to go on these marches where youngsters chanted obscenities against Theresa May, and the Communist hammer-and-sickle flag fluttered above the crowd.”

    If we think these are serious problems, and I think they are, we must first acknowledge that they are complex, hard to define with accuracy, and solutions are very hard to find.  But we can start with the importance of personal responsibility.  Each of us must do what we know we can do.  (Recycle, don’t use plastic bags, walk or ride a bike when possible, if you need a car make it one that is as economical as possible, work on reducing your personal consumption, repair items when you can, have your own vegetable patch if possible. There’s lots you can do.)

    Then we need to do our best to read, listen to and watch all sides of the arguments on each issue.  When we do that, we will find that reliable consensus does not yet exist on the issues getting the most publicity, illustrating that actual macro-causes and solutions are hard to find.  That’s one reason why personal responsibility is a good starting point.

    I was recently listening to Dr Jordan Peterson; I often listen to him because I find him both enlightening and entertaining.  His thinking is a great stimulus.  He recommended Bjorn Lomborg and referred to him as a “real genius”.  So, I found his TedTalk.

    His approach is level-headed and he has pulled together a very capable team.  Have a look at his conclusions.

    I will finish by coming back to personal responsibility: Blame is easy. If my problems are the result of the behavior of others, then “they” have to change to make my life better.  All I have to do is join some like-minded people in demonstrating, expressing my anger and maybe destroying some property, but then I can go home and carry on as I wish.  But nothing will really change until I take responsibility for the bit I can do.  Then maybe I can encourage others to do the same.

    I have a friend who often has quite large numbers for dinners at her house.  She had some younger people helping her clear up and someone commented that she was not recycling her plastic bottles, and there were a lot of them.  She explained that she was in favor of recycling and believed it was good, but just hadn’t got around to doing it.  She immediately realized she was being hypocritical.  If she believed it, she had to do it!  That was the moment when she changed her behavior.  Now she can encourage others to do the same!

    So, let’s take personal responsibility.  In the meantime, let’s not exaggerate the magnitude, or the urgency, of the problems.   We want people to be in this struggle for the long-haul.  God’s good creation and our mandate to steward it, requires our best efforts for our entire lives.

    Lynn Green.