{"id":3185,"date":"2014-11-06T10:00:04","date_gmt":"2014-11-06T10:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=3185"},"modified":"2014-11-06T13:44:15","modified_gmt":"2014-11-06T13:44:15","slug":"i-think-therefore-i-am-just-getting-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/i-think-therefore-i-am-just-getting-started\/","title":{"rendered":"I Think Therefore I Am Just Getting Started"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite my deepening interest in philosophy and my great love for mathematics, Rene Descartes famous statement, \u201cI think therefore I am\u201d, comes up short. While it is true that the capacity to think is in itself a fairly reliable sign of life, it is more true that thinking is just the beginning, there is so much more out in this world that can only be reached as our thinking is extended beyond theories, statements and dogma into real life and real time action.<\/p>\n

Patrick Tullens and Ronald T. Michener, in their thought provoking book, The Matrix of Christian Ethics<\/em>, bring a necessary challenge that is fit for our ever-changing, multi-cultural, techno-frenzied world. \u201cChristian ethics helps place this theological reflection into the context of human activity that visibly demonstrates the charitable graces of the Christian life. Christian morality is about showing the authenticity of our faith commitment.\u201d (p.21) Tullens and Michener make a necessary point of recognizing the imperative of not being satisfied with merely right thinking. They push the reader to examine the way in which right thinking should lead to right actions, right living, right choices \u2013 no matter the circumstances.<\/p>\n

\"calvin-on-his-principles\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The issue for us, as followers of Jesus Christ, is our tendency to gravitate toward poor thinking patterns which fail to account for the communities, culture, heritage, traditions of our context. By allowing fear, in the face of increasing pluralist-relativist-postmodern world, to dictate our thoughts we are tempted to look only at ourselves. Some restrict this further, by relegating thinking only to those in leadership. Some restrict this even further by isolating thinking to one person, usually the pastor.<\/p>\n

All of this seems, I think, in great contrast, to what God has told us about \u2018how to think\u2019 and why it\u2019s important to think:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c<\/strong>What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us\u2026But we have the mind of Christ.\u201d (1 Corinthians 2:12-16).<\/p>\n

In reading, listening and considering these Spirit-inspired words, there is a wonderful promise and a great resource afforded to those who possess a faith in Christ. Together, we, us have the capacity to gain wisdom from God. Together, we, us we have the mind of Christ. There is no hint of singling out one person above another. Instead there is a rich sense of God\u2019s wisdom being shared through His Holy Spirit, which resides in each person who shares a faith in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

Therefore, the greater challenge for those in Christian leadership, is to slow down enough to learn through what the Spirit of God is doing through the lives of others. Additionally, our task in leadership is to help others to learn to think, in keeping with the Spirit as a contribution to the collective mind of Christ. Sometimes, we can make the mistakes, as leaders, to think we\u2019ve got the corner on thinking, by which we then shape the action of our group. We think, we act \u2013 everyone else should just follow. Isn\u2019t that what leadership is all about? One of the greatest temptations of leadership is to have people come and ask, “What should I do?” and then give them an action without challenging them to think: along with the Spirit, in accordance with the Word, as part of a whole community, etc.<\/p>\n

Jesus had a different way. He understood that right thinking should lead to right action. Conversely, wrong action couldn\u2019t, shouldn\u2019t and wouldn\u2019t be corrected without a change in wrong thinking.<\/p>\n

\"calvinandhobbesschool\"<\/p>\n