Why I Remain A Christian – Part 1

Staying away from the luxury of the culture I have known in more than 20years of my life has given time to reflect on many of the things that I grew up knowing by default. One of such is my belief as a Chrisitian. Back home I have asked the question about why I am a Christian, but before I could give any convincing answer, my activities restored sanity – for instance, going for prayer meetings, bible studies, and Sunday services were significant measures that gave away my probing mind to the question “why I am a Christian”. But now, I have had such a long time to ask this question in a different environment and most especially so, one of the least religious countries in the world. And my conclusion, has necessitated this paper. It is a note that represents my views and not that of the entire Christian race; however, I am confident that if what I believe in is the same as the millions of Christians all over the world, then there are a lot of areas that we might share together. Having said this, I am open to your rebuffs on my stand and comments.

As science leads us to more discoveries and our societies get more complex in understanding the human nature, I believe there is a nagging voice from God that cautions us against rebellion and arrogance. The Christian view about the world is explicitly spelt out by David in Psalm 24 when declared:

“The earth is Jehovah’s, and the fullness of it; the world, and those who live in it. For He has founded it on the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall go up into the hill of Jehovah? And who shall rise in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity and has not sworn deceit.”

Throughout history, our societies have traveled journeys of intellectual adventures characterized by the enormous heavy weight philosophies such as existentialism, nihilism, and a more recent phenomenon of  post-modernism ideologies. The actual virtues and moral standards that were once cherished in societies have given way to societies that have no definition of what is right or what is wrong. It is by now no news to know that the thought that God does not exist is the only truth that the world considers absolute. One who gives us a good definition of that situation is Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881), a novelist who himself was a Christian but who has characters that often display what later will seem to be Existentialist attitudes and ideas. One of those characters (in The Brothers Karamazov, 1879-1880) says (in effect), “Without God, all is permitted.”  And truly, if the loss of God means the loss of all meaning and value, then our modern world is pushing for a meaningless empire, by trying to eliminate the existence of God.

Our modern day experience is illustrated in Bible by the story of Moses. In the account as recorded in the book of Exodus, Moses was known to have taken an early retirement from modern day civilization and settled in the desert. The reason for his retirement is a common story. In short he was playing hero and committed murder – trying to escape punishment, he bolted and found himself playing hero with another woman, but this time it brought him shelter and a wife.   While in Egypt, he lived in the palace of Pharaoh – a place where the very finest women and strongest men were kept as servants. The best wine brewed in the country was served in the best silver and gold molded cups from which he drunk. He saw the best of the best magician, the power of Egyptian science and art. Moses up to the time of fleeing was living in the best nation in terms of advancement in science and technology, economic prosperity, and military might. As it is said, “he had seen it all”. Now he made his home far in the desert and made his living by tending to the flock of  his father in law. His day was spent under scorchy sun and in the dusty windy desert. I bet in all of his endurance and adaption tactics, he still reminisced those days he lived his life as a prince in the palace; everything coming to him at the snap of his figures. Suddenly he has become a man with two contrasting worlds.

One day Moses notices a burning bush which is not consumed. The startling suspension of nature’s fixed laws arouses Moses’ curiosity. “I must turn aside to look at this marvelous sight; why doesn’t the bush burn?” he might have thought to himself. I am sure his curiosity was not in just superstition, but also a scientific probing mind knowing that he has been exposed to learning how to provide reasoning for things that happen. Close, closer, and then closest he could be, his feet led him to the burning bush. In the moment of awe and wonder the Lord calls out to him, “Moses! Moses!”.

In a similar fashion, we have been caught up in the many wonders of the time. High tech science researches, tourist on the moon, living our lives via the internet, cars almost designed to represent a home – simply put we live in a time of possibilities. Some of us if not the majority are captured in the awe of advancement in our search for happiness and pleasure, dreaming our lives away into a world of imagination; even to the point where that which is imagined and that which is real have a very thin line. An example is having 5000 friends on facebook – it feels so real and yet truth is these are nowhere near acquaintances.

Yet it is at this same time that God is screaming out the more and announcing his presence in our imagination and creativity. This world of imagination and creativity is a holy dwelling place – where the Divine grand weaver downloads his nature and our essence to establish harmony between our existence and his purpose for us.

Written by Nathan Lee-Winans Annobi