“In a world that politicizes almost everything, we are called to theologize. Yes, that’s a word. It’s thinking about things in theological terms. What things? Everything. I might add, and everyone! It starts with a theology of dignity — the image of God in me greets the image of God in you. That’s how we begin to live up to our God-given potential.”- Mark Batterson
“I never had the experience of looking for God. It was the other way around. He was the hunter . . . and I was the deer.”- C. S. Lewis
In Chapter 3 (“Flatland”) of A Million Little Miracles, Mark Batterson talks about the little book Flatland: A Romance of Many Directions. Written in 1884 by Edwin Abbott, an Anglican priest, Mark considers the book one of the most mind-bending books he’s ever read. Most significantly, Abbott wrote of three dimensions:
- Lineland – consists of only one dimension: length. Thus, the only direction one can move is forward. One never looks sideways or up.
- Flatland – here the dimension of breadth is added to length. As a result, Flatlanders can move sideways as well as forward. But they never look up.
- Spaceland – a mystical, miraculous, three-dimensional place; Spaceland adds the dimension of height. So, only Spacelanders look up.
Hence, when God invited Abram to look at the stars, He ushered him into a new dimension of reality. One accessible only by faith. Thus, faith, as Mark defines it, is:
- taking the first step before God reveals the second step.
- putting God between us and our circumstances.
- unlearning fear.
- seeing the invisible and hearing the inaudible.
- a sixth sense that enables us to imagine realities beyond our normal five senses.
In conclusion, Mark counsels, our view of God (low or high) determines whether or not we win our spiritual battles. As Alber Einstein once stated, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
Therefore, you avoid a million little miracles when you stay inside the tent instead of going outside. When you look down instead of looking up. Or you focus on your problems rather than counting stars.
Today’s question: Do you tend to theologize or politicize? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “No expiration date on prayer”