Offending dinner guests

I had people over for dinner last night for the purpose of sharing the gospel. It did not go well. We landed in that familiar bog, "the problem of evil"-in particular, the problem of God's command to annihilate "everything that breathes" in ancient Canaan.

Interestingly, the guest who is most inclined to settle disputes with fists had the least philosophical problem with this notion. He seems more troubled by God's command to "love your enemy"; turning the other cheek is nonsensical to him.

And so, even in the small sampling of humanity assembled around my kitchen table, we find that there is by no means universal consensus regarding either the concepts of killing or forgiveness. There abound different kinds of objections to God, depending on one's "culture." That fact should be our first clue to the limitations and inadequacy of our puny minds, and to the existence of something-or Someone-transcendent who lives on a plane where there is no contradiction.

Timothy Keller points out in The Reason for God: "When the Anglo-Saxons first heard the Christian gospel message they were incredulous. They couldn't see how any society could survive that did not fear and respect strength."

The very first page of John Frame's 864-page theology book, The Doctrine of God, showcases this passage of Scripture:

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'" (Isaiah 55:8-9).