think

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To be a Christian is to be a thinking being and to think most deeply about the most profound things - the nature of God and the ways of God in the universe. - Thabiti Anyabwile (source)

I've been thinking a lot lately. So much so that I often feels as if the majority of my conversations begin with the words, I think...

Isn't that a dangerous business, to launch into discussion based on opinion rather than fact? It's the way of the world these days, particularly on social media. Truth seems to be a luxury that many people are quick to ignore. Emotions and obfuscation are prevalent in many online debates, which seems to make them more appealing to the masses as people hop on to the bandwagon du jour.

This trend of valuing emotions over rational thought isn't limited to cyberspace; it is slowly - or not so slowly - invading everyday life. The church is not immune, and may be especially vulnerable to this pitfall. I've encountered plenty of believers who elevate the Holy Spirit to the point of disregarding the Word and our God-given capacity to think. It's frightening.

I want to be led by the Spirit, but that doesn't mean I check my brain at the door. I must know the Spirit, which requires that I know the Father and the Son. I've decided to invest an indeterminate amount of time in the Gospel of Luke. I want to get to know Jesus, to ponder the incarnation and its implications for humanity in general and for my life specifically.  I want to think deeply.

Luke wasn't an eyewitness to Jesus' earthly ministry, but he carefully investigated the claims. He paid close attention to what others were telling him. He wrote them in an orderly account. He wanted his reader to have certainty concerning the things you have been taught (Luke 1:4). As a physician, Luke was a thinker. He has left us this account that we too might think long on these things.

I want to think so that I may begin more conversations with the words, I know...


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