21 Lessons for the 21st Century: Lesson 11

C.S. Lewis & Francis Schaeffer: Lessons ... from the Most Influential Apologists of Our Time | 1998 | Scott R. Burson & Jerry L. Walls

[logos]

11. The attraction of agape

Perhaps no culture more than modern and postmodern Western culture has been more obsessed with love, and has celebrated it more, while gleaning less real satisfaction from it. Naturalism tells a story in which love is a relative newcomer on the stage of history, emerging late in the evolutionary scheme from impersonal and loveless sources. But according to Christian theism, love is the eternal and highest reality. Human loves are an image of Love himself and thus have a more secure grounding in ultimate reality.

As Lewis argued so powerfully, a proper relation to Love is what can redeem and preserve the human loves. The eternal Christian doctrines of Incarnation and atonement are a powerful and moving account of Love offering that relationship to human beings. There is good reason to believe, then, that when love is credibly demonstrated by Christians in the context of a relationship to a God of overwhelming love, our culture will be prepared to listen to our story of how Love is reaching out to them. Schaeffer put the point as follows: "Because every man is made in the image of God and has, therefore, aspirations for love, there is something that can be in every geographical climate - in every point of time - which cannot fail to arrest his attention."

The notion of agape, of a love that needs nothing and is pure gift, is a powerful resource for confronting the attitude of suspicion that pervades the postmodern mindset. As many postmoderns see it, behind every truth claim is an unacknowledged bid for control and power. Therefore all such claims need to be exposed and deconstructed. But according to Christianity, God is all-powerful and thus has no needs of any kind, least of all the need to grasp power through deceit and manipulation. Because he is all-powerful and utterly self-sufficient, he can love perfectly, with no hidden springs of dubious motivation. The very claim that such a God exists is a frontal challenge to the pervasive suspicion that is so rampant in our day. Of course, the insistently suspicious can choose to see the very idea of agape as a remarkably subtle attempt at control and manipulation. But the notion of such a love, credibly demonstrated, has as much chance as anything at breaking down the walls of suspicion within which many postmoderns have chosen t shelter themselves.

[logos]

NEXT: The hope of heaven

[logos]

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[Alamo-Girl]

But the notion of such a love, credibly demonstrated, has as much chance as anything at breaking down the walls of suspicion within which many postmoderns have chosen t shelter themselves.

So very true. Even the most hardened criminal can be turned to mush with a simple act of unconditional love. Thank you for this excellent series!

[betty boop]

As many postmoderns see it, behind every truth claim is an unacknowledged bid for control and power. Therefore all such claims need to be exposed and deconstructed.... Of course, the insistently suspicious can choose to see the very idea of agape as a remarkably subtle attempt at control and manipulation.

Yes, they seem to be asking: What's in it for God? -- Who needs nothing. As if God needed to make a bid for control and power when He already totally has both without limit, and the Creation itself testifies to this. Many postmoderns are quite irrational it seems.

Thank you for this excellent post, logos!

[Alamo-Girl]

What great insight! Thank you!

[blue-duncan]

"But the notion of such a love, credibly demonstrated, has as much chance as anything at breaking down the walls of suspicion within which many postmoderns have chosen t shelter themselves."

Jesus, as reported in John 13:35, gives the world the right to judge whether we are his disciples by how we "agape" one another, not the world, although we are to love our neighbors, also. The argument that keeps getting thrown in my face when I defend the sanctity of marriage, is the divorce statistics for believers. How can we demonstrate to the world "agape" when we don't practice it amongst ourselves in our most fundamental relationships.

Just look at some of the threads on this forum; those just between believers. If I was unsaved and found these arguments and personal invectives and the questioning of sincerity that passes for "agape" in the debate over Rick Warren, I believe I would say a pox on all our houses. I could get more empathy, sympathy and understanding and probably more unconditional love in the corner bar on Saturday night with fellow sinners and have a better time until closing than with us at our worst here in public.

Perhaps, we few, here and now, should covenant together in all the debates we enter in in this forum, to let our answers be always seasoned with "agape" for the other posters and try to encourage, rather than tear down those who see things differently. I am not saying we are not doing it now, I am just suggesting that we continue to do so in the future. I have watched Alamo-Girl and Betty Boop and have been impressed with the way they have handled difficult situations with grace and love and we should emulate them. (Now don't get big heads you two, half the stuff you write I don't understand so I couldn't debate anyways)

Thanks for this installment.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you oh so very much for your exhortation and for your encouragements!

Truly, if we misunderstood every other commandment in Scripture, and yet had our full heart and mind and soul set on the Great Commandments (paraphrased as first to love God absolutely, next to love our neighbor unconditionally) we would be ok because all of the law and the prophets "hang" on those two commandments. (Matt 22:36-40)

[Alex Murphy]

Jesus, as reported in John 13:35, gives the world the right to judge whether we are his disciples by how we "agape" one another

Which, not-so-coincidentally, is the thesis of Francis Schaeffer's book The Mark of the Christian. Thanks for reminding us of this, B-D.

[Alex Murphy]

Yes, they seem to be asking: What's in it for God?

IMO when most "postmoderns" say they don't believe in God, what they're really saying is that "they didn't vote for Him".

A subtle, but critical, distinction.

[betty boop]

A subtle, but critical, distinction.

Indeed -- Great catch, Alex! Such folks know He's there, but just don't approve of Him. :^)

I guess that's easier than trying to deny Him outright. Which when you think of it is a risible activity: How much ink and hot air has been wasted by atheists trying to "disprove the existence of God" -- then you ask yourself, if God doesn't exist, how come these people are fighting Him so hard?

Thanks so much for writing, Alex Murphy!

[blue-duncan]

You know I was looking all over for my copy to quote from and could not find it, so I had to use my own trite comments, rather than the wise sayings of Saint Schaeffer.

[Alamo-Girl]

then you ask yourself, if God doesn't exist, how come these people are fighting Him so hard?

LOLOLOL! So very true.

In a similar vein, when one is speaking of God and drawing a lot of hostility it is time to Praise God - because if noone were listening, there would be no response at all.

[LadyDoc]

bless you for posting this.

Shaffer has a prophetic book about abortion and euthanasia, where he predicted starving the brain damaged, and having nurses give them morphine because the starvation caused them to suffer so much...he was a true prophet.