The Barbarian Way I

My first installment of thoughts from the Barbarian Way by McManus:

"Somehow Christianity has become a non-mystical religion"
One of the things that I appreciate about the whole post-modern culture is an inclination away from the scientific method approach to life and toward spirituality. I believe this is a healthy movement for us as a society and, most importantly, Christianity. Somewhere along the way we became concerned with trying to prove our faith, perhaps now we can move beyond that and embrace the reality of what the Bible is saying.

The whole Bible is filled with crazy stuff (see: circumcision, virgin birth, dead men walking) that flat out can't be explained any other way than by the supernatural power of God Himself. This is the faith to which the writer of Hebrews refers as he (chpt. 11) rattles off crazy story after crazy of people who were completely devoted to a God who moved them to action. The faith that the Bible presents is a whole lot different than the faith you see in Ned Flanders.

"For the early disciples, Jesus was right there for them to watch and hear. For the rest of us, we have to learn how to see the invisible and hear the inaudible."
Bill Bright was once asked if he had the chance to speak to a group of Christians or non-Christians which would he choose. He responded that he'd rather teach the Christian audience to live a spirit-filled life because then they'd have the chance to share Christ with the other group of non-Christians.

When you leave college my prayer for you as a student leader with CCC is that you would be educated. Not with a degree or skill for the workplace, but rather with an understanding of what it means to live a Spirt-filled life; to see the invisible and hear the inaudible. I pray that you will be an ambassador for Christ for the rest of your life because you are listening to the still small voice of Holy Spirit as He directs you.

-Ethan Wiekamp