| Who Are The Friends? |
| Well, I made it through the day. Two tests. Both, surprisingly and fortunately, less difficult (sort of) than I had anticipated.
In other news, I received one of the books that I ordered on Amazon.com today. It's a book entitled "Why Friends are Friends: Some Quaker Core Convictions" (or something along those lines). It looks like an excellent book, and it got me thinking... What does being a Friend mean to me? I mean, I don't attend a Friends Church or Meeting most of the year. (Actually, if we were to go by "frequency of attending services", I'm a Presbyterian.) Yet, I embrace the Friends and claim them as my religious preference. So, why? What do Friends stand for that I like? Here's the main thing, and I think the primary key to understanding Friends: Friends focus on establishing a right relationship between the individual and God. Or, put differently, Friends seek to be Friends of God. What does this mean? First, Friends do not focus on salvation. Now, that's not to say that it isn't an important step. In fact, it is the first necessary step in having a right relationship with God. Surrending ourselves individually to the Lordship of our Savior Jesus Christ (which is, in my view, a better expression of Christian salvation than is the common "Accepting Christ as your personal Savior") is the first step to establishing a right relationship with God. Fundamentally, the flaw in focusing purely on a professed salvation is that it leaves the Christian life untouched. The goal of the Church is simply to make you a Christian. After that, the goal is done. The Friends focus realizes that continuous vigilance is necessary. Second, this idea influences greatly the view of the crucifixion. Many would say, basically, that man screwed up, and, even though God is pretty ticked about that, he doesn't want everyone to burn in Hell, so he sent his Son as a sacrifice to keep that from happening. While I may have spoken somewhat tritely there, it's basically what a good portion of Protestants believe. The Friends view is a little bit different. The purpose of the crucifixion wasn't just to save us from Hell. Rather, it was to heal the relationship between God and man. Through Christ's sacrificial act on the Cross, the relationship between God and man was reconciled. The gap of sin may now be closed so that the relationship may be renewed. This changes the view of God in a significant way. Rather than being an angry Judge who saves us out of mere obligation (or worse, arbitrary sovereignty), He is a loving Father who, flat out, LIKES us. But, he is obliged by His Holiness not to embrace us as long as we are sinful. Christ's death has washed away our sin so that our relationship with God may be made whole again. Now, I'm going to step a touch outside the implications for a bit... I believe that God provides us with the relationship with him that we want. I do. If we truly choose to reject God (meaning the True God of the Bible, which is the only God), he will allow us. He will not force us into His presence in this life or the one after. And an afterlife without God is Hell. If we truly want God as our taskmaster, he will act as such. If we truly want God as our Friend, he will be it. Just some reflections. Not very systematic, I know... But, I think they're true, none the less. |
| Home Philosophy Theology Economics and Finance Politics The Arts Costa Rica 2004 Fun Stuff Links My Blog E-mail Me |
 |