I want to share some thoughts I have been having about discovery and how it relates to the perception and identity of God.
The discovery of truth is a complex enterprise, a process that unfolds in surprising ways. This couldn’t be more true regarding how it relates to our perception about who God is and who God is not.
Throughout history the perception of people regarding the nature of God has evolved congruent with our evolvement of science and social history.
For example, in ancient times the thought about illness was assumed to be directly related to actions against God or actions revealing a lack of faith, commonly referred to as sin. We read in the Bible that when a person sins it is often accompanied with illness. And as long as a person is ill that becomes a sign that he/she has not been forgiven. As we became aware of germs and viruses as being the cause to disease this new discovery then challenges the prevailing view that sin was the cause of disease. The view of God then is challenged. God as a healer of illness, the forgiver of sin, and the holder of sins against those who do not repent comes under question, at least in the arena of illness. The church had to change its view of God in light of this new scientific revelation. Which leads to this question: How much does, or should our culture influence our view of God and how much should our view of God impact our culture? It seems to me that these cannot be separated any more than answering the age old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg.
Certainly God speaks to and addresses our culture, challenging our views of what is true and what is false. But then when new evidence comes to light, i.e. virus and germs causing disease, how do we reconcile its influence with how we perceive and interpret who God is? I would love to hear your thoughts. Pastor Greg
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