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Surfin' the Spirit

From the Pastor

Humanity's Quest

Charles Swindoll in his book, Growing Strong in the Seasons on Life, reflects on the history of humanities search and pusuit for satisfaction. Notice the following description:

Greece said	Be wise, know yourself.
Rome said	Be strong, discipline yourself.
Judaism says	Be holy, conform yourself.
Epicureanism says	Be sensuous, enjoy yourself.
Education says	Be resourceful, expand yourself.
Psychology says	Be confident. fulfill yourself.
Materialism says	Be acquisitive, please yourself.
Pride says	Be superior, promote yourself.
Asceticism says	Be inferior, suppress yourself.
Diplomacy says	Be reasonable, control yourself.
Communism says	Be collective, secure yourself.
Humanism says	Be capable, trust yourself.
Philanthropy says	Be unselfish, give yourself.

On and on and on goes the quest of humanity. No wonder people are confused or suffer indigestion from this smorgasboard of philosophies. Rollo May's words are valuable in the plight of searching men and woman today:

"It is an old ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way."

Much like the sticker on car bumper bars - Don't follow me - I'm lost! Or perhaps more like the nursery rhyme most of us learnt at school, "Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find them." Today it seems that instead of sheep we have lost our way - and don't know where to find it.

Many people have tried hard to be "religious" or "live by the golden rule" or "tie a knot and hang on" or "be real sincere," only to discover they're still running hard - but nowhere in particular.

Henry Thoreau put it this way:

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."

Robert Ingersol, the bold and brilliant agnostic, spent many years of his life opposing and attacking the Scriptures and Jesus Christ's claims. On his deathbed . . . at the end of his race, he uttered these words:

"Life is a narrow veil between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry."

Pontious Pilate, stood eyeball to eyeball with Jesus Christ of Nazareth, just before handing him over to the religious authorities to be crucified on a Roman Cross. In the judicial process of interogation, he heard Christ say, "everyone who is of the truth," to which Pilate replied, "What is truth?" That question hasn't changed over the milleniums. Pilate never waited for an answer. He whirled away in confused disgust. He had an opportunity to stop and listen. Jesus could have told him that He alone had satisfying words, for He alone is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

Christianity is not a system of human philosophy nor a religious ritual nor a code of moral ethics - it is the giving of divine life through Jesus Christ.

God says ............ Be in Jesus Christ and rest yourself.

Rick Ferret

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