Sailing the Seas of Relativism

In the preface to Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard gives this quote as a warning: "Above all we should impress on our memory as an infallible rule that what God has revealed to us is incomparably more certain than everything else; and that we ought to submit to the Divine authority rather than to our own judgement even though the light of reason may seem to us to suggest, with the utmost clearness and evidence, something opposite." -Descartes

The truth is that it is very easy to be seduced by our own logic. The truth is that it is so tempting to fall victim to our own ego.



In modern American culture we live in a sea of relativism. This makes each of us god unto ourselves. We are continually exposed to different circumstances that require us to make moral decisions. Since we were small children we have been instructed to swim in the relative sea coached by lifeguards who have built up our egos to believe that we alone possess the ability to discern what is right for us. This is a falsehood of the worst kind.

Like a child on a step stool we have tried to reach for things that were at God's level all along. (See Adam and Eve). However, we are simply not equipped to wield the powers of God. We are the created, not the Creator. It requires a spectacular display of hubris to say that "I am the highest moral authority in my life."

So you see some "new" cultural phenomena that is embraced by the people around you? Someone has cast off the strictures of the generation before? These things are perpetuated by friends that you know and love? Perhaps you can see your way to a beautiful silver thread of logic leading to the justification of their actions? Good news: you do not have to do the backstroke through the sea of gray. We are not obliged to provide bandwagon support to the latest trends. Take a breath and remind yourself that "There is nothing new under the sun"- Eccl. 1:9b. The Bible is the living Word of God and much of what we wonder about is addressed directly. We also have 2000 years of Saints who have gone on before us wading through the difficult questions and finding inspired answers through God. Let us not be too quick to throw away the gift of the revelations of our Church Fathers.

The beauty of the faith of the Christian is that it is not dependent on us, and the strength of our moral convictions is that they are not born from our own flawed logic. Righteousness is revealed through the Word. Our lives are lived in faith. That faith informs every aspect of our lives. Think you have it figured out? Check your pride at the door. The Holy Spirit, through the Word, will instruct your path.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17

- Posted from my iPhone