How difficult that is when you're burning to correct a wrong!
I just wrote a 2,600 word rebuttal to a professed atheist who doesn't believe in Christianity and in legal marriages. It had been in response to his rebuttal in a to and fro we've been having recently. I had assumed he was a believer of God the first time round, and spoke to him like one. He did not respond in kind.
I wrote those 2,600 words with the determination not to ridicule him, but just to clarify statements he had made on the bible, certain Christian practices, and the relevance of Christianity in this day and age. I kept thinking, "don't preach, don't preach!" but I fear I might have run the risk of doing so anyway, because as Ben's blog head reads, "How can I keep from singing?"
I write this now because I haven't posted the response on his webpage. I balked because I started to doubt my motives. There's this weird sense of satisfaction in having finished writing, as if I've gained some odd prize. Which is silly because in all seriousness, I don't think he will be persuaded so soon. Firstly, I don't give the harvest, and secondly, I haven't been doing a fantastic job of sowing either. In fact, I wrote not to persuade so much, as to defend the faith.
But also, I wonder as to my real motives for writing that tome. I suspect he hurt my pride, and I was writing also to assuage myself that I got "the real story out". Even if the case is that I feel that way to a lesser degree, I think it's cause enough for me to consider my motives.
On the other hand, I got a reminder this week that even when Christ is preached from envy and strife (Phil 1:15), the Gospel will still be preached. In every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed.
So what I've done is left the ball in his court. Darcy, if you're readng this, and you're still interested in reading my rebuttal, just understand that the arguments are valid, even if my manner of giving them isn't in meekness as it should be.
No comments:
Post a Comment