| Last week, as the public sale of fireworks
gained momentum in anticipation of Independence Day, the news reported
that an unidentified group of teenage boys in Oklahoma had killed a litter of puppies by
stuffing their mouths with fireworks and setting them off. The mother of
the puppies had survived the ordeal by apparently running from the boys'
attack, but later she was found, dazed and confused,
standing over her lifeless pups and trying to nudge them awake with her
nose. A very sad scene, indeed.
To me, this kind of disgusting and mindless behavior only solidifies
my opinion that the public's use of fireworks on the Fourth of July no
longer has any real significance as a heartfelt celebration of our
American liberty, but is only an excuse by many to become loud, obnoxious,
and violent. The proud feelings of patriotism that fireworks once
fostered have been relegated to a vulgar form of amusement and empty
ritual. We have been seduced over time by the flash and sparkle of the
pyrotechnics, and are no longer moved by the history and symbolism that
once impacted our young nation, fresh from her struggles for freedom.
Sadly, I see a parallel between this activity and the way many American
evangelicals today approach the Bible. Just as July fireworks
have been stripped of their original purpose and significance, the Bible
is no longer revered and honored as the very revelation of God Himself,
but has become nothing more than an empty icon of the Christian faith to
use for selfish purposes.
Churches today have fashioned God's word into a "how-to" book to help their congregation satisfy their felt needs, bring them worldly
success, or make them feel good about themselves. The weightier,
humbling doctrines of God's wrath, sin and repentance that provides the pivotal
framework for the true Gospel has been replaced in favor of a more feel-good,
self-centered approach to utilizing Scripture. In essence, God's Truth
has become a vessel for "common" use, just as fireworks have become
outlets of rage for teenage boys and immature adults.
The true patriot, however, sees fireworks, not as destructive toys,
but as a symbol that celebrates our historic path of independence
through the life and death battles of our forefathers. Likewise, true
Christians must be diligent in protecting the sanctity of the Bible as
God's holy word. The Bible was not given to us as a tool for
self-justification or self-improvement; it was given to us to reveal the attributes of a holy
sovereign God, the sin of natural man, and the amazing grace and love of God in sending His
Son to atone for the sins of His sheep in order that we might have life,
and that more abundantly.
Let us not allow our society's growing obsession with amusement and
self-determination to undermine the true purpose of God's word to humble
us and bring us into submission to God's will.
|
