Out of This World

W. Carl Ketcherside

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     In each generation the saints on earth are faced with new challenges. The human mind is not static. The discoveries of the past are used as foundations for additional research in the present. The only certain thing about our world is change. The called out ones are never of the world, but they are to be always in the world, yet the world in which they are is a different one than that in which any of their fathers have been.

     For this reason each generation must work out its own technique for effective encounter with "its world." Methods of the past which have proven effective may be retained, but even these must be adapted to current situations or no real communication will be achieved. There are always two dangers. One is that we shall bind our arms by the approaches which worked in yesterday's world; the other is that we may saddle our children with those which seemed effectual in our own world.

     Man likes to categorize his successive eras of growth for historical purposes. He thus speaks of The Stone Age, The Bronze Age, The Machine Age, The Space Age, and so on. We suspect these arbitrary distinctions are not always too valid, as no one can tell where one age starts and another ends. It is a wee bit ridiculous to talk about "the Middle Ages" when you do not know how much time we have left. What seems like "the middle" to one generation may appear to be away off on one side to another.

     Every age is resistant to change because of the innate desire for security. Thus, the alterations that are made often come by revolution rather than by more peaceful evolution. So we talk about the scientific revolution, or the industrial revolution, exactly as we speak of the American Revolution, or the French Revolution. Revolution sometimes means rather violent attack upon the existing order, and this calls forth frantic attempts to defend and protect the status quo.

     Because of its nature, the community of the ransomed ones is frequently involved in a struggle with the forces of change since it is the temporal representative of The Changeless One. Unfortunately, it does not always carefully distinguish between change that is neutral and natural (and therefore helpful), as opposed to that which is harmful and destructive. Upon such occasions it tends toward blind reaction rather than to effective action. A good example is in the encounter with the scientific revolution, in which religious champions were sometimes betrayed into assuming positions which have since proven embarrassing.

     Today we have an intellectual revolution created by a breakthrough in numerous areas of research, coupled with a bringing into focus of all the discoveries of the past. The world in which our generation is cast is one of brilliance in many

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aspects of life. It seems to challenge the conventions and standards upon which we have always relied. It is especially antagonistic toward the structures of society. In every domain of existence including the governmental, economic, domestic and religious, "The Establishment" is under bombardment.

     The reaction of the community of believers has frequently been to surrender the contested area and to retire within its own defences. A good example is the field of higher education. Since this is the real battleground for the mind of modern man, and the one where "the enemy" has chosen to marshal his forces, let us consider the strategy which has been adopted by followers of the Christ.

     The first thing noticeable is that they have often withdrawn from encounter with the world and have constructed little artificial worlds of their own. They have erected barricades around these, and within their own fortresses they bombard their own forces with propaganda as to the tactical weakness of the foe. They spend their time talking to each other, and their money and energy in making their walls thicker and more secure.

     Within these protected compounds they sometimes build their own educational establishments, but these are frequently primarily devoted to indoctrination, and since their products are not intended to enter into direct meaningful combat with the real enemy, a great deal of the training is devoted to the advanced methods of disarming other companies stationed in other barracks.

     To justify such restricted action the position has been adopted that in any encounter of truth with error, the former must always suffer humiliating defeat, and the real purpose of the believers is to protect and save the truth. To enforce this view, any invasion of the field of higher education is discouraged, and those who ignore the warning are brought under suspicion and harassment. Sometimes the atmosphere is rendered intolerable.

     Most of the current strategy of the community is calculated to thwart any serious attempt to go into all of the world. It operates to keep its adherents from making any such thrust. Fighting must be done from entrenched positions. Often a piece of ground is bought and a pillbox constructed before a single soldier is planted in the area. There is no provision for commandoes who fight behind the lines and must sometimes do so alone.

     Many times we confuse going into all the world with going to a lot of points on the globe. There is a great difference between scattering our forces geographically and penetrating the world. It is even possible to go somewhere else on earth to keep from having to go into the world. The African jungle may be an easier place to work than the asphalt jungle in the inner city.

     We may well be mistaken, but it is our personal conviction that the world will continue its intellectual drive, rather than lessening it. The more enlightened nations will continue the upward educational spiral and the lesser enlightened ones will be drawn into it inevitably. The community of saints must recapture this territory from which it has retreated, or be overcome by attrition. God has not promised to keep enough people ignorant so we can survive!

     Soon there will be no other world than the intellectual world. If we go into the world at all it will have to be this one. We venture, with some degree of reluctance, to suggest to our readers and their friends, certain proposals which we believe to be valid. We will not be perturbed if you do not concur with us. We will love you just as much as if you did.

     1. We must lose our anti-intellectual bias. The community of saints has been betrayed into the position that revealed truth will be washed down the drain when it seeks to penetrate the advanced scholastic realm. It cannot be denied that a species of intellectual snobbery has often been demonstrated by some whose faith in Christ has been shaken by the assault made upon it, and this has frightened the saints. But we can never eliminate the human factor, and we must remember that a man is what he wills to be. He makes a deliberate choice.

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     It is rather incongruous to argue that ignorance better qualifies one to choose or that we should set academic limitations in order to hold the saints firm in their commitment to Christ. This would be equivalent to arguing that the way to keep people faithful is to keep them ignorant!

     The fact is that we owe a great deal to scholarly men among us whose research in linguistics (to mention but one field) has made the word of God more meaningful to us. We should never place a premium upon ignorance nor a checkrein upon advancing knowledge. To exhibit a fear of intellectual advancement does not prove the strength of our faith, but demonstrates the weakness of our trust in it.

     2. We must conquer our awe of degrees and revere all men for their work of faith and labor of love. The fact that one is qualified to speak with some measure of certainty in one discipline does not mean that he is an expert in all. Thus we should not deprecate formal education upon the one hand, nor make a golden calf out of it upon the other. One may be a trained psychiatrist and not qualify as a Biblical exegete. A very humble saint who has devoted his life to a study of the revelation of God may speak with much greater clarity about the word of God than one who has specialized only in human motivations and behaviorism.

     The ideal in the community of believers is attained when all, including both skilled and unskilled, are given an opportunity to contribute what they have to offer for the good of all. The man who is more familiar with the text of the Book may be better adapted to the conduct of home Bible studies, while wholly inadequate to deal with neurotic and psychotic conditions. The body of Christ is sufficiently great to make use of the talents of all its members, and can only function to its highest peak of efficiency when it does so.

     3. It is our contention that the forces of righteousness must reverse their strategy and recapture the field of higher education for the Christian dynamic, Jesus is directing a war of conquest. The kingdom of this world must become the kingdom of our Lord. He must rule until His enemies become His footstool.

     But conquest is achieved by taking the initiative and waging aggressive warfare. A war cannot be won by holding the fort, or while in retreat. It cannot be won from an entrenched position. Too often we have been shelling enemy fortifications which have been abandoned for half a century. Those whom we honor as heroes are frequently men who parade their prowess only in front of their own troops and have never had a real confrontation with the foe.

     What we call "fighting for Christ" is all too often shadow-boxing for the entertainment of the home forces. Many a valiant "soldier" has earned his reputation without ever getting outside of the barracks, or out of sight of company headquarters. Our weapon of conquest is a sword. It requires close in-fighting and face-to-face encounter. We have mistaken fencing with one another for fighting the foe, and while we have gained some release from boredom we have made no appreciable dent in enemy strongholds.

     It is our intention, God willing, to make some practicable suggestions in coming issues of the paper for the development of an effective strategy for our day. But while we await the coming of those suggestions we would not wish to leave the impression that nothing is being done. The fact is that a great many disciples are aroused to the need of real encounter. They are personally witnessing to their faith on campuses, in conventions of scholarly men, and elsewhere. They testify boldly of the living Lord and of the abiding presence of His Spirit.

     A couple of years ago it was my privilege to share the speaking honors at a banquet with a notable scientist who had given up his position in nuclear research to proclaim the Good News of Jesus. He is still in demand as a speaker at scientific gatherings all over the world. As we talked about our witness to our contemporaries, he told of an address which he had delivered the previous week in Paris. Before reading his paper, he informed the erudite company that he wanted to pay

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honor to One who had done more than any person on earth to make possible his being there. Taking his New Testament from his pocket he then read to them about the grace of God and the hope of eternal life.

     In my travels I have met others like this brother in the Lord who are members of "the fellowship of the unashamed." I glory in the Lord for the courage He has given them, but sometimes one may be unashamed and still ineffective. We shall hope, by God's grace, to help all who read our humble effort, to develop those attitudes and approaches which will enable us to present a more timely and cogent witness in our generation, which calls itself "the beat generation." We shall hope to help those who are not a people to become the people of God, and to help those who have not found mercy to obtain it.