What are we scared of?

I love my workplace. I love the freedom to do my work in an inventive, efficient, and educational way. I love working with a light-hearted, but motivated, group of individuals. I love the banter, the dueling wits, and the questions.

The questions are my favorite. I get questions every day about the life that I lead and the God that I serve. Interestingly, people have a conception that I might be offended by these questions though. Why?

One of my co-workers has another question almost every morning. This is encouraging, but after several weeks, he's still beginning every question with "I'm not trying to be a d**k, but..." Why is this? Why does he think that I'll consider it offensive that he asks me questions? Having watched many Christians respond to questions (hostile or otherwise) from non-believers, skeptics, and those we misleadingly term "seekers," I think I have an idea.

Christians have taken the idea of "absolute truth" and confused it with "unquestionable truth." Of course we know the Bible to be God's word, so why do we get defensive when questioned? Why do we not put the effort into studying, thinking, and praying about this so that we are "ready to give an answer?" Instead, we turn on people with questions and act as though they are attacking us. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't, but in any case, we do not help our cause by getting offended by questions. I'm glad this guy isn't scared enough of offending me to ask.

Teaser...

Just tonight I've got a lot of thought material for a post on an incredibly controversial topic. Some of you will guess what it is as soon as you see this, and the rest will just have to wait and find out. I am planning on posting tomorrow evening.

EDIT: Tomorrow being college time. (Tomorrow is the time after the next period of sleep.)
EDIT: Post delayed due to massive headache.

EDIT: Post still further delayed due to unscheduled internet downtime at my domocile. Not setting a further date, just watch this space.

A different perspective

I work with some very interesting people at my internship. One of them in particular, the backup operator who shows up maybe once a week and sits at the desk next to mine, is quite interesting to talk to. As today wound down we got into a discussion on the similarities and differences in our beliefs. He is Islamic, and had some interesting perspectives on God and our relationship to Him.

One comment he made really stuck out to me though. Having discussed the Muslim belief that Jesus was a prophet, and the Christian belief that he was the only Son of God, he made this comment: "It is beyond absurd to a Muslim that a prophet, much less God, would go through hell-fire for the sins of man."

This got me thinking. We as Christians take that sacrifice so for granted, so lightly. We've heard so much about it, generalized it so much, and talked about it so much that it just seems a given. But in reality, we are so blessed that God did indeed sacrifice his Son for us.