Dale Cresap's blog

Are you cool? You know this refers to more than temperature. It is a commonly used social status term, especially among young people. What does it consist of? This term is used to describe people who are aloof, emotionally self-sufficient, and detached. It is not cool to display enthusiasm. Among those who use this term this way it is considered the most desirable of compliments. Yet people who are cool are lacking in passion and compassion and empathy. In this case the analogy to temperature is valid in that cool people are not warm.

Have you ever felt excluded from a conversation because it was about hobbies or professions or activities that were not of general interest and that you knew nothing about? Have you ever been an insider in a conversation that others were excluded from? So what conversation topics have universal appeal? Have you found that stories of great adventures involving love, courage, wisdom or faith appeal to everyone? What does this tell you about the universal human condition? If you understand this principle you will be able to engage with any audience and include everyone.

Would you prefer to avoid the trials of your faith? Do you see any value in the trying of your faith? As a consumer you prefer things that have been proven and tested and shown to work. If you were buying gold you would want it to be refined, and this only occurs in the fire, but it makes the gold more valuable. Have you ever been a consumer of the faith of others that has been tried? Don’t you find that those who have endured trials have gained the ability to speak with authority and wisdom?

Do you live in a community? How many people do you know who would come and bail you out of trouble in the middle of the night, either literally or figuratively? How many people would you do this for? You are right to refer to such people as friends, but where do you find such friends? A church is among other things a community of faith. Blessed are those who belong to such a community. Your common beliefs form the binding energy that holds your group together. When I said that it was not good for a man to be alone I prepared for him a mate, but this principle is far broader than that.

In competitive races, all the contestants start at the same place so it is a fair contest. But this is not true in life. Some people are born to privilege, even if that just means a stable home with adequate income, loving parents, and access to education. Don’t discount these things; not everyone has them. Have you noticed skeptics living lives of good character? They were probably brought up right. Do you see believers struggle with character development? I take all comers and you may recall that the gospel is good news for the poor.

Do you believe in a spiritual realm? Can you see it? What would you expect it to look like? If you maintain that it is invisible, is there any visible evidence of it? If you accept the premise that I created the heavens and the earth, would it be more accurate to say that nothing that is visible is spiritual, or that everything that is visible is spiritual? There are indeed realities that are not visible, but there is visible evidence for them. When I invite you to look at things that are unseen, or to look at me, or to look up for your redemption draws nigh, I am not mocking you.

I taught the crowds in parables, and explained them to my disciples. Do you think I did this to reveal meaning or to obscure meaning? Some concepts lend themselves to legal or scientific language. Others are better understood through symbolic language and metaphor. I came to declare the Kingdom of God and it is better revealed by the second method. Does your rational background make you think that meaning is only expressed by the first method? Do you understand that symbol and metaphor are real as much as closed-form linear structured argument? He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Are you on a search for truth? Where do you look? Do you look in only a few places where you are confident you will find it, such as the Bible? Yet the concept of searching implies that you are not yet in full possession. It also implies that you don’t know exactly where to find what you want, or you wouldn’t consider it a search. Have you ever found truth in unexpected places? You should find this to be a pleasant surprise. Can you accept the concept that all truth comes from me? I promised to lead you into all truth. You can trust the leading of my Spirit to do this.

Do you expect people to behave a certain way based on their background and belief systems? Are you usually right about this? Do you have a crisis of faith when you see unbelievers exhibiting righteous behavior or believers being mean? You should rejoice in righteous behavior no matter who does it, and the story of the Good Samaritan illustrates this point. What about believers who don’t live up to their creeds? Do you think they should know better? Do you? A transformed life takes longer to accomplish than a profession of faith.

Are you familiar with the passage that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose? Do you find this verse to be a comfort in difficult times, or is it something you would rather quote to others? This verse is roughly equivalent to saying that what comes to you is for you. This implies that there is redemptive purpose in everything. Do you have the faith to believe this? Is this obvious? Is it something that you are consciously aware of, or do you struggle to find the good purpose in some things?