REASON ON TRIAL

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.”

Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

The greatest challenge of the modern man is not to clone DNA’s or life at Mars, it is not stem-cell research or cancer therapy. It is not to find a cure for HIV, aging or recently the newer breeds of flu. In as much as these are all worthy causes, they ultimately serve to feed man’s curiosity and to prolong his days. Days that in the words of Shakespeare are “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”!

Though many people folks would not agree with Shakespeare on this note but they no doubt would understand that at least he could describe it, for many a suitable description is still lacking. Man’s greatest challenge has been to attain meaning.

The human experience is so complex that entire disciplines (philosophy and psychology) were developed for its study. And it appears we haven’t made significant headway, the departure to psychology and philosophy was after the discourse on theology became boring and devoid of much intrigues and thrills, besides the subject matter didn’t give much room for our unusual fantasies,

Then we found science! Eureka screamed the modern man and kept her as a bedmate for 4 centuries, apparently that romance is going sour and a return to theology is eminent. The exodus has started already, but on a different note now. The Theos for this Modern man is Man Almighty himself.

But before Man “falls” for his latest catch, it is important that we all stop and think (I believe you still can); where/what is meaning?

Socrates describes “nonsense” as the things rocks describe among themselves! Nonsense; no sense, is used to describe things we cannot comprehend and “chance” is one of them. Man is yet to prove that Time (tick, tick, tick,), Matter (kpa, kpa, kpa) and Chance (Socrates’ rocks) gave birth to my mega super coordinated brain, which for the records just managed to fit into a very hard almost rocky box we call skull! Science is yet to prove that the perfect harmony and dynamism seen in the sexual relationship between man and wife is a product of chance (Socrates’ again).

Modern man seeing that the evolution hypothesis has become too hard to prove would “condescend” in a new awakening or illumination to the theism he once abandoned, this time his theism.

Before modern man embraces his Modern bride, it would be wise to ponder at what really is the meaning of Life. Why all these unpleasant pleasantries, distasteful privileges (e.g. abortion). The complexities of life are quite that; complexities. But is there really a comprehensive understandable meaning to it all? I believe there is. (see my previous note on “My take on meaning” and “The premise for meaning”)

Theism is the belief in God or gods, Karl Marx called it (religion) the opium of the people and I must say that to an extent he was right, what he didn’t answer was whether the opium was right or wrong and which brand of opium he would generally prefer for he offered “the people” one!; Communism, many years later his opium has been found particularly distasteful to many.

Talking of opium, there are many shades to it;

One that gives you Godly laws to make you righteous and on the basis of your obedience declares you righteous. On the other hand it condemns you when you fail. In some cases you never know if you failed or not till we get there.

The other tells you that we are all unrighteous and that you only have to accept that God has forgiven via His only Son, and on that basis declares you righteous. After that you have certain responsibilities.

Another tells you that you are more of a God yourself, and yes your forefathers are gods also, you just do the good and interact with them.

Modern man looks at all this option and decides to be free (makes a lot of sense) and make his own opium depending on how he feels about it when he feels about it and anyhow he feels about it. Or at best takes a little of one (or a mix) to fit in, after all he is a social being.

The other tells you that it is all about you, that God is dead (i.e. if He ever was alive), it all depends on the way you feel about it.

This is the dilemma of the modern man, but then we still hold certain to be observable truth;

1. There is a unity in the diversity of creation (Uni-versity; that is why some of us went there) and it suggest a purpose and demands for meaning.

2. The premise for that meaning can be found in an intelligent creator (without whom there will no moral law, no basis for the observable “good” and “evil”, and hence no meaning) and the heart of every man has known His law. (I dare say that you know it).

3. Moral law from a Moral Law giver suggests punishment on offenders

4. Man is a chronic offender ( He is quite aware)

5. Man is a victim of the Law

6. Man for centuries has wondered if there is a Rescue.

Is there? (Don’t bother about the law, it can’t rescue man. It condemned him in the first place. Also man has never heeded it and God knows better, grace maybe; Presidential pardon!)

7. God has taken the initiative; Man for centuries has heard that he has been forgiven! Even for the sins he is yet to commit. No man deserves punishment for an acquitted offence except if he is unaware of it (or if he rejects the acquittal, for he can)

But in His confused state, modern man has looked at God and has blurted an answer

If you really exist, then you don’t care enough, in fact, I wonder if you are good at all. See the tsunamis for heaven’s sake.

I don’t care if you care or exist. I got to live this life (most unscientific/unreasonable answer)

I know you exist and care, but there is so much confusion down here. I can’t help myself.

I do love you God; see how hard I am trying to obey your law. I work so hard, I hope you can see how clean I look! Which acquittal?

I know you care and love me, please help me to be clean. I accept your acquittal.

To these, God answers;

|I care, trust me if you don’t, we will see.| (l’ll explain more in “The face of human Tragedy/suffering”)

|I care and I know you care that I care. I’m still waiting, for a while though|

|I know you can’t help myself, I have helped you already|

|I care dear, and I see your efforts, your dirty hands can never make you clean enough for me, I have forgiven and I am not angry no more, just believe me. See I have paid the price, I am the judge remember, and I have given my verdict; Not guilty!|

|I have paid the price for the sin of the whole world, just believe in me. I have helped you already and I am with you to the end of days|

My Stand

God made man for himself. He desired increase, God is Love and Love allows for choice. Man (Adam) chose bad and we all fell for it. The law was given to make that certain. You would think God was mad but His Grace has said; |I have judged you and found you Not Guilty! For another has paid the price!| . It is only in Jesus that we find this answer, and believe me His person gives meaning to all that you can see.(that is why Truth is so exclusive)

Like many a men before, I have bowed my knees to Him, accepted the pardon and like Harriet Tubman has found “the sun shine like gold through the trees”

Okwonna Nelson