Posted on his website http://www.randyhollis.com/
Introduction to "The Emancipation of Isaac"
By Randy Hollis
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is a proof against all argument, and which cannot fail to keep man in everlasting ignorance. That principle is condemnation before investigation." - Edmund Spencer
"
Once upon a time" is the way many stories begin.
For the followers of Christ it has always simply been, "In the beginning." We have always had a secure point of reference, "the beginning." The question is what is the core ingredient of which the beginning was made?
The answer is the word, "In the beginning was the word."
So I think it's safe to say that the source of all things is the word, God
spoke the world into existence. We live in an ocean of sound because sound was how it all started, God spoke; therefore sound is the source of all things.
If you could slow a
light frequency down to the speed of a
sound frequency the light frequency and sound frequency would match. Why? Because light has its source in speech or sound; God said, "let there be light."
The scriptures refer to us as the children of light. We find a mandate given to "Walk while ye have the light , lest darkness come upon you:"
John 12:35 KJV
I think the meaning here is clear, light equals revelation. We searched the landscape of scripture until patterns emerged; we connected the dots until we achieved an aaah-ha! In other words, the word of God arranged into certain contextual compositions develops into light. True revelation is a homecoming to unyielding truth; we are only discovering the
already said.
We have experienced celebrations of light and thank God we have found the grace to continue in them. Our celebrations of water baptism and the in-filling of the Holy Spirit are clearly parallels of the birth of water and spirit found in John's gospel.
However, most of us are bound to some degree by the chains of
theological imaginations; these imaginations are developed by someone (preacher, teacher, parent) drawing a truth map in our heads. When not certain, they made
reverential estimates of landscapes yet discovered and uncharted. They meant well, they tried as hard as they could to get it right. The truth is that we all live in the land of shadows, "now we see through a glass darkly."
In the search for truth it is good to remember that the sketches or maps formed in our minds are only a description of the real-estate and not the property (truth) itself. The bible tells us in
John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Free from what?
Inaccurate maps!
In the upcoming months, the organization I am in will face some difficult decisions. They will be called upon to settle some very unsettled issues. The issues, or "technologies in question," are not the problem! We must always go to the root of the problem, which in this case is found in the ethical decision making model we chose to navigate by so many years ago.
We chose a
rule-based ethical decision-making-model;
Example- "
If you have a television in your home you are going to hell."
Yet, Christ epitomized something else; a
principle based ethical decision making model.
Example- "
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:" (
Psa 101:3 KJV)
The Rule based model clearly demonizes "the technology." While the principle based model simply teaches us to navigate through it. I might also add that the principle - "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes," seems to anticipate the internet as well. "His" principles just have a way of doing that. Our rule based model did not anticipate the internet and we've witnessed pastors and their wives leaving each other over someone they met while in a chat room, or worse.
A
rule based ethical decision making model will more often than not, lock you into time and era; a "rule" can make perfect sense to one generation, and become rigid, limiting, and even damaging to the next.
A
principle based ethical decision making model is adaptable while navigating through time and era; it works in every generation. The eternal God we serve has never been affected by time. Therefore, the principle based model He gave us is timeless.
Trueblood said, "
What is most rewarding is doing something that really matters with congenial colleagues who share with us the firm conviction it needs to be done."
We must steer our organization towards Christ's
principle based ethical decision making model if we expect to survive the tsunami of technological breakthroughs which lay on the horizon.
God richly bless you as you take the time to prayerfully read the chapter below, "The Emancipation of Isaac." Keep in mind that even though I feel the insight for this chapter was given to me by God, I am fully aware that I still, like Paul, only "
know in part." I'm asking you to feel free to respond by email, we need each other now more than ever.
The chapter was written in the fall 2003, it's from my upcoming book which I plan to call "The Man in the Middle."
Your friend in Christ,
Randy Hollis
Hybrid Mode
