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What is your basis for the choices you make big or small in your life? Do your friends decide for you or have you made your own choices? Does your past define your future? Questions like these are important to ask when trying to figure out worldview or even clarify to someone with no lack of understanding what a worldview is. Each type of person on earth may use the same words but sometimes there is miscommunication between them because their definitions of individual words differ. To explain what a worldview is to someone, the first step is to define the term worldview. (103)
What is a Worldview?
A worldview is view of how we see the world, for example sunglasses. Even though they are sometime more colorful than intended, like blue, green, pink lenses, it is because of those sun glasses we are able to block the sun from our eyes and see while we are driving, walking to class, exercising, texting. The sunglasses become a fashion statement and permanent shield each day they are worn. “A worldview-or “world-and-life view,” as some people call it-is the structure of understanding that we use to make sense of our world”, as quoted by Ryken.
Another method of explaining the definition of worldview would be to look at candy. As odd as it may sound, that scrumptious Reese’s cup has structure that keeps it tasting so delicious when you go to buy it at the grocery store. Reese’s cup configuration begins at the core with the hardest, yet silky smooth peanut butter itself, after that comes the milk chocolate to protect the peanut butter, lastly but not least is the wrappers itself. The candies peanut butter has been put in place and milk chocolate spread over it, so what comes next? You guessed it, the black little wrapper which is made perfectly for the Reese’s.
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The Reese’s candy cannot be shipped and sold in stores having only a thin wrapper around the candy so along with this step comes safety precautions. Before it can be shipped off, the candy itself must be wrapped up in a huge bright orange wrapper from bottom (Plain bright orange on the bottom) to top with the words Milk Chocolate Reese’s on it and stating the count of Reese’s in the packaging (Top only) because sometimes it varies. Next time you go for something sweet, think Peanut Butter and chocolate because it will not fall apart in your hands, making it a firm composition. (309)
The Five Worldview Questions: Origin
Science in of itself is more than unique, it is astonishing because it gives us, as humans’ insight into how we were made, what we come from, and why we are on this earth, which are basically origin questions. Science only reveals bits and pieces of our origin, but when we look to God for all these answers, they are found, which is how we as Christians and believers and God view the universe. Origin asks the questions of our creation, such as how did life begin? How did mankind come into existence?
To start off, let me define origin, which is the starting point of where something took place. Now that is defined, let us get deeper into these questions one by one. The first question asked is how did life begin? In Genesis 2:7 and Genesis 1:27 give full coverage as to how we were created, because the first letters of Genesis 2:7 starts with the words “Then the”, meaning that before a word was said humans did not exist. Science can study the human body but still have trouble finding out our true origin, at this point it is all guesses. (194)
The Five Worldview Questions: Identity
The moment you see yourself in the mirror whether it be or good bad day brings the question to mind, what makes me human? Am I more important than animals? As humans, we live our life based on superficiality. Superficiality is interpreted as living in an unrealistic world with unrealistic expectations if I were to define it. Now, that is not to say that humans like myself are just airheads walking around unsure of why we act the way we act, talk the way we do, and eat the way we do, etc. All I am saying is when you look at the biblical/Christian worldview it is clear as glass what makes us human and our importance among animals.
A couple of verses to further evidence would be John 1:12 and Romans 15:7. When we try to identity ourselves through the world, we fall very short. You see, the problem is not us but the world, because it is constantly changing things, we can never quiet reach the top level, causing us to be left wondering if we did something. When you know your identity is with God, he sees all your imperfections, scars, and heartbreaks. Without any doubts, he loves you for who you are, regardless of your past, presence, or future.
The Five Worldview Questions: Meaning/Purpose
Have you ever sat in bed late at night and thought about your purpose in life? If so, you are not alone. Getting lost and not being easily found is easier than many might think. Intrinsic human nature craves to find meaning through words and actions. For example, when someone travels to a certain area, let us say India, of course not knowing what they might want to do for the rest of their life, the more they explore India then they realize that they want to go back to college. When they attend College this time around, they will know what major they want to study.
Education is only one example that humans go searching for, but there are many others such as friends, family, money, honestly the list could go on and on. Finding your aspiration in life, is much like anything else, not easy but so worth it. Of course, each of these is important, however they will not fulfill you fully. The biblical/Christian worldview accepts that God gives us meaning and true purpose. God created us to glorify him and only him, as stated in Psalm 139: 13-14 and Jeremiah 1:5. This is not say that education, friends, and money are not important, however God reminds us that these are not going to actually fulfill us. As proclaimed by Samuel Scroope, Scott Draper, and Andrew L. Whitehead:
“In this way, a loving view of God operates to boost a sense of meaning through perceptions of personal intimacy with God and confidence in God’s concern and care” (Scroope, Draper, & Whitehead, 2013, p. 28).
Jesus Christ shows us our love through his act of dying on the cross and through forgiving us for our many sins. In order to get intimate with God, we cannot assume they mean physically, like the English definition. No, intimacy in this pretext means closeness, nothing more and nothing less. The journey to closeness with God starts with reading the scriptures, attending church, and taking the time to hear him as he talks to you. The Messiah can come through to a person in the most mysterious, oddest ways, even without explanation.
At one point or another, every single one of us has struggled to realize how beautiful we are, both on the inside and outside. The Lord of Lords does not let you wallow in your sadness but for so long, before he speaks to you or gives you a sign. When the sign is given to you and IF, the keyword you decide to take it, you will feel transformed. God is the only being that will not ever let us fall to our own demise because he loves us like no person can. The more you trust and follow God, everything else in your life will begin to fall into place.
The Five Worldview Questions: Morality
All too often, we get fascinated by the idea of becoming immortal. What does immortal mean to you? To me, it means being without fallen human nature. No sin, no sadness, you are no longer weak physically or mentally. The key word with being immortal is no death. Books like Scubs, The Skill of Our Hands by Steven Burst and Skylar White is a great example of our fantasies of living together. This books talks about how for many years a group of hard-working small group who are working to shape the world more technologically and socially.
Slowly, one of them dies, “Incrementalists”, their soul and memories are kept away secretly in a “stub”. A stub is a mystical receptacle for consciousness, allowing them to be put in, per say a renewed body once the other incrementalists find the right candidate. Once the right candidate is found, they continue rearranging the universe whatever it might take, once adjustment has passed. No rules, no death, no wrong, this is pure paradise. Even in paradise, life can and will fall apart. Our life is not a movie like the way movie s are made today in general. Neither is our life a dairy of the powers we wish we had. Another prime illustration would be when you were little, maybe 4-6 age range.
You were still really too young to fully understand the depth of right and wrong so your parents always reminded you what was right and wrong. As more time passed, now at age 22, you and your parents are not as close as you used to be. Your parents are letting you handle life the way you see fit. In order to have a fit lifestyle, you begin by getting a job, applying to colleges, signing up for more, and getting your own bank account. Having your parents to guide you with each baby step is wonderful but as you get older, things between you and your parents change.
The only thing stopping you from committing crimes and other awful things, is your free will. People can tell you policies to follow, guidelines, and show you wisdom, but the choice is up to you. If it were up to human nature, universally it would be more than chaotic. Chaotic and never-ending nothingness. Constantly waking up doing the same crazy things we did last night only to land at square one again.
Without any type of order, the world itself and the people amongst us would be lost, never to be found again, whether it be emotionally and/or physically. The only being whom can determine right vs. wrong for us, because of our fallen nature is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ sets guidelines to follow so that we do not loose ourselves, shaken like the fragile ground beneath our feet. Psalm 16:7-8 and Psalm 25: 4-7 reminds us that our only true map in this cold ice universe is God.
The Five Worldview Questions: Destiny
Death, eternal departure, or whatever you may call it, for many it is a subject no one wants to talk about. When you ponder on the thought of death, what is the first thing you imagine if anything at all? The word sends chills down your spine and leaves you wondering what your death will look like, who will care, and other deep personal questions. Movies such as Charlie St. Cloud, a story of a younger brother (Sam) and his older brother (Charlie) seem to enjoy life together until one night when Sam wants to go out with Charlie.
As Charlie and Sam are sitting there at the right away to turn, a tractor trailer comes from behind and compounds their car in. Charlie survives but Sam does not. Charlie, much like most people does not know how to cope with the fact that he survived and his younger brother did not. His life and interests begin not to matter and he just takes life on full force. The reason a movie like this is mentioned is to go into further detail of just how much death can really ruin a person, even someone distant, it hurts. Not only can it take a physical toll on someone, but also a mental toll.
Charlie was always worried about his brother and not being able to see him, or talk to him anymore only made it worse. When we rely on life and all we have in life, from friends, co-workers, and witchcraft to try and figure out our death for us, well what ends up happening is we are baffled by the outcome(s). No human being or no amount of magic, etc. can determine our end of life.
God is the only one who knows us like no one else knows us, even before our parents knew us. In our mother’s womb, Jesus Christ saw our entire life planned our, from failing your first test to falling in love the first time. Two verses to help me further my point is Hebrews 9:27 and 1 John 4:17. Christ did not die for his selfish nature but ours, which is why salvation is a key word when it comes to destiny through God.
“In this inward pain inspired by the spirit, both humanity and the rest of creation bear witness to each other and to our common destiny in Christ”, (George, 2013)
As quoted by KM George, who is a man of the Holy Spirit and beliefs in some orthodox teachings. “Christianity says that death is not the end; our personal life has consequences. The body will be laid in the dust for a time (this is the result of God’s curse against our sin), but the soul returns to its maker”, (Ryken, 6) states Philip Graham Ryken. The way we live before we pass does have consequences, even the little things that you do not think matter. God is not looking for perfection, however that does not mean that he will take the most destructive person. He is not like St. Nickolas trying to decide in heaven whether you should be with him or not, no he is simply letting man and woman choose because in the end all will be accounted for.
References
- George, K. (2013). Bearing Witness to Christ and to Each Other in the Power of the Holy Spirit: Orthodox Perspectives. Transformation, 30(4), 267–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265378813501441
- Ryken, Philip Graham. Christian Worldview: A Student’s Guide, https://app.wordsearchbible.com/reader, Accessed 4 December 2018
- Stroope, S., Draper, S., & Whitehead, A. (2013). Images of a Loving God and Sense of Meaning in Life. Social Indicators Research, 111(1), 25-44. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24719129
