Then I got to thinking about looking under rocks.

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

Did you know that April 15 was Geologist Day? It was on the white board in the lobby of our "Y". That got me to thinking, "Do you know what Geologists say at a concert? Rock-on!!" I thought of that all by myself! When I told it to my "Y" family the consensus was, they wished I hadn't thought of it. Then I got to thinking about what geologists do. When I thought about what geologists do, one of the things that naturally happens is, they pick up rocks. When I thought about what happens when you pick up a rock, the natural thing that happens is you look at where the rock was. So, by default, you look under a rock. 

Then I got to thinking about looking under rocks. 

While I was pondering looking under rocks and imagining what that looks like. God interrupted my daydreaming and asked (As if He didn't know), "What are you doing?" I replied, "Looking under rocks in my mind." When I said this, I immediately remembered a Steve Martin joke, it went like this; a person walked up and said, "Steve what are you doing?" Steve responses, "Why I am juggling in my mind....Oops, dropped one." God just smiled. He said, "Why are you imagining looking under rocks? You actually look under rocks every day. One of you favorite hobbies that I like to watch you do is look under theological, and worldview rocks, and see the hidden theology and worldview beneath them." 

I do like to look under theological/worldview rocks. It is always fascinating and often weird when I do. I am always entertained by them, often disappointed, but knowing them helps me, help others that have been hurt by these "hidden worldviews." Most people do not even realize they exist, but they do.

Take Christianity, my worldview, for instance; with-in this worldview there can be:

• Individualism
• Consumerism
• Nationalism
• Moral Relativism 
• Scientific naturalism

I have even added some others:

• Politicism
• Tribalism

Did I mention I like looking under rocks?

Lets take individualism for a ride. Individualism is the classic, "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps." Which taken to its conclusion says, "You don't need God for salvation, you can do it yourself." 

How about Consumerism? Consumerism is the classic throwaway society, When you don't need it, chuck-it. "I don't like the music in church, I will go to a new one." or "The message didn't move me, I will find one that does." Treating church as if they went to a show, consumerism.

Nationalism-"If the United States ceased to exist God's plan would be derailed."

And then there is Moral Relativism! The old, "truth is relative" argument. Speeding driver, "Pardon me officer, why are you giving me a ticket?" Officer, "You were doing 70 in a 55 mile/hour zone. Didn't you see the speed limit sign?" Speeding driver, "Oh yes, I saw it, but that doesn't apply to me. Your truth is not my truth and my truth trumps (pardon the pun) your truth every time. 

And then we have Scientific Naturalism. Scientific Naturalism states that the world is a closed system and does not leave room for an outside entity (God) to interact with it.  While this is a worldview that Christians do not adhere to, their reaction to it can be to reject "all science", as Wilkens and Sanford state in their book Hidden Worldviews, 

"Many Christians correctly recognize that naturalism does not find belief in God as simply a benign belief but as a dangerous alternative to rational scientific techniques. As a result, Christians often incorrectly react by rejecting science itself (sometimes with a rejection of rationality thrown in for good measure) rather than naturalism."[1]

Now we have Politicism and Tribalism. Politicism states that if you do not belong to the same political party as I do, or vote differently, you are evil; or that a particular political party is God's favorite. Those in the other party are not Christian. Tribalism, is simply if you do not talk, act, dress, go to a certain church...you are evil and not a Christian. 

I may be the village idiot of the North Region, but I don't think that there is room for any of these "Hidden Worldviews" in our main worldview. 

Here is where it gets really tricky.

We all fall into these hidden worldviews, no matter how diligently we strive not to. I catch myself often.

This got me to pondering once again. 

Am I the only one who trips and falls, or are their others out there? 

I haven't run into too many people that don't like Jesus, so what keeps them from drawing near? Hmmm...I hope it isn't me. 

It is funny what you will find when you look under a rock.

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

---

[1]Steve Wilkens, & Mark L. Sanford, Hidden Worldviews. (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2009), 105. 

---