President’s Laptop – July 1999

President’s Laptop – July 1999

Dear Friends,

Have you ever been bored in church or Sunday School? How about your kids? Yes, I have been and, yes, mine have been. I have to ask myself, “Why?” especially since God and His Word are anything but boring.

Perhaps one reason is that we stick too closely to the who, what, where, when and how questions about the Bible. I’m not saying that these questions aren’t important. As a scientist and born “fact gatherer,” I know they are. Personal application questions are important, too, of course. However, I’ve noticed that what most greatly interests and intrigues young believers, old believers, and nonbelievers are the why questions: Why are we so sure that the Bible is true? Why did God create the universe? Why does life involve pain and suffering? Why did God create parasites and carnivores? Why must plants and animals die either before or after Adam sinned? Why must the universe be so big and so old? Why would God make bipedal primates before making Adam and Eve?

I like to toss out the question, “What if things were not this way?” In my experience, everyone likes to discuss these kinds of questions. They motivate us to dig deep into God’s Word, to piece together what we know of it—and of His world—under the guidance of His Holy Spirit. If churches and Bible classes offered more opportunity for this kind of discussion and interaction, more people might discover that Christian gatherings are anything but boring.

SINCERELY,
Hugh Ross