Title:- Silent & Salient Speaking
Mark 4:34
But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
In 1938, with the help of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis had secured ‘Bodley Head’ to publish and release his book ‘Out of the Silent Planet.’ An ‘outer space’ adventure story, like new cut stone it was mostly marbled with metaphysics rather than the then more familiar, Newtonian one! Despite it’s obvious metaphysical overtones with the Christian meta-narrative, Lewis was aghast that only two out of the sixty reviewers spotted that his character, ‘The Bent One,’ was in fact a representation of the devil. Addressing this conundrum, he remarked that “It’s quite obvious any amount of theology can be smuggled into people’s minds under the cover of an adventure story without them knowing it.” Have you got that?!
Currently, it is the general consensus of opinion that post-modern man rejects the Christian meta-narrative. In other words, post modern man hates the bigger picture of Christianity's ‘real absolutes.’ In other words, post moderns cannot abide a story, a framework with an absolute reference point, a certain guide, a definite and divine mandate, the ‘real thing’, that challenges their experience and stands in direct opposition to the lifestyle they have chosen to live. Well, nothing new there then, for sinful man has always 'kicked against the pricks!'
In light of such a post modern ardent dismissive of the Christian message, Christian apologetics should unsheathe its shiny and sharp guilt edged sword, and the clang of wielded metal and the clash of arms should be heard around the land, more louder than ever before in history. But it isn’t is it? Why is that?
Well, I believe it is because most post moderns won’t even fight! For relativism and pan spirituality simply leads post modern man to look at the apologetic sword and say “so what! As long as by law and legislation,” have you got that? “So what! As long as by law and legislation, you don’t affect me, then you can live in your own limited law infested fearful little ghetto and I shall live in the vast expanse of mine.” Ah, there we have it: law and legislation. Christianity and its intrusion into politics.
Make no mistake about it, politics is going to be the hot place in the present battle. So I have two calls today and this is the first one:
Christians must get involved in politics! In grace and in love, in truth and in the real absolute of the Christian world view, the story of God must be shared with a forgetting and rejecting nation. We need to send more people into politics as a legitimate field of mission, where the prophetic projecting of the notable mandates of God are clearly, lovingly and powerfully set forth for all to see. This is salient speaking. This is needed today!
My second cry is to artists. All purveyors of communication in its many forms. Here is where the real absolute, the meta-narrative of God Almighty, can be spoken with great legitimacy and at all times. Post moderns, pan spiritualists, relativists, are on the whole, currently, for now that is, accepting of art. Art is a level playing field where words are received and examined. It is an open forum for flashing fragments of the Divine story. Lewis was right when he said, “It’s quite obvious any amount of theology can be smuggled into people’s minds under the cover of an adventure story without them knowing it.” This is silent speaking and this is needed today.
Maybe friends, in the coming hot political climate, these silent words of the artist will remain inextinguishable messages to a mad and miserable ‘post modern man?’
Listen:- Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. Psalm 78:1-4
Pray: - O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. (Psalm 51:15 )
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