by Randal Matheny

[Note: This is an extended article of the one posted on the Random Variables weblog.]

In his book The Bible Jesus Read, Philip Yancey lauds the varied expressions in Psalms as people of faith grappled with life's realities. Joy mixed with pain, protest alongside praise, agony and ecstasy together. Indeed, the Bible has its feet on the ground.

Joy and peace do not come at the expense of ignoring the tough issues and the afflictions of our passage through this world. On the contrary, Jesus' suffering brings us face to face with sin's deepest horrors while it breaks the darkness with divine light.

Christians, therefore, are the true realists. Atheists must ignore a universe of evidence for the existence of God. Optimists must close their eyes to human inequalities and social injustices. Pleasure-seekers must pretend there is no accounting for deeds done in the body. Secularists must squelch the cry of eternity emanating from the heart.

This holy realism girds up wisdom and spurns folly. Long ago a man of God made this connection, "The impious fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1, NEB).

Denial of reality comes in many forms. But in every case it bubbles up into foolishness. For as long and hard as one may deny reality, God (not reality) will not deny himself nor his law at work. Denial of reality is actually denial of God's ways and rebellion against his person. The fool of Psalm 14 does not lack rational sense, but moral integrity.

"How vile men are, how depraved and loathsome; not one does anything good!" (v. 2).

The fool refuses to learn when reality knocks him for a loop. He insists he will succeed by going his way -- as he drives off a cliff that, supposedly, isn't there.

When God's people deal with reality, they take several lines of approach.

• They agonize over what men do against what God wants.

• They analyze what is and compare it with what should be.

• They mourn what man has become in light of what he was created to be.

• They view the happenings of time and space within the framework of eternity.

• They rejoice at the goodness of God winning over the human perversity.

• They weigh the purposes of the heart in the balance of God's plan.

• They perceive the hand of God making good sprout from evil deeds.

• They exult in being new creatures in Christ as they face the dissolution of creation.

• With righteousness controlling their lives, they would hasten God's intervention to vanquish evil.

As God's people understand the full gamut of reality, their emotions range the complete keyboard of expression. Feelings and thoughts, motives and purposes, are all laid before the Sovereign's throne.

During his ministry, Jesus also felt the range of emotions. He got angry at the hypocrisy of religious authorities, frustrated at his disciples' slowness, exasperated at lack of faith. He showed tenderness to immoral women, love to lovers of money, and compassion to the suffering and mourning. He cried before a friend's tomb. He agonized with three disciples and drenched himself in sweat during prayer.

So Christians, like Israel before them and like their Savior whose example they follow, may cry, doubt, plead, and protest to their Maker. In so doing, they show their full humanity working toward holiness and demonstrate that they, above all others, are taking life as it is in full account and placing it squarely at the feet of him who can perform immeasurably more than any can ask or conceive.