This is my hope for you guys in life.. To be equipped to hit home runs!

Not A Problem But An Opportunity

No, if you're a Christian you shouldn't run, whine, scream, or have a religious tantrum. Instead, you should be thanking the Discovery Channel for giving you the chance to step up to the plate and knock this soft ball out of the park.

Greg Koukl, Stand To Reason

Lots of Christians seem to be angry or dismissive about the Discovery Channel special The Lost Tomb Of Jesus. What a mistake. We ought to view it as an opportunity.

For example, a young friend of mine from church attends a public high school in our area. She told me that her history teacher handed out extra credit to anyone who watched the special. I asked her why her teacher gave the assignment. Her response:

Our teacher gave it to us because she said she loves controversy. She did make it extra credit, and said if we weren't allowed to watch it, she would give us something else to do. She made it clear, though, that she wasn't trying to change anyone's mind; it was just a history assignment.

To which I replied:

Since your teacher likes controversy, tell her you would like to make a presentation in history class on why you believe the tomb of Christ was empty. Tell her that you are not trying to change anyone's mind, but you simply want to make a factual historical presentation.

I haven't heard back from my young friend yet, but knowing her, she will ask.

What an opportunity to talk to others about why we believe the tomb was empty. No need to get huffy.

Contrast that approach with another approach taken by a different Christian. This person didn't watch the show ostensibly because it was produced by James Cameron. I asked what if it had been produced by a reputable historian. The response:

I don't think I would have, if given the opportunity because the "evidence" as I have heard, is flimsy at best. Even an amateur historian like me can sniff bad research/archaeology. And, yes, my faith would have prevented me from watching something that is not true to my belief.

It is the last sentence that concerns me. Whining, getting angry, or burying our head in the sand is not an effective approach, in my opinion. When pitched a soft ball like this, take a big back swing, and like Greg Koukl suggests, knock it out of the park.