Faith That Lasts by Cameron McAllister & Stuart McAllister

Author:Cameron McAllister & Stuart McAllister
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: family;home;parenting;nones;dones;apologetics;father and son;father son relationship;Christian parenting;raising Christian kids;children;kids;raising kids in the faith;raising children in the faith;raising Christian children;Christian home;growing up in a Christian home;myths about Christian parenting;Christian father;Christian mother;Christian family;raising a Christian family
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2020-11-11T13:25:58+00:00

Biographical Interlude

CAMERON’S STORY

Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

PSALM 139:7-8

In the world of Christian ministry, people are always badgering us for our story. Thus, I feel obliged to give a quick narrative of the Lord’s radical intervention in my life—a kind of compressed Pilgrim’s Progress replete with ogres and dragons. I worry that there’s an unspoken assumption that the credibility of our story grows in direct proportion to the severity of our former life. I know that’s often the case with me: I don’t actively wish harm on anyone, of course, but I sure do cherish those ogres and dragons. How could I not? They’re so interesting. If we’ve survived the ravages of addiction, crossed the Rubicon from another religion, emerged from the underbelly of crime, or pushed past the barriers of skepticism, our listener is probably going to take us much more seriously. After all, you can’t argue with scars. There’s a reason these kinds of testimonies are a mainstay at Christian conferences and special church services featuring guest speakers.

But what if your story isn’t so exotic? What if you grew up in a Christian home, for instance, surrounded by faithful men and women who embodied the gospel with confounding consistency—men and women who didn’t do you the courtesy of provoking a serious (and narratively compelling) rebellion? What if your family effectively robbed you of the luxury of a more impressive testimony?

There’s a rough corollary between the perceived authenticity of the Christian with the past and the myth of the tortured artist. Do a bit of research on your favorite writer, poet, painter, or director, and you’ll frequently find evidence of a deeply damaged individual. Case in point: one of my favorite writers is David Foster Wallace. Tortured? Check. Complex relationship with his mother? Check. Eccentric? You bet. Brilliant writer? That’s an emphatic yes. Artistic credibility? Through the roof. Now apply this same litmus test to a cherished Christian testimony. Be honest, does the prodigality on display in the story tend to enhance the credibility of the witness? It’s no surprise that most of us are drawn to tumultuous stories, of course. What is surprising, however, is the amount of faith we often put in ogres and dragons.

I’m an apologist, so the What’s your story? question is unavoidable. Invariably, the person asking has an impressive sin résumé and is curious about the ogres and dragons I’ve battled myself. I’ve been asked for my story by former gangbangers, atheists, Muslims, Hindus, drug addicts, LGBTQ+ activists, and Wiccans, to name a few. They should all write books, I think to myself—and many of them have. “But enough about me,” they say, crossing their legs and leaning in, “I want to hear your story!” I’m tempted to answer, “I’ve always lived blandly ever after,” but my earnest, nondefensive thought is: I don’t have a story. I have no ogres and dragons.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.