Last night, Jeremy and I watching The Order, with Heath Ledger, which is a movie about the what are called "sin eaters." The movie focuses on a Catholic priest called Alex, he is one of the Carolingian order of priests, who are specifically trained to exorcise demons, and fight otherworldly creatures. The movie itself is of little consequence to me in this post, but more a quote given by a 'wise' bookstore owner in Rome, because everyone who owns a bookstore is the pinnacle of wisdom for all subjects. He says the knowledge in the enemy of faith. It took a moment for his meaning to sink in, then I said aloud, "I completely disagree." I'll be the first to admit, that to a person weak in faith, 'knowledge' is the means by which the culprit snatches the waning faith from said person, usually giving him a haughty new worldview which belittles the 'faith' he thought he possessed before. But as a Christian, knowledge has been fuel to my fire, and not only knowledge about what I believe; the more I know God, the more I see his fingerprints on the world around me, and the more easily I see his influence in every aspect of my education. True faith begets knowledge. St. Anselm of Canterbury said "I believe in order that I may understand." Believing in God not only allows us a better view of the created order, but knowing God, allows us to better know ourselves and others as well.
Esphesians 3: 17-19
I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that this love surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Dwell on this, so that you may understand that no matter how much knowledge you acquire, there is nothing that you can know that equals the love that we have in Christ, that he loves us so much, though we deserve none of it. That he allows us to know him and know his creation--every aspect of it. Knowledge will never be an enemy of faith, it can only supplement our relationship with God, to better serve him as his chosen people, as we continue to build his kingdom.
Late for class,
Caitlin
Think about Proverbs, too: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (1:7). You need both--faith and knowledge together. One without the other is lacking.
ReplyDeleteAhh, now I'm prepared to make a legitimate comment *wink wink*.
ReplyDeleteHow can knowledge be the enemy of faith? For those of us who know, the Lord IS knowledge. He is the source, the originator, the fount of all. It would be just as ignorant to say "science is the enemy of faith," for the Lord created all things, or "art is the enemy of faith," because God is True Artist. He is the One who gives us science and art, so how can belief in him be contrary to the things of him?
That bookseller makes me sad, and I think I shall open a bookstore and be smarter than him. So there :)
stumbled upon your blog today! love it! hope you are doing well!
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