Heterodox aftershocks 3: Mind follows heart

I got some feedback from a very kind person who took the time to read my entire epic. One thing he said stood out to me because it reminded me of something my pastor said in his sermon on Sunday that stuck out at me. My pastor noted that where the heart leads, the mind follows. That really resonated with me. In fact, it’s where I hang my hope. I’ll explain why below….

My gentle reader said, “[your] combination of existentialism and skepticism is pretty cut & dried postmodernism, no?”

And this could be the crux of the matter. I don’t particularly care about labels, but I care about where my heart is, and what my attitudes are. I don’t know if existentialism and skepticism are intrinsically good or bad things. My guess is that they are both. Perhaps I am a victim of my milieu and can not escape these post-modern propensities. (Although I read Vieth’s Postmodernism Today several years ago, and found most of his arguments sound.) But I assume the heart behind them is the philosophy is the important thing. And conforming my heart to God’s will is my goal. If that requires fighting my natural inclinations I’m not opposed to doing so, provided I see a convincing reason to do so. And therein lies a potential problem. It could be impossible to convince me to drop these attitudes precisely because I have them. Oh what a pickle I would be in if that were the case!

Lewis writes about skeptics seeing though thing until they get to the point where they see through everything and can’t find substance anywhere anymore. It’s easy to spot the heart behind that attitude. It’s simple I’m-smarter-than-you pride. I don’t have that. I know darn well I’m not smarter than most of the great Christian thinkers who have come before me.

I also have ideological limits. It’s not accurate to say that I will follow the truth anywhere it takes me. If the truth takes me to a place where I will be less loving I just won’t go. I’ve set a priority in my life, and love trumps all. Reason, intellect, rights, justice, etc. Which I realize makes me sound like an awfully holy person. But of course I’m not. I’m stating a goal. A desire. I attribute that desire to God.

And that’s the only reason I have hope that I can escape the existentialism of the self. It’s through that heart of love that connects me to Christ that I hope to be a positive influence on those around me.