Know Jack #486 The Notable Exception

“There is nothing permanent except change.”  Heraclitus

I once wrote a book about Christian faith. I didn’t want to. I argued about it with God and my editor, maintaining it was a waste of time. The reason for my protest was that I wanted to sell books as well as write them. After giving in and writing it, I did my best on the book. I think it is worth reading. My theology was sound, and the telling is a bit entertaining. Of course, it didn’t sell. A prophet has no honor in his own country and among his own people. I’m a regular guy without a degree and without an adoring following. What could I know?

So, you may think I would not dare to contradict a noted Greek philosopher who influenced the likes of Plato, Hegle, and Nietzsche. You’d be wrong. I’m more presumptuous than that. There is one thing that is permanent—human nature. You will say to me that people change all the time. Indeed, they do. They change their mind, their looks, their diet, and countless other things. They even change from death to life in Christ.

Though they may war against it for the rest of their life, they do not change their nature. What the first man wanted, men still want, “to be as gods”. We want our own way, our own truth, and our own life. Now, we have it and are continually changing our exterior circumstances, and looking for something that will give the desired end.

One of the great tragedies in our country occurred when people got the idea that our nature has evolved so that we are now more enlightened and better human beings. They would have us believe that since we are more technologically and scientifically advanced, we are no longer the base, rebellious, devious, selfish creatures we once were. Now, we can have a more responsive, living rule of law and let the passions our forefathers dreaded run free.

The question we have to ask ourselves is, “How’s that working for us?”