About two years ago, I heard Dr. D.A. Carson give a series of lectures on Christian faithfulness in the last days, which have recently been compiled into a little book for Christian Focus called From the Resurrection to His Return. I’ll be posting a review on March 13th, but I couldn’t resist sharing one of my favorite passages:
Christians should never, ever, be surprised by evil. While we should always be horrified by evil, we should never be surprised by it. Do not adopt a Pollyannaish view of things. Do not be surprised by evil. Hold few illusions about the world. There are many times we should be horrified – surprised, never. . . . This world is constantly trying to convince itself that we are all pretty good, that we are all saying the same things, that evil is not an endemic and systemic part of us, and that if we are nice, everything will be all right. Certainly there is no merit in being un-nice! But to hide the disagreements, idolatries, greeds, injustice, God-defying arrogance, materialist hedonism, unbelief, and just plain malice of the world is worse than naïve – it is blind. Christians will look at the rawness of history and the prevalence of evil people who become worse and worse, and they will hold few illusions. This is an essential element of faithful living in the last days
D.A. Carson, From the Resurrection to His Return (Kindle Edition)
Read it last night…very encouraging little book!