Christians and Chemists

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Since moving to Las Vegas, I look forward to Sunday less than I would like. It seems like more often than not I face a great deal of resistance from people who self-describe as Christians. However much they claim to seek Christ, sometimes it seems like they resist knowing or being more than they currently do or are. It is rather frustrating.

In many ways, the members of my congregation share similarities with the students in my classes. At the beginning of every semester, I walk into a room full of students armed and ready to resist me. You see, they desire to be almost anywhere else because they do not think they will need or use anything that I teach them. On top of that, they have almost all heard and been convinced that Chemistry is difficult. I point out that any of them who cook do chemistry and that all of them who are alive are already experts at chemistry whether their bodies have convinced their brains that this is true.

I wonder how many Christians share feelings with my Chemistry class. I suspect that very few of them are there because they really love chemistry and hope to learn more about it. Most of them want to be anywhere other than where they are. For the most part, those who are engaged in success view the course as a prerequisite, a box that must be checked off on their degree requirement list in order to progress and accomplish their ultimate vocational aspiration.

Like my students, many Christians are going through the motions. I read a story yesterday about how people who believe in heaven are more likely to commit crime. Well, the title was misleading, but that's what they really found. You see, belief isn't the same as action or character. It seems like they would rather do anything else, be anywhere else, and the like except to make a show of face. Not everyone who calls himself is a Christian any more than every person with a smartphone or DLS camera is a photographer. Discipleship takes discipline.

Eventually, most of my students come to appreciate and understand the relevance of chemistry in their lives. I try very hard to instill that in them. Some of them even enjoy themselves in the class. I hope that we of faith can follow their example and understand the real value of our Faith in the course of our lives.