VANTAGE POINT - PART 1

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"
- Psalm 8:3-4



Today on The Vigilant I’ll be tackling my first real topic and it’s a big one. Hence I’ve had to break it into two parts. Setting out on this blogging journey, I think it’s important to begin with a solid foundation. And so I want to tell you about mine. My foundation, my framework; really, the filter through which I interpret and understand the world and life. It is of the upmost importance to me and thus I wish to share it with you. I want you to understand the one constant in my life that informs my decisions and behaviours and ultimately gives me incredible joy. I hope that as you read, you’ll consider your own foundational beliefs and perspectives to discern if there’s need for adjustment or improvement. As always, I encourage you to search the scriptures, like the Bereans of Acts 17, to see if these things are true.

At the outset, I should mention that much of what you’re about to read has been inspired by a sermon I heard by John Piper entitled, “Why Did God Create the World?” I can’t imagine that anything I’ll write here will add to or improve upon what he’s already said. So if you’re in a position where you have to choose between reading this or watching that, I’d encourage you to watch his sermon here: http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/why-did-god-create-the-world

FOREST FOR THE TREES

Have you ever heard the expression, “Can’t see the forest for the trees?” It’s used to express the idea that, if we’re not careful, we might focus disproportionately on the small, insignificant things and in so doing, miss the enormous and more important things. It expresses this idea by utilizing the image of a person standing on the edge of a forest, though unaware of it himself due to a disproportionate focus on the trees.

For another analogy, imagine your favorite painting or photograph. Now imagine looking at it with your nose pressed up against it. It may have stunning detail, like the precision of the artist’s brush strokes, for instance. And you might even notice hints of a theme or meaning. But it’s only when you step back and look from the artist’s intended vantage point that the whole masterpiece comes into view, full of meaning and beauty. That’s what today’s blogpost is about. It’s about seeing the whole masterpiece. It's about the importance of having the right perspective; to see life from the Artist’s intended vantage point.

Now I’m convinced that we’re all guilty, at times, for failing to see the forest for the trees. I’m convinced for many reasons, but mainly because scripture says so.

“Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” – Romans 1:22-23

In other words, instead of having the correct perspective which culminates in glorifying God we are overly focused on ourselves and the rest of creation which culminates in our foolishness. We’re like people with our noses pressed against the Mona Lisa, claiming to see and understand the whole picture. Indeed, some have become so enamored with the tiny details of the painting that they refuse to believe it’s a painting at all or that a man named Leonardo da Vinci had anything to do with it. What could be more foolish?

By carefully examining our own perspectives and foundational beliefs and by aligning them with what scripture teaches, I hope that our view of the Artist’s masterpiece will come into focus as he intends it to be.

THE ARTIST 

If we continue with the analogy, God is the artist. This is clearly shown in scripture starting with the very first verse.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1

And later in the same chapter it says:

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27

So indeed God is an artist, for what is an artist, but a creator. Though he’s unlike any human artist since his palette is infinite and his creativity is unconstrained; creating what he wills, how he wills without frustration or lack of ability. He sculpts planets and stars and paints life using only his Word.

But God is not merely a visual artist. He’s not like a painter who finishes the painting only to leave it and work on another. He’s constantly sustaining and maintaining his work. 

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:16-17

“for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” – Acts 17:28

We depend on him every moment for life. And each heart beat we feel in our chests is only made possible by his provision. He paints the sky every morning and shines the light of the sun for us to see it. And he causes the stars to sparkle at night. He is the artist who never leaves or forsakes his work (Deuteronomy 31:6).

But so much more than that! God not only creates and sustains, but participates. God’s masterpiece is visual and experiential but also personal. He engages and interacts with his creation in a way that no other artist can mimic. He is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15) and in the story he’s written, he’s the main character. There is no better representation of this than in the beginning of the Gospel of John.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:1-5

Here is the master painter and sculptor; the creator. But later in the chapter we read this:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

Here we see the main character, the very Author of Life – Jesus Christ, entering into the story he’s written. The one who has created all things and who, in himself, holds all things together enters into his creation. And oh what a role he’s written!

I know it’s abrupt but I’ll have to end part one here and leave you in suspense. I hope you’ve started thinking carefully about your mindset regarding the world and life and the existence of all things. Do your perspectives require an adjustment? How do you answer tough questions like, why did God create the world? I’ll give you a hint from my perspective, it starts and ends with the Artist and hasn’t nearly as much to do with me as I might think or like. Stay tuned for part two, coming very soon in which we’ll move from the Artist to his Masterpiece and talk about what his intended vantage point is. With part one and two combined you should have a very good idea of the foundation I base my life on and perhaps you’ll want to join me there. Until next time, stay Vigilant.



Ryan Tame

INTRODUCING THE VIGILANT

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13-14



Welcome to The Vigilant and my first blog post! In this introductory post I’ll concentrate on three main points. First I’ll tell you a little about me. Next I’ll tell you why I named this blog The Vigilant. And last of all, I’ll tell you what you can expect from The Vigilant and why you should visit here periodically. I hope that, after reading this post, you’ll have a clearer understanding of who I am, what motivates me to write and why The Vigilant could be a beneficial addition to your reading routine.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE

Have you ever heard the expression, “Don’t believe everything you hear/read/see?” It’s such an important notion to remember and especially now that we’re living in the internet age. With masses of information at your fingertips you have to be critical and even skeptical of the ideas people share because they may not be true. And if you believe what isn’t true then you’re at risk of ending up in a potentially awkward or even dangerous situation. In a time when every one has a different opinion on nearly every subject, it’s become increasingly important to not only consider the content of the information you receive but also the source of it.

To that end, I introduce myself; that you might carefully scrutinize me as the source of this and future blog posts on The Vigilant. This short biography is not meant to be exhaustive, but is meant to give an honest glimpse at who I am. I hope it will suffice for the time being, for the purpose of your scrutiny.

By the world’s standards, I’m not an extraordinary man. I don’t have incredible stories of personal experiences, neither triumphant nor tragic. I’m not well travelled, nor am I well read. I don’t have a bachelor’s degree, let alone a master’s or PHD. I’m not wealthy or famous or intelligent enough to garner any special attention. As a 34 year old man, I live a fairly simple life that, to most, would lack anything that even hints at the impressive or the interesting. But to Him who created the heavens and the earth, to the one who can rebuke wind and quiet the storm with a word, to the one who died, yet lives, to the one true and living God I am a beloved child. I’m not extraordinary by the world’s standards, but I am by God’s standards in and through the redeeming work of His son Jesus Christ. If you want to learn anything about me, best to start with the most important bit.

So I’m a 34 year old, Christian man. I’ve been married to my gorgeous wife, Kelly, for just over 2 years. We don’t have kids yet but love our two cats, Eli and Fin, very much. We live in Morden, Manitoba in an area known as the Pembina Valley, right in the heart of the prairie region of Canada. I like to stay active and enjoy golfing, kayaking and snowboarding. I also love to read and study (mainly theological stuff) and write, obviously. I was raised in Brandon, Manitoba by two loving parents, Reg and Linda, along with my four siblings. Since I can remember my parents have been professing Christians and have instilled in me, since childhood, the importance of being in relationship with Jesus Christ. Much, if not all, of what you’ll find here on The Vigilant will pertain, at least to some degree, to that most important topic.

Thanks to my parent’s example and guidance I grew up learning about Jesus and later, thanks to God’s grace, was born again. I would say that from that early age I was strongly devoted to my commitment to Christ, though in retrospect, I had no idea what that even meant. And as I grew older I found that, contrary to what I knew was right, I didn’t spend much time cultivating my relationship with God. But instead I spent my time going after girls and dreaming about careers and popularity and wealth. Looking back, I recognize how incredibly gracious God was with me. And it convicts me now, knowing that in years to come, I’ll look back and realize how incredibly gracious He is to me here and now. But so it went, up through high school and well beyond college years. I was living for me, myself and I with little thought given to who I really was, namely, a child of God, created in His image to glorify Him (John 1:12-13, Genesis 1:27).

In that self-centered, delusional state, I bounced around from school to school, career to career and from relationship to relationship until I finally found my place. On account of God’s providence, at age 27, I became a Border Services Officer with the Canada Border Services Agency; a position I hold to this day. And as much as it’s been my privilege to serve Canadians in this role, it’s been my absolute joy to do so in service to God. It’s in these past 8 years that I have succumb to those old nagging convictions to cultivate my relationship with God, and He has returned every effort of mine with blessings a thousand times over. It’s in these past 8 years as a law enforcing, truth seeking, God fearing, Jesus lover that I’ve learned what it means to be Vigilant.

WHY THE VIGILANT?

As a law enforcer being vigilant (pronounced – vidj-ah-lint) is important. We even use the term hypervigilance when speaking about our experiences in, what can sometimes be, a high stress, potentially dangerous work environment. Being Canada’s first line of defense against any would-be attackers means that I rarely know who I’m dealing with or what their intentions might be. I’m put in a precarious position of disadvantage each day when I’m required to approach a stranger and question them not knowing what evil or violent intention they may have. This means that I must remain vigilant, even hyper vigilant, in order to protect myself, my co-workers, the Canadian public and the country.

The Oxford dictionary defines Vigilant as an adjective meaning: Keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties. It comes from the Latin “vigil” which means awake. That’s what being vigilant is all about; being awake, alert, attentive, watchful, aware, ready and prepared in order that any potential danger, difficulty or trouble might be quickly identified and dealt with. Vigilance could be the first step in preventing something harmful or dangerous from happening and so at the heart of vigilance is this effort to protect.

So the idea behind The Vigilant blog is this passion to protect and defend by keeping careful watch for possible dangers or difficulties. You might ask, “what are you hoping to defend or protect?” And I’d answer, “those things that I’m convinced are true and those people who need to hear it.” Things like, biblical inerrancy, inspiration and authority. Things like the truth of the Christian gospel, the truth of the triune God, and so on. Here’s the thing, as an evangelical Christian, I know what it’s like to have my beliefs attacked by non-believers and fellow believers alike. I’ve stood by and watched as churches have morphed into man-centered, secularized, entertainment complexes; sacrificing their Christocentricity. I’ve been to churches where there is no sermon, no bible, no gospel and no Christ whatsoever! I’m aware of assaults on the inerrancy, inspiration and authority of the bible and on the nature and attributes of God himself. And I’ve seen a lot more than that! I suppose I’m just convicted to take a stand. Here and now, I want to be more vigilant. I want to contribute my small part to others who oppose and abhor such attacks. I want to be a light in the darkness and a voice of loving truth. I don’t want to look back on my life and regret not having said or done something. And those who choose to join the cause, this group devoted to protecting and preserving the truth for the benefit of their neighbors in love, I like to call them The Vigilant.

CONSIDER THE CONTENT

Aiming to stay consistent with who I am and what I’ve stated The Vigilant is all about, I plan to write on themes like Christian Doctrine, Biblical hermeneutics and interpretation, Common theological or interpretive errors and heresies, the Christian Gospel and much more. And just so we’re clear, I’m bound to make errors. First of all, I’m a human. And secondly, I’m a layman with zero seminary training. So I hope that wise and knowledgeable people will read this blog and comment. Though I’m full of zeal for this project and ready to use it for God’s glory, I’m also ready to be humbled by it and to learn from it. I hope that through this effort we can all grow and mature in truth. And I’ll also add this, I hope everyone who reads this blog questions everything! Like I said before, you have to be critical and even skeptical of the things people share. Be like the Bereans in Acts chapter 17. They didn’t blindly believe the Apostle Paul, but “they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11b) The Bereans looked for themselves and that’s what I hope you’ll do as well.

I won’t make any promises as to how often I’ll write. I tend to take my sweet time writing. But I am hoping to write some bible commentary regularly. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Thanks for checking out The Vigilant. I hope you’ll check back often and contact me with questions, comments, advice, concerns, prayer requests, encouragement, etc. If you believe in this project and want to help support it, please pray for me and for anyone who might read it. Remember to check back periodically for new content but in the meantime, stay Vigilant.


Ryan Tame

COMING SOON

New content coming soon, but in the meantime, read Ephesians 6:10-20 and then enjoy this drawing I made recently.