Hope and Dignity in Crisis: A Christian Perspective

 

Summary

In this conversation with Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, we explore the historical and theological perspectives on crises, human dignity, and the enduring hope found in the Christian faith. As we navigate a unique moment in history marked by a global epidemic, we are reminded of the church's role in demonstrating faith and love by caring for our neighbors. This situation, while disorienting due to isolation and the disruption of communal worship, calls us to reaffirm our confidence in God's sovereignty and wisdom. Reflecting on past crises, such as the Spanish Flu and the plagues during the Reformation, we see how the church has historically responded with compassion and care, even at great personal risk.

Dr. Godfrey highlights Augustine's response to the collapse of the Roman Empire, emphasizing that our hope should not rest in temporal institutions but in God's eternal purpose. This perspective is crucial as we face uncertainties today. The discussion also delves into the doctrine of the imago Dei, exploring how being made in God's image bestows inherent dignity upon all humans. This dignity persists despite the fall into sin, and it informs our ethical considerations on issues like abortion, euthanasia, and human sexuality.

The Ten Commandments are presented as a framework for understanding our responsibilities to love God and our neighbors, reflecting the dignity inherent in each person. The conversation also touches on the cultural mandate, which calls humanity to steward creation responsibly, and the equality of men and women as image bearers of God. Finally, the hope of the new creation in Christ is underscored, reminding us that Jesus is making all things new, and this promise sustains us through present difficulties.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Church's Role in Crisis: In times of crisis, the church is called to demonstrate faith and love by caring for neighbors, even when isolation disrupts communal worship. This moment challenges us to reaffirm our confidence in God's sovereignty and wisdom, drawing us to consider deep questions of human existence. [03:46]

2. Historical Lessons from Augustine and the Reformation: Augustine's response to the Roman Empire's collapse teaches us to place our hope in God's eternal purpose rather than temporal institutions. Similarly, during the Reformation, the church showed Christ's love by caring for the sick, even at personal risk, highlighting the enduring call to compassion. [06:14]

3. The Imago Dei and Human Dignity: Being made in God's image bestows inherent dignity on all humans, which persists despite the fall into sin. This understanding informs our ethical considerations on issues like abortion, euthanasia, and human sexuality, emphasizing the need to respect and love all people as image bearers of God. [11:31]

4. The Ten Commandments and Love: The Ten Commandments reveal God's concern for human dignity by outlining our responsibilities to love God and our neighbors. This love is expressed through worship, respect, and ethical behavior, reflecting the dignity inherent in each person and guiding us in honoring others. [15:16]

5. Hope in the New Creation: The promise that Jesus is making all things new sustains us through present difficulties. This hope calls us to persevere, knowing that a great day is coming when every tear will be wiped away, and every sin and disappointment will be removed, affirming our identity as the Lord's. [25:50]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:24] - Introduction to Dr. W. Robert Godfrey
- [00:45] - Historical Perspective on Crises
- [01:19] - The Spanish Flu and Modern Epidemics
- [02:23] - Lessons from Church History
- [03:19] - The Impact of Isolation on Worship
- [03:46] - Confidence in God's Sovereignty
- [04:16] - Augustine and the Collapse of Rome
- [05:11] - Pastoral Care During Plagues
- [06:14] - Augustine's The City of God
- [07:12] - Human Dignity and the Image of God
- [09:18] - The Cultural Mandate
- [14:39] - The Ten Commandments and Human Dignity
- [16:17] - Unity and Dignity in Humanity
- [20:34] - Human Sexuality and Dignity
- [23:52] - The Humanity of Jesus Christ
- [25:20] - Jesus Making All Things New

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Psalm 8:3-5
2. Genesis 1:26-28
3. Matthew 22:37-40

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Observation Questions:

1. How does the sermon describe the church's role during times of crisis, and what historical examples are given to illustrate this? [02:23]

2. What was Augustine's perspective on the collapse of the Roman Empire, and how does it relate to our understanding of God's eternal purpose? [06:14]

3. According to the sermon, how does the doctrine of the imago Dei inform our ethical considerations on issues like abortion and euthanasia? [11:31]

4. How are the Ten Commandments used in the sermon to explain our responsibilities towards God and our neighbors? [14:39]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church can demonstrate faith and love during a crisis, even when communal worship is disrupted? [03:19]

2. How does Augustine's response to the Roman Empire's collapse challenge us to reconsider where we place our hope today? [06:14]

3. What implications does the imago Dei have for how we view and treat others, especially in light of the sermon’s discussion on human dignity? [11:31]

4. How do the Ten Commandments guide us in expressing love and respect for others, according to the sermon? [14:39]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you faced a personal crisis. How did your faith community support you, and how can you offer similar support to others now? [02:23]

2. Augustine emphasized placing hope in God's eternal purpose rather than temporal institutions. What are some "temporal institutions" you might be relying on, and how can you shift your focus to God's eternal purpose? [06:14]

3. The sermon discusses the inherent dignity of all humans as image bearers of God. How can you actively show respect and love to those who are often marginalized in society? [11:31]

4. Consider the Ten Commandments as a framework for loving God and your neighbors. Which commandment do you find most challenging to live out, and what steps can you take to improve in this area? [14:39]

5. The sermon highlights the hope of the new creation in Christ. How does this promise influence your daily life and decisions, especially during difficult times? [25:50]

6. Think about a current global or local crisis. How can you and your small group be a source of hope and support to those affected by it? [03:19]

7. The sermon mentions the cultural mandate to steward creation responsibly. What is one practical way you can contribute to this mandate in your community? [12:38]

Devotional

Day 1: The Church's Call to Compassion in Crisis
In times of crisis, the church is called to demonstrate faith and love by caring for neighbors, even when isolation disrupts communal worship. This moment challenges us to reaffirm our confidence in God's sovereignty and wisdom, drawing us to consider deep questions of human existence. The church has historically responded to crises with compassion and care, even at great personal risk, as seen during the Spanish Flu and the plagues of the Reformation. This legacy calls us to act with courage and love, trusting in God's eternal purpose. [03:46]

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community is in need of support today, and how can you practically extend love and care to them, even if it requires stepping out of your comfort zone?


Day 2: Eternal Hope Beyond Temporal Institutions
Augustine's response to the Roman Empire's collapse teaches us to place our hope in God's eternal purpose rather than temporal institutions. Similarly, during the Reformation, the church showed Christ's love by caring for the sick, even at personal risk, highlighting the enduring call to compassion. This perspective is crucial as we face uncertainties today, reminding us that our ultimate security and hope are found in God's unchanging nature and promises. [06:14]

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: What temporal institution or earthly security are you tempted to place your hope in, and how can you shift your focus to God's eternal purpose today?


Day 3: The Imago Dei and Ethical Living
Being made in God's image bestows inherent dignity on all humans, which persists despite the fall into sin. This understanding informs our ethical considerations on issues like abortion, euthanasia, and human sexuality, emphasizing the need to respect and love all people as image bearers of God. Recognizing the imago Dei in others calls us to uphold their dignity and value, guiding our interactions and decisions with compassion and justice. [11:31]

"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, ESV)

Reflection: How does recognizing the image of God in others challenge you to change the way you treat someone you find difficult to love?


Day 4: The Ten Commandments as a Framework for Love
The Ten Commandments reveal God's concern for human dignity by outlining our responsibilities to love God and our neighbors. This love is expressed through worship, respect, and ethical behavior, reflecting the dignity inherent in each person and guiding us in honoring others. By following these commandments, we align our lives with God's will, fostering a community of love and respect. [15:16]

"And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39, ESV)

Reflection: Which of the Ten Commandments do you find most challenging to live out, and what steps can you take to better align your actions with this commandment today?


Day 5: Hope in the New Creation
The promise that Jesus is making all things new sustains us through present difficulties. This hope calls us to persevere, knowing that a great day is coming when every tear will be wiped away, and every sin and disappointment will be removed, affirming our identity as the Lord's. This future hope empowers us to live with purpose and joy, even amidst trials, as we anticipate the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. [25:50]

"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" (Revelation 21:5, ESV)

Reflection: What current difficulty are you facing that you need to view through the lens of the hope of the new creation, and how can this perspective change your response to it today?

Quotes


Well, I think one of the lessons we can always learn from the history of the church is that in times of crisis, the church testifies to its faith and its love by the way it tries to help the neighbor. And I think that should be true in this kind of situation as well, we ought to be concerned about our neighbors. [00:02:28]

And while knowledge has its benefits, it also has its liabilities and you can see that in some of the somewhat crazy panicked buying that's going on in various places. So it's a very serious moment and a perhaps unique moment in history. [00:01:56]

And his purpose there was to say even the most reliable of things that we as human beings depend on, like an empire that's existed for hundreds of years, are not really where our hope is. That empire, Augustine said, was not guaranteed by God to last forever and we have to put our hope in those things which really are reliable, which really are certain. [00:06:14]

And the only thing in life utterly certain, even death and taxes aren't certain, we may have taxes postponed during this crisis, but what is absolutely certain is that God is building His church. God is gathering His elect, God will have a people and He will accomplish His redemptive purpose in history, no matter what happens to other institutions. [00:06:41]

Before we can appreciate the tragedy of human depravity, we have to understand the blessing of human dignity that God gave to mankind in creation. And I was going to start with after criticizing Chris Larson, I was going to start with Psalm 8, because at the very heart of Psalm 8 is that wonderful question, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" [00:08:01]

The image of God therefore has a broader and more foundational sense in that we are in the image of God because we're thinking creatures, because we're moral creatures, because we're feeling creatures. And while those gifts of God are marred by the fall into sin, they are not lost by the fall into sin. [00:10:44]

And I think one of the ways of reading human history is efforts to divide and separate human beings in ways that deny the dignity of the other, so that we exalt ourselves and our group and our people and justify cruelty, hatred, oppression by insisting that the others do not have any dignity. [00:11:43]

And then we see our dignity in the calling to love our fellow image bearers. We are not just to be self-centered; we are to recognize God's image in others and to seek to love them. And because in a fallen world it's easy to corrupt what love is all about, it means we're not to murder or hate them, we're not sexually to abuse them, we're not to steal from them, we're not to bear false witness against them, we're not to covet what they possess. [00:15:24]

And Paul is saying here, since we're all descended from one man, there are differences among us, but we are all interconnected because we all have a common human ancestor, but we also have a common Creator and therefore we have to recognize the dignity of one another. [00:17:09]

And we can see once again how this denial of human dignity leads to the most awful sorts of results, and will have a spiraling effect, we can go back and look at one of the early actions Adolph Hitler took as chancellor of Germany, was to begin a program of euthanasia against disabled persons that he did not think were worth expending the resources of society to keep alive. [00:18:20]

And that promise held out before us is the promise that helps us live through the struggles of this time. The word of the book of the Revelation is, "Be an overcomer. Be a conqueror." And in Christ we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us. And that's what the book does for us, it calls us to persevere in present difficulty with the glorious hope of the future that's to be revealed. [00:25:57]

And so that's what we look forward to and that's our comfort in this present difficulty. That whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's and a great day is coming. [00:26:24]

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Transcript
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