“Jesus Is Always the Answer”
When I was in high school, a fellow student complained to our teacher about receiving a poor grade on an exam. Apparently, the student had answered several fill-in-the-blank questions with “Jesus,” “God,” “the Bible,” and suchlike. The class was “Computer Science.” Mrs. Smith (name changed) sympathetically explained that the grade was objective and resulted from these incorrect answers. “But, Mrs. Smith,” the student objected, “Jesus is always the answer.”
Ours was a Christian school, and Mrs. Smith was a devout woman. Moved by such piety, she relented and awarded the student full marks. I suppose she thought to teach the spiritual lesson rather than the technical. I’m afraid, however, that whatever her good intentions, in this case she cannot have reasonably hoped to teach any lesson but that Christian spirituality is full of humbug and that its lessons are in empty-headed sentimentality.
Simple Trust versus Calculation
It is not uncommon, I think, to use spiritual words as fill-in-the-blank answers for many, otherwise worthy, questions. How is one assured of salvation? “By faith.” How does one deal with an insolent child? “With love.” How do I get over my depression? “Turn to Jesus.”
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Sarah Ziegenhagen lives in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where she is a wife and stay-at-home mother of six.
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