It was our privilege some years ago to teach Basic Theology in a small Bible college. As a nondenominational, albeit soundly evangelical, school, the student body (as well as faculty) represented a rather wide range of backgrounds.
Although pastoring a denominationally related church at the time, I found the school based role particularly rewarding in that it afforded opportunity for both fellowshipping believers of other backgrounds and occasion for promoting - more by spirit and example than argued thesis - the concept of identity based on a common faith in Jesus Christ as opposed to shared organizational identity. Within such setting, it was only logical that varying points of understanding should sometimes arise. That the spirit of love and unity continued yet unhindered represented, I believe, a confirmation of divine sanction relative to the effort.
At the same time, we sought to emphasize that much within the realm of "religious" cause and promotion should incite hesitation. That one does not blindly "buy into" everything coming down the "religious pike" is not a mark of inadequate faith but rather of discretion; hence the frequent value of a "healthy skepticism." It was a point of emphasis with the apostle Paul: "Test everything; retain what is good" (I Thess. 5:21 NAB).
This all came to mind a day or two ago upon hearing that some are being caught up in reports of manna having recently fallen on Mount Sinai (if not a new rumor, we had not previously heard of it). It did, however, bring to mind the hyper-excitement generated among more than a few in the "eighties" by reports that upon lowering a microphone into a hole drilled many miles into the earth, Russian scientists had picked up the cries of the damned.
As the result of an extensive investigation sponsored by Christianity Today magazine, it was determined that the story had originated with a Swedish atheist who had set out to prove that Christians are gullible. Mailing a sheet taken from a totally nonreligious Swedish trade journal, accompanied by his "English translation" of its contents, the individual had forwarded both to a Florida evangelist who frantically spread the story without so much as having someone check out the validity of the alleged "account." One can little doubt that the author of the scheme felt assured had had proven his point.
Manna on Mt. Sinai? Probably not. Let us at least follow the biblical injunction to exercise discretion before running the risk of proving ourselves as lacking somewhat in discernment and objectivity.
Burl Ratzsch
