Why Right Thinking is Critical

Why Right Thinking is Critical

“In Boston they ask, how much does he know?  In New York, how much is he worth?  In Philadelphia, who were his parents?” quipped Mark Twain.  There is no doubt that Bostonians think they are the superior cognitive beings.  There’s even a coffee shop called ‘The Thinking Cup’ on the main drag in Boston (founded in 1630!); yes, they pride themselves in being good thinkers.  But what is a good thinker?  Is it someone who can reason things through—come up with a valuable solution for a complex matter?  Or is it someone who thinks good things—altruistic or true, pure, lovely, admirable, etc.?  Or . . . is it what an ‘intellect’ thinks about, that others are certain must be substantively good, even if it isn’t?  Or is a good thinker someone who regularly chooses to think about matters of substance, whether anyone notices or not?  Good thinking—what’s your definition?

And is there a difference between good thinking and right thinking?  I submit to you there is a difference, and choosing right thinking is critical.

STAY CURIOUS.  THINK WELL.  ADVANCE GOOD ~ that’s the motto of Q and the conference I attended this last week in Boston.  Q is for ‘question’ and exists to start conversations and make people of faith think, stretch, engage and grow--¹ somewhat akin to the intriguing TED Talks.² The conference was held in the historic Tremont Temple Baptist Church, the first integrated church in the old city, which Dwight Moody called America’s pulpit, and Abraham Lincoln once gave an address. 

I loved it… a lot.  Mostly because it did indeed make me think.  It caused the little train in my brain to move alone neural trails it does not travel often enough.  Thinking well about subjects that are not usually on our radar can be challenging and require us to be courageous—especially if they require action on our part.  The Q docket included a Boston Marathon survivor who [had gone to watch his girlfriend cross the finish line, lost both of his legs in the blast], and outlined the power of team, the team it took to encourage him to keep going.  Doctors, therapists, Marines especially, who literally strapped his prosthetics on him and got him on his feet. (By the way, he married the running girl, and they have their first child on the way.)

The woman who wrote Finding God at Harvard and founded the Veritas [truth] clubs in the Ivy League schools spoke about its impact and far-flung influence, while citing that of all large American cities, Boston ranked the absolute lowest in her appreciation of the Bible.³ In her book, Kelly Monroe Kullberg reveals a different picture of Christian faith in a secular intellectual setting. She presents the compelling testimonies of forty-two faculty members, former students, and distinguished orators at Harvard. Their candid reflections explode the myth that Christian faith cannot survive a rigorous intellectual atmosphere. Really?

You see, while we are told by the media that God has left the university, encouragingly, more than 200 Veritas clubs meet regularly in 15 countries, encompassing 700,000 students.  You see, we must seek out truth about God’s presence and influence in our colleges and universities.  I know my two nephews, Brian and Kevin Ivie, have been heavily involved in Cru, a similar type community at USC, with chapters at campuses in hundreds of locations.  God is alive and well—even at  the university.

There were several Q conversations about the ‘Gay Dilemma’ in the church, squaring the human equation in our culture with New Testament scripture.  In these conversations—in fact, I even had one yesterday with my corporate brothers, as one has worked alongside many gay models in past years--folks recounted that they knew from the time they were six and eight years old, they were different.  And this week, a lot of people watched the Bruce Jenner interview, which was really sad, and hearts go out to his and other stories. Folks are tempted to get indignant on his and others’ behalves—but then there is God’s Word.  How do we reconcile the two?  The first response is to recognize that, in this world, with our finite minds, we simply will not be able to reconcile or understand all that goes on with people.  Truly.  Besides, we are not the Judge.

Inductive and deductive abilities to reason are different from the powers of reason from moral and biblical perspectives.  As my Danny boy would say, ‘ergo,’ it is one thing to think critically and another to think rightly, as one said, ‘to think God’s thoughts after him.’ 

Paul explained, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.⁴ Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.⁵

This is fascinating stuff—so, more tomorrow about good thinking vs. right thinking!